Katy Liang

As her professional interests evolved at SmithGroup, “My curiosity was met with opportunity,” says Katy. She found her niche as a Technology Strategist. “There are probably very few architects who want to spend their day looking at data,” she muses “but I enjoy it. Data and analytics provide additional expertise, backup up decisions, and help to build consensus for a project.” Despite that tech in her title, Katy is a craftsperson at heart. She spends as much time as she can working with her hands— sewing, knitting, woodworking, she even worked as a scenic carpenter building sets for multiple theater companies and is exploring blacksmithing. “I think analog hobbies let me balance how I use my brain,” she remarks. “I’m fascinated by craft. If I could go anywhere, I’d go to Japan and visit some of the workshops still practicing traditional crafts like woodworking, cast iron and fiber arts. I could spend months observing and learning from them.”