Team Spotlight: Mahshid Gharibi
Designer Mahshid Gharibi
Mahshid Gharibi grew up in Tehran, Iran and received her Master of Architecture degree from Shahid Beheshti University in 2012 before moving to Seattle where she earned a second master’s degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington. Mahshid joined JMA at the firm’s inception in 2015 and has played a significant role in designing facilities for clients in the multi-family, commercial/retail, and self storage sectors.
Aside from being an accomplished architectural designer, Mahshid loves to travel and explore the outdoors through hiking and backpacking. We decided to ask her some questions about Tehran, her travels in the U.S., and what she loves about architecture.
What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture?
When I was a teenager, I knew architects traveled a lot. I had this idea that working in architecture would give me more opportunities to explore and meet interesting people in various parts of the world. After moving to Seattle to get my master’s degree and working on projects across the Pacific NW, this has been true for me.
To me, architecture is where art and engineering intersect. I love spending hours and hours enjoying these two aspects of an architectural work. I believe a functionally optimized design is as nice as an aesthetically crafted piece of art.
How did growing up in Tehran shape your perspective as a designer?
Tehran is a big city with a lot of diversity in almost every factor of life: wealth, age, and weather just to name a few. Having so many variables to play with makes it both fun and challenging to produce an optimal architectural solution. Tehran is also an evolving city. It is a city with centuries of history that’s going through a process of cultural and financial modernization which opens another challenge for an architect: how to preserve the historical legacy while providing modern world necessities.
Do you have a favorite building or architectural landmark in Iran?
The City of Tehran started a project a couple of years ago to renovate old Qajar houses in Tehran to create some public/private museums, coffee shops, small galleries, etc. I really like these Qajar houses in Tehran which offer thoughtful architectural details and peaceful gardens (in contrast to the chaos of a huge city outside). And designers are doing a wonderful job renovating these places and making them livable, functional places for the public to enjoy.
You have done quite a bit of travelling in the United States since moving here in 2013. Do you have a favorite U.S. city or state (besides Seattle, of course)?
Santa Fe, New Mexico is my favorite city in the U.S. The city is basically a huge art museum with lovely people who take the time to visit galleries and talk to artists about their work. I also visited Meow Wolf Museum in Santa Fe which was a mind-blowing experience with great storytelling and thinking outside the box.
Mahshid is pinning all the states she visits with Dinosaurs
What do you enjoy most about architecture and working at JMA?
I love to make things, and I’m glad that my career gives me the opportunity to be exposed to what I enjoy. All the sketches, models, renderings, collages and day to day juggling satisfy my passion of creating and problem solving.
I love JMA because of the people that I work with. I believe it’s all about the people. No matter what project we work on and what we agree or disagree on, we always work together as a team to find solutions for our clients.