Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Krenzien.
Hi Evan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I have always been passionate about art, architecture, and the built environment. I grew up on the Westside of Los Angeles amongst a lot of creative people and families. When I was 5 years old, my parents tore down their small ranch-style cottage in Venice, CA, and built an architectural home. Every day after school they would take me to visit the construction site, so I got to see the process of a home being built from essentially nothing at a very young age. This had an indelible mark on me. As I got older, I explored different ways of making this a career through studies and educational programs ranging from art to architecture and urban planning. During an internship one summer I was introduced to the concept of real estate development. This stuck as the idea of place-making and combining business sense and design sense could merge into one industry. I have always been interested in working on design-driven projects which is why participating in the design and development of single and multi-family homes and hospitality-related project have received my keen focus. I was fortunate enough to secure an internship with one of LA’s most notable developers in my last summer of college, which ultimately led to a full-time career that was truly my springboard into the industry.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have been fortunate to have exposure to a lot of unique educational programs from a young age. My parents knew I had a strong interest in design and building and really helped me hone that through both high school and college. Of course, when you launch into the real world, there is no one size fits all approach to any job- but in particular in architecture and development as in essence, no two projects are alike, especially in high-design hospitality projects- so there is always an element of “learning on the job” that school cannot teach you.
One of the biggest challenges in development and design projects is learning of course that not everyone agrees with you. You can pull together the most gorgeous project for a client and they pick it apart, so you certainly have to set aside ego and recognize that nearly every successful project is a collaboration. Similarly, for larger development projects requiring approvals from design review boards, planning jurisdictions, city councils, etc. you have to recognize that there are so many varying community pserpectives, and again you can believe you are presenting the most stunning project that everyone should embrace into the community – but that is not always the case. While at times frustiratingm it is very otehn these varying perspectives that can push and pull and make for the best end result.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Evan Shane Design + Build?Our organization specializes in real estate development consultation including project management as well as design. We like to think that good design drives business and vice versa. Projects need to be thoughtfully considered with the end user in mind be that the inhabitants of a home, or the guests of a hotel, or the patrons of a restaurant. I think many firms focus on one side or the other. We like to be very mindful of process, budget, and business goals, as well as a beautiful end product that has an intangible feeling of being “just right.” For larger development projects, I am brought on board to project manage complicated real estate development projects- again those with a design high touch typically- acting as liaison between owners, investors, architects, interior designers, landscapers, etc. In Dallas specifically, I have been brought on board to oversee the development of a very notable luxury residential and hospitality project.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Like I mentioned, I have always been interested in creative fields- playing with my building blocks, drawing sketches and floorpans, and other forms of art were always a part of my life. I tend to think of myself as an extroverted introvert. I had always been sort of quiet and cerebral focusing on analyzing a situation first before diving in- but once I am invested, I can get quite social and excitable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.evanshanedesignbuild.com
- Instagram: @evanshane
Image Credits
Avery Klein
Michael Clifford
