It’s been a while since our last Meet the Team post and we have made it to our last one (for now)! It’s been such a joy to share more about the wonderful people that make up our team throughout this series. In this post we are sharing a bit more about Tracy Levy and Gwyn Evans – from architecture to outside the office. In case you missed all of our other Meet the Team posts, there have been posts about Marisa, Ben S, and Colbi, Gina and Erin, Amlin, Ben F and Holdt, and Alexa, Ilsa and Maxine.
Meet the Team: Tracy and Gwyn
Tracy Levy
Tracy (TL)is one of the first people our clients get to meet and loves getting to know them and what they’re looking for from an architect. If you follow us on Instagram, you may have seen our post congratulating Tracy on her seven year work anniversary. Everyone is always in awe of Tracy for all that she does and we are all so grateful for her ability to think and care about both the needs of our team and our wonderful clients. On zoom you’ll often find one of Tracy’s four cats Tiger, Peanut, Pepper or Luna trying to steal the spotlight to wish everyone a good morning before Tracy does. She also took some long awaited time off and traveled to Spain and Paris in 2022!
Gwyn Evans
Gwyn (GE), like many people in our team, loves learning from her co-workers and feeling integrated into a creative community here at Studio MM. Outside of work, Gwyn loves drawing, thrifting, being with friends, and trying new restaurants near her apartment. Back in Maryland, she has a grey cat named Jack, a Jack Russell named Gemma, and a yellow lab named Angus. Angus joined the family just a couple of months before she moved to NY so getting updates of how he’s doing at puppy school always brightens up her day.
Digging In
We asked Tracy and Gwyn a few questions to learn a little more about them including interests outside of work, what their dream home would need to include, advice, and more!
What is your favorite part of the process with clients here at Studio MM?
TL: I really enjoy both the early parts of the pre-design process and the very end of construction the best. I’m often the first person on our team to speak with new clients which gives me a unique opportunity to hear their stories, and learn more about their dreams and plans for their new homes. Clients typically have many questions at this point of the process and I enjoy helping them get the answers they need and seeing them through the very early phases before we start designing.
It’s also incredibly rewarding to see projects come to a close. I thoroughly enjoy witnessing our clients watching their home being constructed and coming to life before their eyes. It’s an exciting part of the project when all of the dreaming, planning, and hard work comes to fruition during the final parts of construction and when clients finally get to move into their finished dream home!
When did you get into architecture?
GE: I actually realized I wanted to go into architecture midway through getting my psychology degree. I enjoyed the research and the topics of psychology but kept feeling that I would regret not incorporating a creative component into my career. I’ve always enjoyed painting and drawing, and I remembered that even when I was little I used to draw plans of my room all the time to try to reinvent the layout. I did an introduction to architecture program at Columbia a few years ago and saw that the possibilities within the field were broader than I thought and knew that I wanted to go into it. What I like most about architecture is its ability to use creativity to address real world problems and puzzles.
If you were designing your dream home what are some must haves?
TL: Lots of outdoor space that’s easily accessible from the indoors, including an interior courtyard space with a pool, outdoor kitchen area, lounge area, and outdoor fireplace.
GE: Similar to a lot of the homes we design, I want my dream home to be designed to experience the outdoor space. Having a courtyard or a porch space of some sort would be the focal point of the design, something I’m desperately missing in my Brooklyn apartment. I also imagine my home to be thoughtfully colorful. I love homes that make you feel like you’re on vacation and integrating bright colors here and there would make my home feel more inspiring to me. Maybe even adding a Jean Cocteau style mural…
What advice would you give your younger self/ young architect?
TL: Perfection is the enemy of the good.
GE: This is really advice for my young and current self, but I would say to surround yourself with friends that inspire you and encourage you to be creative. I think we’re always more influenced by the people around us than we realize and so making an effort to join creative and uplifting communities that you identify with is really important for your personal growth.
Book recommendation?
TL: The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
GE: A bit of an intense suggestion but Evicted by Matthew Desmond was a great book. It follows the author’s sociology study on affordable housing. Won a Pulitzer!
Favorite comfort food?
TL: Pizza. Because it’s pizza.
GE: I always love pasta but when I’m at home in Annapolis, MD it’s always seafood. My dad is a great cook and we live on the Chesapeake Bay so we’re always cooking fresh oysters, catfish, etc.
