Rachel Pisano, our 2019-2020 Fellow at Quinn Evans, hails from Canton, Michigan. Rachel graduated from University of Detroit Mercy with a Masters in Architecture in 2019.

Me in the waiting room of Michigan Central Station on a site visit with my team to verify field measurements.

Tell us about your host company and your role in the organization.

My host company is Quinn Evans, an architecture firm in the City of Detroit. We are a national architecture firm with locations in D.C., Richmond, Baltimore, Ann Arbor, and Madison. We work on both historic projects as well as new build projects, and have a strong focus on history, community, and sustainability. I am a staff designer in the Detroit office and am currently a part of the Michigan Central Station tower team, where we are working to restore and design elements of the beautiful and historic train station built in 1913. I am excited and honored to be a part of this work since this building holds a special place in the hearts of many Detroiters, and is a strong symbol of the City.

Tell us about the challenge project you’re currently working on; what are you learning from the experience?

We just completed a project working with CRIO, the City of Detroit’s Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity. I was a part of the Brand Identity Team for this project and helped develop a consistent identity for the department, both externally and internally. Our team really focused on clearly understanding the components of the department and their roles, as well as personalities, to develop clear and distinguished visuals for CRIO. It was also important for us to help find ways for CRIO to showcase their strong voice and message.

L to R: Kaitlyn, myself (holding a book) Adit and Renee, exploring the many departments of the City of Detroit during our CRIO immersion activity.

I learned so much through this project, but most importantly I learned how impactful this department is to the City and its residents. From ensuring positive, responsible development in the city, protecting the civil rights of Detroiters, and supporting and recognizing Detroit businesses, CRIO truly touches every part of the City. Because of this, I recognized the importance of the department being represented to the residents clearly and boldly. It was an amazing opportunity to work with the incredible and dedicated people of CRIO to achieve this goal.

How do you hope to impact the community this year?

Of course I hope that the projects we work on help to grow the organizations we partner with to positively impact the city. More than that, however, I hope to push myself to closely examine the good and the bad happenings in the City. Educating myself on the events in the city is one way to begin to advocate for its well being. More than trying to “save” anything, I think the way I can most impact the City is talking about it authentically and continuing to share the great work our non-profit partners are a part of.

How do you believe your fellowship will shape your career moving forward?

I think that being a part of the Challenge will help me to always look at things through an intentional lens. Often times we can get caught up in the routine of our work and the true end goal of our actions can be lost. Challenge’s use of the design thinking process has helped me see things in a creative way. It helps to expand the possibilities of my work, while ensuring I always keep my end user at the front of my process. This mindset will help me to focus on creating work that is intentional for my user. In architecture this is extremely important because our work is always for our clients and goes through many iterations.

Zane, Dezha, Maleeha, Danielle, and I at Pershing High School during a tour with our student leader on immersion day.

Please share the most memorable moment you have experienced so far as a Fellow. Why was it memorable and how has it impacted you?

The most memorable moment of my fellowship experience so far occurred during our first challenge working with Detroit Public Schools. It was our immersion day where we got to visit Pershing High School and had the opportunity to shadow a student around the school. The group I was in had an amazing time chatting with our student leader. We got to talking about her goals and passions, and why something like a leadership ‘conference’ would be helpful to her. She even showed us amazing videos she filmed and edited with her friends about important subjects such as addiction. We talked so much that we lost track of time! It was in that moment that I realized how amazing it is to have the opportunity to support such great people and get to hear their experiences.

If someone reading your interview is considering in applying to be a Fellow, why would you encourage them to apply?

There are so many reasons! The two most impactful benefits I have recognized from being in the program are that 1) Challenge is an amazing opportunity to get to know the real Detroit. You are exposed to the people who work hard for the City everyday and start to understand its history at a much deeper and intimate level. And 2) You meet phenomenal people you never would have met otherwise. Your cohort becomes more than just 20-something other “fellows”, they become your friends. And they are great at pushing you to try new things, go new places, and think more deeply. It has truly been a great experience.