Michael Pardek
At SMMA
- As Director of Design, Michael fosters an integrated design culture that advances SMMA's mission of creating places that are responsible, well-crafted, venturesome, and beautiful
- Enjoys developing the initial big design idea, as well as the process of subsequently adjusting it to fulfill all requirements and objectives
- Specializes in communicating design ideas and progress to clients using a wide variety of tools, from renderings to 3D computer modeling
- Enjoys working closely with clients and is energized by the ideas and inspiration generated by these relationships
- Promotes SMMA’s collaborative culture by fostering open communication and offering new ideas
- Guides firm management and operations as a Principal and Board member
Drawn to Design at an Early Age
“As a child, drawing was a major outlet for me,” says Michael. “I grew up in Chicago and went to many White Sox games. During the games, I traced over the seating chart in the program, then sketched new additions and changes to the stadium. It was clear, even at that young age, that I wanted to design buildings.”
Success Story
Michael worked on SMMA’s winning bid for the design competition for L.L.Bean's Outdoor Discovery Center.
“This was a really exciting project because it was such a unique endeavor,” explains Michael. “The clients were such fun to work with—so passionate about teaching kayaking, cycling, snowshoeing, and other sports. We tapped into this energy and developed a great design. They were excited with the initial idea, as well as the later iterations.”