Our earliest childhood experiences often plant the seeds for our life’s passions and careers. Allegra Kochman has been passionate about architecture since she was six. Let her story inspire you to reflect on your own childhood interests as potential signposts toward your life’s work.
I loved visiting friends’ homes for playdates to see how they lived. I played “Tell Me What to Draw” with my grandmother. I loved rearranging my bedroom, and my mother attempted to stop or slow me down when she added that I draw plans for her approval. It was fun!
Thanks to my older sister, I picked up perspective drawing when I was quite young. Later, during an eighth-grade trip to England, I experimented with architectural photography. In high school and at a Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) summer program, I took architecture classes and loved them.
The common thread to all these activities is that I delighted in them; they were utterly absorbing, and no one discouraged me. A family friend named my passion “architecture. The word became candy, totally addictive. Sharing my enthusiasm would later translate into an interest in teaching.
Prior to specializing in architecture, I pursued a broad range of interests at Dartmouth College, including education, earth sciences, math, philosophy, physics, French, and Italian, while actively participating in extracurricular activities such as maintaining the Appalachian Trail, experiences that influence my work.
After a cabin maintained by the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) on the Appalachian Trail burned down, I applied my classroom skills to create a presentation for a new student-built cabin on Mt. Moosilauke. I considered interior views, approach angles, and optimizing sleeping space. My peers chose to build my design!
After receiving my college degree, I attended graduate school for architecture at Columbia University and received my license in New York State in 2000. As part of my education, I chose to take time off to learn more about the construction industry.
I worked for a Construction Management firm that converted city-owned Rentals into Tenant-owned coops as part of the NYC Tenant Interim Lease Program (TIL). This work taught me the priorities of contractors and landlords and stimulated my academics.
I won two awards upon graduation, and since graduation from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, I have been working in NYC, building up to employment at progressively larger firms, culminating in a senior designer position at SOM in the airport group.
At each stage of my career, I asked myself what I really wanted and pursued that next step without judgment. I approached each job and each project with the curiosity and enthusiasm of my childhood.
I was laid off a few months after September 11 and worked part-time for three years at an Architectural Lighting firm while beginning my dream of establishing an architecture firm.
My passion for architecture is deeply intertwined with teaching, and I have always sought to communicate and share my enthusiasm. When I had the privilege of teaching at Parsons New School, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the New York Institute of Technology, my classes focused on the intersection of design thinking, problem-solving, and innovation, covering topics such as creating drawing sets, school design, and housing design.
The experience revealed a parallel between guiding students and leading employees – motivation and inspiration are key to developing critical thinking abilities. This teaching philosophy now translates into transparency with clients. We take the time to educate our clients, ensuring they understand and take ownership of each design decision. This collaborative approach fosters a deeper connection between the client and the project, resulting in more meaningful and tailored solutions.
My firm focuses on creating architecture that delights our clients. I use the lessons I learned along the way. In 2006, Allegra founded an architectural firm specializing in residential renovations, emphasizing maximizing Light-Views-Space (LVS). In addition, She and her staff are passionate about sharing their delight with clients. Our clients share their delight on our Testimonials page.
At AKA, we draw on curiosity and joy. With our clients, a healthy work environment and transparency are essential for excellence. We share tools and tips that deliver delight and insights in our articles and our work with clients. We speak and write in plain English. We delight our clients by applying these attributes to our process and optimizing for Light-Views-Space in our successful NYC renovation practice. We create a process and spaces that delight.
All photos © Allegra Kochman
Photos may be used only with attribution
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