As an architect, you deserve to work with a team of like-minded creatives and at a firm that is as invested in your development as you are. But this can be difficult to find at big, stuffy firms where you get pigeonholed in a role, or the hierarchy makes management feel inaccessible. Luckily, when you join the Architecture Design Collaborative (ADC), you join a team of architectural all-stars dedicated to honing their craft and a firm that will give you all the guidance and resources you need to achieve your personal and professional goals!
Since 2014, ADC has been a nationally ranked architecture firm that serves Southern California and beyond with innovative designs. Our success is only possible because of our team of architects! In this next installment of our ADC All-Stars series, you will meet Shea Hernandez, an architect who came to us fresh out of college and whose growth and development we have had the pleasure of nurturing!
ADC All-Stars: Meet Shea Hernandez, Job Captain
Shea Hernandez started working at ADC in 2018, one year after graduating from college and knew almost instantly that she had found her dream postgraduate architecture job.
But this Kansas City native moved to California long before that! Shea was fortunate because when she moved, so did the rest of her family, so she’s always felt at home here.
“I’m actually from Kansas City, Missouri, and I moved here when I was 18. My dad got a job out here about a year before I graduated. And I always wanted to come out here for college. So he paved the way for me and the rest of my family and made it possible.”
– Shea Hernandez, Job Captain, ADC
Shea believes that if you’re just kind of considering getting into architecture, it’s not the job for you. You have to be passionate about it because it is a lot of work. And for Shea, architecture has been a lifelong passion! She says architecture is a great career if you are creative.
“I can’t see myself doing anything else. I’ve wanted to be an architect since I was probably five years old. I have sketches from when I was a little kid in elementary school that were basically like floor plans of houses. My dad was a graphic designer, so he introduced me to the art world and encouraged me to get into architecture. I’ve loved it ever since.”
– Shea Hernandez, Job Captain, ADC
In her free time, Shea’s very involved with her church and giving back to her community by giving food to the homeless and teaching financial literacy classes. She also has spent some time as a teacher’s assistant in classes for kids with special needs.
When she’s not designing, building, and shaping the world at the office, she spends her free time exploring it and doing outdoor activities, like hiking or going to the beach. She also plays the piano, a hobby she’s enjoyed since she was eight years old.
“There’s so much to do in the area. We like to go to the beach, depending on the vibe. It could be Newport one day or San Clemente the next. Sometimes we go to the Irvine Spectrum for shopping or hang out at restaurants, too.”
– Shea Hernandez, Job Captain, ADC
At work, Shea’s superpower is definitely organization and keeping people on task, which we can all attest to through working with her at ADC! But in her personal life? Shea says it’s that she does not do small talk.
“On a personal level, my superpower is going deep with people. I tend to kind of cut through the B.S. I like to get to know people and form relationships. So parties can be kind of a nightmare for me. I’m definitely the wallflower.”
– Shea Hernandez, Job Captain, ADC
Shea believes that she owes much of her success to her family and the values her parents have instilled in her, which continue to be the engine of her success.
“My parents drilled it into me to never give up on anything, and that’s helped me in virtually every aspect of my life, through college and up to now. Because I’ll have a dream or a vision for something, and other people will doubt me and tell me it’s not possible. But I always have it in the back of my head to never give up. I always believe that I can do it. It’s helped me in my career a lot. Like, I want to get my architecture license and continue to grow. And nothing’s stopped me yet.”
– Shea Hernandez, Job Captain, ADC
What Shea Hernandez Loves About ADC!
In her six years with the ADC team, one of the things Shea loves the most about working here is the diverse architecture jobs she has worked on. She also values the collaborative company culture because she has gotten vast experience she wouldn’t have at other firms, especially at her age.
“It’s a great culture here. We all help each other and work as a team to collaborate on projects. Even if someone isn’t working on a project, we know we can always ask them for help or advice. And it’s not like bigger firms where you get pigeonholed into doing one task every day. Every day is different. Some days I’m creating technical drawings, some days I’m doing graphic design and creating an art mural for a project, some days I’m picking materials and making material boards, and other days I’m doing construction administration work. I have gotten a broad range of experience and had creative opportunities in architecture I wouldn’t have at other places, especially at my age.”
– Shea Hernandez, Job Captain, ADC
From the parties to the happy hours to daily office chit-chat, she says that the team at ADC can only work so well together because they get along and find time to laugh. Ultimately, it’s what has enabled us to build a portfolio of architectural success.
“We all like to banter and tease each other. But it’s all in good fun and helps make it so no one takes themselves too seriously. Levity is important because the job can get hectic. It’s part of what makes it so easy to work together and trust each other. If you can laugh at yourself, especially when you make a mistake, it creates an environment where everyone’s open to helping one another.”
– Shea Hernandez, Job Captain, ADC
Shea says that she particularly appreciates the management team. Not only have they helped her in her development, but she recognizes that the work-life balance that she can enjoy is because of the work they do.
“Our management team is great. They are good about setting expectations and deadlines, so we’re not overworked. At other architecture firms, you have to work crazy hours. But you don’t do that here. And even when planning my future, management has been awesome. I want to become a licensed architect and a design director and start a firm down the road. They talk to me about those goals a lot and provide the guidance and resources I need to achieve them. They make them feel possible. They’re always available when I have questions, which is huge when you want to advance your architecture career.”
– Shea Hernandez, Job Captain, ADC
Do you Want to Join a Team of All-Stars and Create Innovative, Inspiring Spaces? Apply Today to Join ADC!
You don’t need us to tell you that the people you work with and the company you work for can dictate your professional and personal growth. When you work at ADC, you work with an all-star team and at a firm that is committed to giving you ample experience to find your architectural zone of genius and help you grow professionally.
Want to do the work you’ve always dreamed of when you first became an architect and feel that sense of fulfillment every artist strives for? Visit our Architecture Jobs page to apply and join a team of architectural All-Stars and a workplace you’ll love coming to every day!
