Brianna Life

     From my earliest days, I remember being fascinated with architecture. As a young'un, I would use graph paper my dad provided to draw what I imagined the floor plans to the Munster's house, the Brady's house, and the Addams Family house to be. I even went so far as to build scale models out of cardboard! 

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     Fast forward a few years and though I earned my bachelor degree in sociology, I found myself working at an architectural firm in Orlando as the receptionist. After a few months, I learned enough of AutoCAD to be able to move to the back of the house, into production. There I worked on as-built drawings, commercial renovations, and even ground-up design of new commercial buildings. It was a lot of fun and I learned a great deal about architecture. Unfortunately, in 2010 after the housing economy had really taken a toll on the building industry, the company I worked for closed and I was forced out of architecture for the moment. 

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     But I didn't give up on it...

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     In 2015, I found an ad for an architect who was hiring in Ormond Beach, FL. I applied and was hired to be a designer/drafter and later moved into a project manager position. This company focused on residential design and I contributed to the designs of several multi-million dollar luxury oceanfront residences. Surgeons, pharmaceutical CEOs, and international businessmen were who we counted as clients.

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     After several years with that firm, I relocated from Florida to Kentucky. Now in the Bluegrass State, I have applied to and been accepted to the Masters Certificate in Historic Preservation program at the University of Kentucky. Unfortunately, my nerves have gotten the better of me and I ended up not pursuing it. 

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But, again... I'm not giving up...

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I recently found a certification that I am interested in going for the is called Certified Professional Building Designer, offered through the American Institute of Building Design. In looking at the testing criteria, it seems pretty comprehensive. Even with all my experience, I'll still need to do a lot of studying in order to feel prepared enough to take the 175 question, 3-hour long test. Also, in order to apply, I'll need to have my former boss complete a form verifying my experience and I'm hoping he will be willing to do that. I guess we'll see.

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