Celia Moore
est. April 2019
Just when you thought season ONE was over… we’re sneaking in a final FINALE episode…
Celia Moore. What can we possibly say about her that adequately describes her many facets? The good news is we don’t have to – because Justin has gotten the scoop straight from the source. You’ll want to lace up your hiking boots, tie your hair back, and turn up the volume for this one. This is Celia Moore – Yoga Master, Hiker of Nations, Gorge Goer, The Heroine of Hard Rock, The Dame of Old Dogs, Keeper of Normal Cats… our newest teammate.
Where are you from and how did you land in architecture?
I am from Frankfort, Kentucky, and I have always wanted to be in architecture (since I was a kid). I’ve always liked to draw and build things, but I would say I also ended up in architecture basically because my entire immediate family (literally all of them) are civil engineers and I knew that wasn’t for me so architecture was as close as I could get to that.
[Editor’s Note: My father was a Civil Engineer too… I’m so sorry…]
Where and when did you go to school / college?
I graduated from Frankfort High School, went to the [University of Kentucky] College of Architecture (as it was called back then). I started in 1999 and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Architecture.
Describe in a few sentences your role at i/A.
I am a project manager here at i/A. So as a project manager I essentially coordinate all the aspects of a project from beginning to end. Coordination with consultants is a big part of what I do, as well as working with other teammates to get the project designed and drawn up quickly and accurately. I often meet and work with the clients making sure their needs are met, and the process of both designing and constructing their building goes smoothly.
Describe an i/A project you have recently worked on. Regarding the project, what kind of challenges had to be solved and what was interesting about it?
I recently finished up the design for an addition to Hindman Elementary. While I am very familiar with doing work on school buildings, schools always have their own challenges, particularly the budget and schedule. Hindman Elementary was no exception with very tight funding, but it is always exciting with a school project to see just how much even a simple gymnasium addition can change the entire school and community (which is definitely the case at Hindman). Plus, since this particular elementary school is in Joey and Carissa’s hometown, that made it super cool too.
What trends in the architectural industry is currently sparking your interest?
I am really interested in high performance and/or net-zero buildings, especially when both passive and active strategies are used. I am always interested to see new and innovative daylighting strategies, and simply paying close attention to the building’s energy consumption as a whole in terms of lighting, heating and cooling, water and grey water treatment etc. and letting that inform the architecture and feel of the space.
[Editor’s Note: Grey water is water that’s already been used but is still relatively clean. We shan’t talk about Black water.]
What three traits describe you?
This is the hardest question… I guess I would have to say independent, determined, and stubborn
If you had the opportunity to design any building or product with unlimited funds and resources what would it be?
I would probably want to design a fully automated and tricked out smart home. My husband and I (especially him) are fascinated by all the options out there related to home automation and have done some pretty cool smart home upgrades to our own home. I think it would be especially fun to start from scratch and integrate all the smart home automation into the architecture from the beginning and truly customize the home.
Do you have any pets?
I have a dog named Munchie who is 14 years old, blind, diabetic, and wears diapers – but we still love him. I also have a cat named Sadie who is mostly normal.
If you were in a band, what kind of music would you play? – What would the band be called?
If I were in a band the kind of music we would play would be loud music. I can’t really specifically point to any particular style, but it would be loud, and I would play drums. I’m not sure what the name of the band would be, I feel like that would take some serious thought, but it would have to be ridiculous and probably non-sensical, because why not?
[Editor’s Note: Band name = Blind Munchie and the Normal Cats]
What do you like to watch, listen to, or read?
I really like tv series, specifically Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Peaky Blinders… I’m definitely a Netflix binger. I listen to any and all music but some of my favorites include Gram Parsons, The Velvet Underground, Wilco, Otis Redding, Radiohead, The Arcade Fire, Band of Horses….I could really go on with this list for a long time. I love to read all kinds of books, but mostly fiction and music biographies.
Do you have any nicknames? How did you earn them?
I don’t have any nicknames, at least that I know of, but having somewhat of a unique name I get a lot of people that mispronounce it, or sing the Simon and Garfunkel song “Cecelia” (which isn’t my name) and sometimes it sticks.
If you could have the correct answer to any one question what would it be?
I’d love to know if there are other life forms within our galaxy, and if so what are their lives like…
What is your absolute favorite indoor/outdoor activity?
My favorite outdoor activity is definitely hiking; we spend most summer weekends hiking in the [Red River] Gorge when we can, we also like to travel/hike around the country, especially National Parks. My favorite indoor activity is yoga, a lot of people don’t know that I am actually a certified yoga instructor and have taught classes in the evenings in the past.
What’s the best thing that happened to you this year?
By far the best thing that has happened to me this year was switching jobs and becoming part of the team at iA. I had been at my previous job for 14 years, so making a change like this was a big deal, but totally worth it.
[Editor’s Note: Aaaawwwwww, we love Celia]