Don Jerabek

After the completion of a demanding project, Don has a tradition of sorts. “I like to stand in front of it in a moment of quiet, and appreciate all of the efforts, thoughts, and energy of the users and design team that created the physical result. So many dreams are folded into each built environment.” Don folds in some pretty big expectations himself. “I believe each project should leave behind an environment that helps every user experience a higher level of life and energize their spirit,” he says. It was a chance meeting of his spouse that brought Don to San Francisco and a career with SmithGroup. Yet he had already set his sights on architecture early on. In the 5^th grade, Don recalls, “I wrote a one-page paper that said ‘I am going to be an Arkitek.’ It was a big dream for a small-town boy in Indiana.”