5 Minutes With The Hudson Commons Team

Hudson Commons, Awards for Excellence in Office Development Finalist 

Lauren Schmidt, Principal, Kohn Pedersen Fox 

Who has had the greatest influence on your career and what was the best advice he or she gave you? 

There hasn’t been a singular person, rather a family of mentors at KPF who have influenced my career leading by example and taking me along for the journey. One example that has stuck with me over the years occurred on my first day at KPF. I was working on a new competition and during our first team meeting, Bill Pedersen asked me, the new hire and fresh graduate with about 3 hours on the job, for my opinion about the design ideas being discussed. It was the beginning of a career established on the belief that the best ideas can come from anywhere and understanding the importance of collaboration.

As a ULI NY Awards nominee, what makes you most proud of your project? 

Hudson Commons was a team effort from the very first day, driven by a set of clear goals established by the client and reinforced throughout the life of the project. The willingness of everyone involved to collaborate, challenge what makes a great building, and push ourselves to think creatively about all aspects of the project, has made Hudson Commons a project that every team member is proud to be part of.  

What about New York inspires you?  

New York allows you to think differently and to challenge the ‘standards’ set by others. It surrounds you with many amazingly talented people from whom you can learn and who you are proud to call colleagues and friends. A place of opportunity and challenge, New York inspires all of us to push ourselves to learn and grow each and every day.