Mary Fierros Bower

LRS Architects
Architect, Senior Associate, Senior Project Manager

30 Years
in the Industry

How did you get started in the AEC Industry?

My interest in architecture and the built environment began in childhood. I enjoyed playing with my siblings in the backyard, moving the dirt around with toy trucks to make roads, making ponds filled with water, and placing little stick structures about to simulate a built development.

It was my junior year in high school while taking a mechanical drafting course to design a custom home that I was inspired to pursue a career in architecture after realizing the artistic possibilities in the field. This sparked a fascination with buildings and a passion for creative design. I went on to study architecture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo straight out of high school.

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?

I love solving design challenges and creating meaningful architecture that is enjoyable, creative and creates a good experience for the occupants; this inspires me to create beautiful, thoughtful, and functional designs with just the right ingredients for truly successful architecture that achieves the right balance. Being a woman, mother, and wife has influenced my work by instilling a strong sense of responsibility, enhancing my time management skills, fostering empathy and communication skills, and cultivating my role at LRS that is flexible and balanced, ultimately providing a greater focus on achieving a positive outcome for the built environment and my community.

“Vision with action...” My approach to life, work, and play revolves around this statement every day.

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

Architect Julia Morgan was an architect ahead of her time, best known for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, and the first women to obtain an architecture license in California. She has been an inspirational role model since my childhood and continues to be a great role model to me. I find myself following some of her basic design principals when kicking off initial designs such as planning around a natural landscape, leaving trees in place when possible, and letting views help determine building placement.

Throughout my career I have had, and continue to have, great mentors, including my family, strong female college professors that really took interest in my success, and my incredible colleagues at LRS that continue to be a daily inspiration.

Early on in my career, I struggled to be heard partially because of my fear of public speaking. Taking committee chair roles and public speaking training courses allowed me to push outside my comfort zone, fostering confidence, and providing me the tools to overcome the fear of public speaking ultimately to make me a better leader. As a senior associate at a large, majority women-owned firm, I am fortunate to work alongside supportive role models who push each other outside the box. My career roles have included designer, job captain, project architect, and, most currently, a project manager position, handling increasingly complex projects with each role.

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

Architecture can address social issues by designing buildings that are energy-efficient and use sustainable materials to mitigate climate change impacts on vulnerable communities, creating spaces that promote community engagement to foster a sense of belonging, represent everyone, and designing spaces that consider the needs of individuals who have experienced trauma, creating calming and supportive environments. By inviting engagement from different perspectives on my project teams and following the principles of universal design, I am able to cultivate spaces and designs that are accessible to everyone, resulting in better design for all users. Ensuring everyone at the table has a voice, I believe, promotes an important skill that younger generations can take forward in their careers and be confident in advocating for themselves.

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

I believe that long-term sustainability is integral to the practice and approach to design. I encourage the design team to consider and identify the sustainability goals and impacts that will be most meaningful to the specific project early on. It is important that the buildings feel natural and fitting with the environment.

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

Becoming a registered architect, earning LEED accreditation, completing numerous impactful projects, mentoring the younger generations, and especially the opportunity to educate the very young generations about the architecture profession at my hometown elementary school have been the most fulfilling moments in my career so far. This has helped to shape my professional journey in architecture.

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

My first job out of college was designing custom homes in my hometown known as “The Cloisters” Home Development for a local architecture firm; it was my dream job. It was so exciting and emotional to see tears of joy in my clients’ eyes; this meant that the right balance of ingredients had been achieved to create a successful design. My most recent favorite projects are for a Northwest Public Utility company. I absolutely love the excitement of walking a greenfield site with the client and team of consultant engineers, strategizing where the building should be placed, studying building orientation, the natural landscape, wind direction, views, solar position, natural daylighting, passive heating, and natural ventilation opportunities while minimizing development footprint.

I believe, when you experience great architecture, it is like experiencing a great piece of music or a great dish. It excites good emotions, and it stays with you.

What advice would you give women just entering the industry?

Embrace the challenges of architecture, the profession’s variety, and the satisfaction that comes from solving problems. I believe that by being prepared – as first impressions are important – applying good listening skills, resilience, and determination, there are no limits to what you can achieve. Lastly, become a registered architect as soon as you can, surround yourself with great mentors, advocate for yourself, and when you say you are going to do something, follow through with it.