Sketchworks Spotlight: Ross Treichel
Everyone has a story about how they ended up in their careers and Ross Treichel is no different. Ross has been with Sketchworks Architecture for two and half years as an Architectural Designer. He is an AutoCAD and Revit wizard who loves spending time with his wife and twin boys in his free time. Read on to see how he found his love for design!
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I’ve had 2 passions my whole life, cooking and designing/building things. I’m not sure where the cooking part came from, but that is my relaxation. I’d rather cook for 20 people than just myself. The designing/building aspect came from my dad. He is a mechanical engineer of sorts. Worked at Mercury Marine in the high performance/racing division for 15 years, then branched out to start his own company which he had for about 15 years. I grew up with him teaching me how to repair just about anything, build just about anything and why things are designed the way they are.
What was your favorite class in high school or college?
My favorite classes were always shop classes in high school. Both wood and engine.
What did you major in?
I majored in Marketing, which I never actually used to its fullest. I haven’t held a marketing position in my life, besides putting together some marketing materials for the restaurant I owned.
What is your favorite thing about working in the architectural industry?
I love being able to see an idea grow from a sketch through design development to construction and completion. The fact that we get to design structures that will stand for years and change the landscape of our communities is pretty exciting.
Did anything else lead you to becoming an Architectural Designer?
I did not take the typical path to Architecture. My life is full of experiences distant from the field, from owning and operating my own restaurant to building engines that carry race boats to speeds over 150 mph. To say that Architecture was my destiny would be a stretch, but it was always a topic of discussion. The backbones of Architecture have always been within me, since I was young. Perhaps I was always meant to be in this career, albeit some forks in the road along the way.