Gia Mainiero

Dattner Architects
Partner

20 Years
in the Industry

How did you get started in the AEC Industry?

I was drawn to the field of Architecture at a very young age from being immersed in a dense urban environment: I grew up in lower Manhattan right in the heart of the Financial District. My formative years were spent observing the activity at the Fulton Fish Market right outside my window and riding the subway to elementary school, memorizing the stops and mapping them in my mind. My life has been shaped by observing these complex systems through the built environment. I definitely have an obsession with understanding what makes the city work, and in that way, I think I’ve always known what I what I wanted to do.

I joined Dattner Architects because of its dedication to Civic Architecture and legacy of bringing Design Excellence to the public realm. I have worked predominantly in our Infrastructure and Transportation studio, for public clients at the city, state and federal level. My passion is integrating public services sustainably into the communities they serve, celebrating their essential nature.

I’ve been with the firm for 19 years, and grew here from a junior designer to a Partner. I am proud to be a part of our firm’s current designation as majority Women Owned Business!

What inspires you to design? Do you incorporate any unique perspectives or values into your designs, and how do you think your experiences as a woman influence your work?

My public sector work spans many typologies and scales, and I draw inspiration from the process of constantly learning about the specifics of each client, end user and program. No two projects that I work on are the same, and I love starting from “scratch” each time, learning each program, and creating bespoke solutions for complex problems. In this way, I feel that what I have refined in my career as an architect is an approach to design, collaboration, and problem solving rather than a highly specialized expertise in one area. I love being a generalist that can marry context and expertise into something that is not just the sum of its parts, but something beautiful.

In my work particularly, sometimes these may not seem at first glance to be the most exciting programs—but figuring out how we can flip the script and reveal how crucial they are is very rewarding. I’m proud that my most “instagrammed” project will likely always be a Salt Shed! I also enjoy finding opportunities for the community in each project. For example, we just completed a new police precinct, where the design includes a public plaza that creates a new connection to a train station, and a large community room with fully glazed facades at the most prominent corner—manifesting that this is a community facility, a place of transparency, and a place to engage.

I think my experience as a woman, especially in this field, has really honed my focus on active listening, asking deep questions to truly seek out the guiding principles on a project, and recognizing that all important stakeholders are not always versed in technical architectural language. Also, the approach where Design doesn’t come from one grand gesture or one person’s idea, but rather the careful composition of balanced priorities is key, and resonates deeply with me, as I balance the many roles I play personally—an architect, a firm owner, a mother, and a woman.

Who have your role models been? Have you had any mentors throughout your career, and how have they shaped your journey in architecture?

I find role models and mentors every day to this day. I am constantly seeking out what I can learn from each individual that I work with, and seeing how I can grow my own leadership. Certainly, there are the mentors that paved the way and were champions for my growth, but I also learn from my teammates at every level. I have two amazing mentees in the Dattner mentoring program that inspire me and help me stay current, and understand what the next generation is facing.

It's so important to find your people in this industry! Wherever you are in your career, surround yourself with peers and a support network that will grow with you. There are challenges you will face at every stage of your career and having people to talk to and workshop with is invaluable.

Professional Women in Construction New York (PWC NY) has been an incredible community for me to connect with other women across many disciplines at the leadership level. While our daily work may be different, we are facing the same challenges, and sharing our lessons learned and successes is invaluable.

How do you think architecture can help address social issues, and how have you seen women lead the way in creating inclusive, equitable spaces?

The built environment is critical, whether conscious or not, to our sense of safety, comfort and belonging in society. I’ve recently been working through this with my team for a new public restroom in a park. Every detail counts in balancing the safety of visibility with the need for privacy, the tone of materials in building comfort balanced with maintenance and durability, and the intricacies of messaging on signage. As designers, we try to put ourselves in the shoes of the full range of users of the park, and have an open dialogue with many in our community about their experiences and perceptions to make sure we are considering all angles.

How do you see the conversation on sustainability going in our industry?

Sustainability and resiliency are intrinsic to every project we do. Working on public projects in our region, I feel fortunate that our local legislation is at the leading edge of sustainability, giving us as the designers the challenge to focus on the “how” not the “if.” We’ve recently built up a full in-house Sustainability Department that is involved in each our projects. Particularly on our public projects, a large part of our focus on sustainable projects is in working with operations teams to ensure that the sustainable systems can be maintained, and will stand the test of time. Building for longevity and durability is crucial.

What has been the most fulfilling moment of your career so far, and how did it shape your professional journey?

The most pivotal moment in my career was working in the field full time doing Construction Administration on a project I had been involved in from Concept Design. At the time, this was a new experience for me, far outside my comfort zone—but pushing myself to advocate for this role, to see through what I had worked on “on paper” to its built reality was invaluable. It built my technical knowledge, it built my humility, it built my collaboration skills, and it built my confidence. It also helped to shape my communication approach and confidence, as one of very few females on the jobsite.

Tell us about some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on.

My favorite projects include:

The NYC Department of Sanitation Manhattan Districts 1,2, 5 Garage and Spring Street Salt Shed- a pair of buildings in the Hudson Square neighborhood that prove that the most essential yet unglamorous of programs can still be the best buildings in the neighborhood, and a source of pride for the workers that call them home.

The NYPD 116th Precinct Stationhouse in Rosedale Queens, which shows that secure facilities can incorporate community programming in a visible way that feels truly open and welcoming to all.

The JFK Airport Ground Transportation Center and Pedestrian Bridge, a new 2,000 car parking garage in the Central Terminal Area with a focus on integrated intuitive wayfinding, currently in Construction. As a Design Build project, this has been the ultimate experience in collaboration, and I am particularly proud of our fully female project team here at Dattner.

The Community Hub at Maritime Park in Hoboken, currently in design, which is a new Park amenity building on the last industrial site along the Hoboken Waterfront. This project was the culmination of a yearlong extensive community engagement process, and weaves together long-held goals for the site in terms of public access, resiliency, recreation and sustainability.

What advice would you give women just entering the industry?

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good! Don't waste time staring at a blank page or waiting for the perfect idea or the best opportunity to share your voice. Jump in: it's always easier to edit than to start, and the best ideas always come out in the process. For me, advocating for myself was always about finding voids or opportunities on a project and filling them. I’ve always found I advocate best for myself when I do something that surprises others, but also surprises myself.

Also, don't lose sight of the opportunity that's in front of you because you're looking for the next best thing—find the opportunities to learn from and do a great job in everything you do, no matter how small they may seem at the time.