NAK’s Staff Spotlight series has the goal of letting you get to know our team better through a series of 6 questions, geared to explore how we chose the field of design, what our guiding principles are, and what type of advice would we give. Today, we are getting to know, one of NAK Toronto’s Senior Project Managers, Theresa Franziska!
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What did you want to be when you grew up and why?
I wanted to be a police woman. This had mainly to do with my big brother already training as a police man and obviously I needed to follow suit if I were ever to win any sibling fights (I am the youngest of 4!).
What made you choose the field of Landscape Architecture?
My mom is a florist and avid gardener. With her being the garden club president for over 40 years throughout my childhood everyone was descending upon our house for gardening advice, pruning courses etc. She always called out every plant in Latin when we were on our family hikes. All of this should have guided me into the direction of landscape architecture, but I needed to find my own way and decided to start with a degree in photography followed by travelling and actually learning how to speak English. When I met my husband who was already a landscape architect I got to know more about this profession and I realized this combines everything I love: designing places, travelling, working with people and being creative. Here a few of the projects I was involved with while living and working in Singapore:
What are some of the principles that you have lived by? What guides you?
You can only succeed in things which you truly love and believe in.
If you could trade lives with one person for a day, who would it be and why?
I would love to experience being a Biathelete. This complete ultimate control of mind and body is fascinating. When I go for a fast round of cross country skiing on the weekend I can’t imagine how it is possible to slow down your heart with your mind and breathing techniques in seconds to then focus and hit the target.
Do you have any favorite stories from your work life? What are they?
When I was working in London (UK) at a garden design company we had a job at the private gardens where they filmed ‘Notting Hill’ with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. I loved going there every week since I felt like I was in the movie. Of course we all took a picture trying to climb that gate.
Later on a business trip to China the Client asked me to take our companies entire fee home with me in bricks of cash…!
What career advice would you give to your younger self?
Always listen to your heart and don’t waste time to make it right for others. I come from a village of 80 people south of Munich and it was hard to break away to be different, striving for something different than most of my friends. I have never regretted following my own path.
Love what you do and you will succeed!
