MANUELA HICHES
Portrait courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
Manuela Hiches is NY based designer who earned her undergraduate degree in Architecture at Barnard College. After that, she moved on to work in the construction field as an Assistant Project Manager where she learned to coordinate with experts in different fields and understand the collaboration needed to bring an architect’s concept into reality. She currently works at Trahan Architects as their Business Development Specialist where she supports the firm’s efforts to expand its reach. Manuela is passionate about understanding the experience of the individual in varying environments and hopes to learn more about different cultures to connect with other people.
Feeding Curiosity in the Architecture Field
What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture?
Growing up, my mother was selective about what we bought since we did not have much. One of the things that I would always see on TV was a dollhouse, but we could never buy one. So, I decided to make my own out of cardboard. I even added an elevator that I could pull up with a string! My sister was impressed by it and asked me, ‘why don’t you become an architect?’. As a kid, I was always interested in arts and crafts and working with my hands, but I never thought it was something I could pursue as an adult. Nonetheless, my curiosity about the field grew, and I decided to investigate it further.
Architecture takes so much more into account than just a pretty view. Architects can address issues such as rising tides, lack of homes in an area with a sudden increase of population, and even the lack of shade or seating in a park. What really attracted me to architecture is that there are so many possibilities to explore. I enjoy how connected it is with so many other disciplines and how it opens doors to concepts outside one's network.
Explaining architectural 3D model to friends and family prior to graduation. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
Final Model of Art and Science Center. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
Study Model of an Art and Science Center to Study Varying Height Potentials. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
What motivated you to apply to the Tow Summer Research Fellowship? What were your expectations?
Before I started at Barnard College, I thought any sort of study abroad would be impossible for me. I had already planned to do my best at Barnard and explore what I could within those boundaries. However, when I reached my junior year and I saw my peers doing so many amazing things abroad, I started getting curious. Did I really explore all my options before deciding I could not go abroad? That was when I found out about the Tow Summer Research Fellowship, which supports travel related to research for the senior thesis. At that point, I just asked myself, why not? If my peers are all doing their best to broaden their horizons and succeeding in their own way, why couldn’t I?
When I applied, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I figured it was a long shot that I would even get it. My thesis involved researching whether traditional homes in South Korea had any effect on the design of their modern homes. I wanted to travel to feed my curiosity. I decided to apply and put myself out there because I learned that to take a step forward all you really need is a sense of curiosity.
A visit to the National Museum of Korea. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
How did traveling to South Korea change your views about architecture? How did it help you become a better designer?
When we see the Taj Mahal or the Pantheon, it is natural to assume that it came about because of the country's culture and history. Yet, in a modern age, where a lot of people live in apartment complexes that one might consider cookie-cutter homes, I wondered if the culture and history would have an influence in the design of these spaces. Since I did not know for certain, I wanted to find out for myself.
My research made me much more aware of how important it is to understand other people's cultures and backgrounds. If someone were to design a space for someone with a completely different background but did not consider the differences, the space designed would surely be a failure. We should not feel out of place in a space that is supposed to belong to us.
Walking along the path in Namsangol Hanok Village. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
How do you use different mediums (sketches, painting, etc.) to explore architecture? How does it help you communicate your ideas?
The stroke of a paintbrush, the line from a pencil, the cut from an X-acto knife, or the click from a camera, these all give me an opportunity to see something different. For example, when I am sketching, I must focus on the actual lines that make up a room. Sketching is more of a ‘idea dump’ method for me because you can easily erase, and it does not feel so final. When I paint the same room, I will focus on how the shadow and light interact. With a model, I can turn the object around and see angles that I had not thought of. A camera would force me to see within what fits in my frame, to pick and choose what best represents the space.
Architecture is so much about how you can interpret something and then communicate it. By using different mediums, I prevent myself from being limited to a single view. Each medium can either show me something new or helps me to understand even further the idea I had in my head.
Ink drawing of a baby octopus done as an entry for Inktober. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
Sketching in the park. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
Ink draw of a jellyfish done as an entry for Inktober. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
As an Assistant Project Manager, how did you collaborate with others to bring design projects to life?
Bringing projects to life requires a lot of communication! Working in the construction field allowed me to understand the building process. Up until that point, I only knew how to get an idea from my head to paper but I did not understand how much it took for the idea to become real. The most interesting thing I learned was that the design evolves during the building process. Even if the drawings show where things should go, it is not always easy to put them in that spot. Project managers must coordinate with so many different fields outside of their own knowledge, even something as simple as putting an air conditioner in a corner requires coordination with the members of teams from various disciplines. We had to ensure that putting it in that corner did not interfere with the electrical work, plumbing, and the overall design of the space. There are so many questions you must ask yourself and others before you can take a step forward.
Monitoring removal of a brick wall to create a larger opening for the door to the balcony. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
Interior view of the brick removal process. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
Careful stacking of removed bricks to be reinstalled at a later date. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
Why did you transition from Assistant Project Manager to Business Development Specialist? What are the main differences between both positions?
I have always made it a point to try things out in which I do not have experience. Because why not? As interesting as my Assistant Project Manager role was, I was also intrigued by the business side of architecture. Realistically, architecture is a business, and as great as it would be for architects to be able to design whatever they liked, there is more to it than that. An architect needs a client or else they would just be designing for themselves. To get a client, you need people who are good at business.
I would say the main difference would be that I had a much more hands-on approach when I was an Assistant Project Manager. As a project manager, I would be required to visit the site a lot more often than I would now. I was more engaged in the day-to-day activities of the site. Whereas in my new position as Business Development Specialist, I get a higher-level view of the project. In my new role, I can see more of the creative side of architecture and how architects work to execute their ideas.
Sketch of a Boat House Proposal. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
As a Business Development Specialist, how do you hope to connect more people to architecture?
As architects and designers, I think it is important to connect to the individual. Not just those who understand architecture, or those who like it, but the people who use these spaces. I have had countless conversations with friends and family who struggle to understand what architecture is. Yet, people are surrounded by architecture every day. I believe my new role will enhance my communication skills so that I can properly express architecture in a way that helps people connect with their surrounding environment.
It only needs to start with one person. Once you have connected to one person, you have connected to a whole network of other people.
Art Reproduction of Van Gogh’s Café Terrace at Night. Photo Courtesy of Manuela Hiches.
