My Story
Hi! I’m Martha and I’m a licensed architect and Interior Designer in Austin Tx. I have wanted to be an architect since I was in the 3rd grade after visiting a friend’s house who had an older sister studying architecture. I can still remember her room so vividly! It was replete with scale models, a wood drafting table with intricate drawings that looked like hieroglyphs (at least to me at the time) and every tool imaginable to create art. I promptly asked my friend… Karlita, what does your sister do?! And she responded with “She’s an architect.” Since then, my childhood dream became the pursuit of creating beauty and order with whatever tools I had available and becoming an ARCHITECT, a word I had never heard before prior to that day.
I have been practicing architecture for over 13 years at every scale imaginable, small residential remodels, restaurants, schools, and highrises. I love architecture so much that I even married another architect! And after all these years, I still wholeheartedly believe in the power of design and its profound influence on our well being and joie de vibre!
After having my first child, I returned to work naively thinking all would fall into place and routine would move our days with ease. That could not have been further from the truth! I was feeling overwhelmed and life felt like a never ending chore of exhaustive proportions. After some lab work I discovered I had a hormonal imbalance and was showing markers of autoimmunity from lack of sleep and adrenal fatigue. I knew I needed to be proactive about managing stress and creating symbiosis with my health and environment.
After diving into extensive research, I began to strategize and design my way to healing. I became intentional about the materials and finishes that came in contact with my body. I made conscious choices about the products I brought into my home that impact the air we breathe and introduce dangerous pollutants. I began to declutter and simplify in order to dedicate space for functional solutions that allowed me to be more efficient with my time. I streamlined our pantry, cookware, food storage and upgraded our appliances to make it easier to prepare nourishing meals. I made sure to allocate a space filled with daylight for meditation and journaling and created a bedroom that is a sanctuary for restorative sleep. Soon, I began to feel better and return to my joy!
Design influences behavior, it can either inhibit or enhance your quality of life. Your environment can improve your ability to foster emotional regulation and responses to stress by yielding function, efficiency, relaxation and wonderment. I am passionate about the relationship between good design and our well being and I strongly believe that my purpose is to help others find healing through the power of evidence based design.
