"Some of my favorite projects are the ones that begin with unknown solutions. I love being involved in planning discussions when the outcomes are initially unforeseeable. By integrating all organizational voices in the planning process, we are able to determine holistic outcomes, which is a process that fuels my passion as an architect."
Aimee Lalone, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C, has experience spanning many educational and government project types, from facilities and long-range planning to complex renovations and additions to new facilities. As a project manager at Wold, Aimee assists with strategic thinking, coordinating assessments and ensuring all milestones are met.
Aimee says she enjoys the vast responsibilities of her role, as it allows her to interact with a wide range of people. On a typical day, you can find Aimee collaborating with clients, mentoring team members and various other tasks. From an early age, Aimee was intrigued by architecture and how the built environment helped people. Aimee graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, with a Bachelor of Arts. She then went on to receive her Masters of Architecture from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
After spending five years in our St. Paul office, Aimee and Job Gutierrez set sights on new territory. In 2009, both moved to establish our new office in Denver, CO. A key part of our history in Colorado, Aimee and Job spent the beginning years creating our new location's identity and culture while simultaneously integrating elements from our other locations. Over the last decade, the Denver office has experienced significant growth. Currently, the Colorado office has over 25 local architects, engineers and planners specializing in education and government design. Recently, to accommodate for the growth of our Colorado team, our office underwent an addition. Learn more about the expansion here!
Through her time at Wold, Aimee says she most appreciates our integration with communities in our projects. "Each project we have been involved in is centered around the community. We're not advocating for a signature Wold style or focused on winning awards. Instead, we've always been dedicated to the people who will utilize our designs and how we can create something meaningful for them."
As a designer, Aimee's primary industry focuses are in the education and government sectors. Spanning a wide range of building types, Aimee enjoys growing in the knowledge of trends for both industries. When asked what trends she's currently passionate about, Aimee says, "We are on the cusp of completely revolutionized built environments due to our pandemic learnings. There's been a large amount of reflection from the past year towards what's worked and what has not. How we design is going to accommodate these reflections, and I'm excited to work with these changes."
Additionally, Aimee is an active member of our internal Women in Design (WID) group. She says, "I wanted to be active in WID because I believe I bring a unique perspective from my experiences over the years. Although I can provide valuable insights, I also have a lot to learn from inspiring younger women from our team."
A mother of two, Aimee and her husband Paul have two kids, Audrey and Em. Paul is a Montessori middle school teacher. As Paul and Aimee have become "empty nesters" over the past few years, Aimee has devoted more time to her hobbies, including cooking, baking, gardening and various other activities. Find out more about Aimee below!
If you weren't an architect, what would you be doing?
I would be a master gardener for a botanical garden.
When and where do you get inspiration from?
I get inspiration in quiet, meditative spaces because it allows me to think more freely. This is especially true when I'm in nature.
What is a fun fact about you?
Before I was 18, I moved 12 times and have now lived in 8 states!
What was your first job?
My first job was working at a McDonald's. My first day was spent working at the grill, which didn't last long. I switched to customer service as quickly as I could!
What is something on your bucket list?
Either running a marathon or going on a hot springs tour in Japan.