Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessalyn Friske.
Hi Jessalyn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
What drew me to architecture is that it is the combination of aesthetics and function. You get to be both analytical and creative. So I took the usual decade-long journey to become a licensed architect with school, apprenticeship, and testing. During that process, I got to try many different kinds of architecture as I was refining my skills, such as hospitals, schools, restaurants, retail, and housing.
Around the time I became a licensed architect, I was working mostly on restaurant projects, where the client’s focus was on maximizing profit and often an architect was just seen as an expense taking away some of the profit. This caused me to reflect back to my time working with homeowners, where the value of the projects was focused on the enjoyment it would bring a family. The clients that hired an architect for their house wanted a guide to help them create a place that fit their lives. Those were the types of clients I wanted to work with so I decided to start my own firm to focus on residential architecture.
Being a sole practitioner, I get to have a dialogue with my clients to find the right solution. I learn their goals for their house, research the constraints, and look at ways to balance both of those. Then I refine the design with their feedback.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
On an attic conversion that I did, the homeowners wanted to fit a bathroom in their front unfinished attic so the whole family didn’t have to share one and a half baths. When we walked into the attic, it seemed like there could be enough room for a bathroom.
However, when measurements were taken and the bathroom laid out, it was clear that the ceiling height was going to be shy of what was needed for a shower. I knew they would be disappointed not to have the additional bathroom. So I came up with the idea to add a dormer to their rear attic with enough room for the bathroom. While the bathroom couldn’t fit where they wanted it originally, they got to use all the front attic space as storage, which would have been more limited if the bathroom had to go there too. These types of situations are why I always look to understand the homeowner’s motivation for their ideas so I can find the best solution to their problems.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Remnant Architecture?
I specialize in custom residential design for homeowners who plan on staying put for a while and are ready to create a house that is a perfect fit for them. It’s not just about drawings, it’s about design. I enjoy the challenge of fitting your wish list together with your site constraints and building codes. I’m a problem-solver and creative partner who helps homeowners navigate the complexity of creating a space that reflects their lives.
No two projects are the same because no two people are the same. Whether it’s a challenging hillside lot or seamlessly blending a new addition with an old house, I find creative solutions. Some of my clients have told me that they would have never come up with their gratifying results on their own.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
When I was a kid I would walk with my family through my neighborhood. The neighborhood was still being built out so there were always houses under construction. The process of making a house fascinated me. I would go check them out when the framing was going on and try to imagine what each room would become, how the family would use the spaces, and where they would place their furniture. I may not have known I’d be an architect then, but that was the beginning of being able to visualize how people would use a space.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://remnantarchitecture.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remnantarchitecture/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/remnantarchitecture/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalynfriske/
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/remnantarchitecture
Image Credits
Headshot photo by Jennifer Ellis. Project photos by Remnant Architecture.
