2020 Women Who Build Spotlight: Katherine Faulkner, Katerra

Katherine Faulkner, Vice President, Architecture at Katerra

How many years have you been in your current field? 27 years

What was your favorite job and what did you learn from it? Years ago, I spent a summer working with a construction company that built houses in Maine. It was a wonderful job in a beautiful place, most valuable because it helped me build self-confidence that I could travel to an unfamiliar part of the country and make a living doing something I loved.

What would you tell your daughter about entering this profession? I do not have a daughter; I have two sons. It is an interesting time to enter the design profession. On the one hand, we are talking more than ever before about issues of race, sexuality, and gender. On the other, things are slow to change. So, I would tell her/him that they are lucky to be part of this enlightened generation in a fascinating field, but also to be mindful that each of us can make a difference. There is much work to be done.

Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? Launching NADAAA in 2011 was a game changer in my thinking of how firms could offer high quality design at a variety of scales. We began to understand fabrication as a tool for both research and prototyping, sometimes at a scale that allowed us to construct full interiors.

If your life were made into a movie, what actor would you want to portray you and why? I would like my life to be portrayed by Frances McDormand, just because I think she is a wonderful actor.

What are you planning to do differently in 2020 to have a positive impact on your career? The move to Katerra felt right on two fronts – the A/E/C industry needs to be more accountable for costs, and we have a mandate to reduce our carbon footprint while increasing the provision of shelter.