I think the main factor [that has shaped who I am] was growing up in a place that felt cheap and thrown together. All of the spaces that I remember as a kid were just shitty. Strip malls, tract housing, chain stores, all of this made me wonder how we as a people arrived at this as a design solution. I wanted to do something that felt real, solid, and considered. You can make a really beautiful space that will last and still make a profit — all that’s necessary is that you bother to actually think about how to make it possible. I can’t stand “fake” in any capacity, and this distaste has driven me to make something real.