Staff Spotlight: Madeline Goryl
Our office is growing, and this past summer we welcomed Madeline Goryl to DA+. She brings varied experience and interests and has been a great addition to our team. Keep reading to learn a little bit more about Madeline!
Where did you live before moving to Seattle?
I grew up in Chicago and then went to school in Cincinnati, Ohio. Throughout school I did several internships in Columbus, Ohio, and ended up living there for a combined total of about a year. My final internship was in Fall City, Washington and I knew I wanted to head out west after I graduated. I then lived in Portland, Oregon for about five years before moving up to Seattle.
What drew you to working at DeForest Architects?
This firm really cares about the people they design for, and helping those people bring their ideas to life. The design process is really unique and allows people to be the designers for themselves, and to think about their project in new, creative ways. I think this helps people realize things about their project that they may not have even known that they wanted.
When did you know you wanted to be an architect?
My dad works in the construction field, so I grew up hanging out at his office and loved looking through the old-school blueprints. I’ve always felt that the spaces we surround ourselves in have a huge impact on how we feel, and I wanted to help create those spaces for people.
What types of projects have you worked on in the past?
I have worked on all sorts of different things, like treehouses, ranging from tiny backyard hideouts to two-bedroom treehouses with full kitchens, decks, hot tubs, and zip lines. I worked on an office building for a green roof company, who planned to plant a small park on their roof. I’ve also done a collection of multi-family and mixed-use projects, and several custom residential houses and remodels.
Tell us about a favorite hobby or two.
I love plants; gardening, terrariums and I even routinely go to help a friend on her farm. I’m getting back into biking and have been having fun finding routes around hills. Last year I learned to snowboard and really enjoy doing that as well!
What is your favorite place that you’ve visited?
I once went backpacking in Denali National Park in Alaska. The park doesn’t have any trails, so it was a really unique experience to just be able to walk for miles in any direction and see what you find. We ended up running almost directly into both a moose and a grizzly bear!
What do you like about Seattle so far?
My first impression was that this region has trees growing everywhere, and the constant mist gives everything a really dramatic feel. I like the close access to hikes, camping, trails and the water, and how many water activities are possible to do right in town. I also love taking ferries.