Bio:
The great designer, Melanie has over twenty years of architectural design experience at Bowen. Her extensive retail experience includes national program management, retail design, tenant coordination, and planning for shopping centers and malls across the country. A principal at Bowen, Melanie manages several national programs and retail redevelopment projects, in addition to overseeing and standardizing systems and processes office-wide.

How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
My interest started as a counselor suggestion stemming from my skill at art and math. I will admit that at times, the interested waned, but I found my niche in the sometimes overlooked commercial/retail field, which is still essential to our world.

What do you do?
I am program manager for several national commercial clients in our office and lead internal architecture teams for this work. I am also the Director of Practice at Bowen, which puts me in charge of office standards, procedures and protocols.

What excites you in the work you do?
I love the fast pace that commercial architecture brings. Working on different needs for different projects in a short time frame. But what excites me the most is the ability to assist our clients at a moment’s notice. Being a part of the same team.

Who or what inspires you professionally?
I am inspired by the people with whom I work, both colleagues and clients. It is a diverse group, that come from different backgrounds, different experiences and have different motivations. Yet, we are part of a team with the same goals in mind.
 
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
The mall renovation at Parma is high on the list. To be able to give back to the community where I grew up and update a place where I spent considerable amount of time is priceless. The project was also a great boost for the city’s economy and area.

Featured Project Name: 
The Shoppes at Parma
 
Featured Project Location: 
Parma, Ohio
 
Featured Project Completion Date: 
2016

Role in Featured Project: 
Project Manager
 
Featured Project Description:
Bowen led a redevelopment of Parmatown Mall consisting of approximately 990,000 SF and over 80 acres of site work. The project deconstructs a blighted mall and transforms it into a vibrant community center. By opening up the enclosed mall, and adding outlots throughout the site, Parmatown adds new dining and retail options, green space, and a 9/11 memorial. The opportunity for each store to have its own exterior entrance attract new tenants and leasing is full for the first time in years.

Photography Credit:
Eric Hanson, Hanson Photographic