CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF JOVINA
This month, we are proud to celebrate Jovina Amor, associate principal, in honor of her twenty-year anniversary with the JNS team. Jovina brings incredible talent in architecture and design paired with a warm, infectious spirit. She is a dear friend and colleague to us all and we could not be more grateful to have her on the JNS team. Read on for a special Q&A with Jovina in reflection of her twenty-year tenure at JNS. Cheers to you, Jovina!
Tell us the story of joining JNS? What was appealing about the firm, leadership and work?
I vividly remember walking into JNS for the first time for my interview with founding partner Jim Johnson. Though I was happy with my intern job at the time, I was encouraged by my husband and a classmate, Christopher, to give JNS a shot. Sure enough, I loved my interview and was so glad about how it went that I decided to join JNS.
What has been your favorite part about being on the JNS team?
There are so many things I value about being on the JNS team. The opportunities I have been given over the past twenty years have been amazing. We have wonderful clients and the projects truly get better and better. My very favorite thing about being at JNS, however, has always been the people. I have had the opportunity to work and learn from so many remarkable people during my tenure at JNS.
I am grateful to Jim Johnson, who interviewed me when I first came to JNS after I graduated from my master’s program, he taught me about multifamily and hospitality design and always took the time to teach and explain anything that I didn’t understand being from another country and an Intern.
Tobias Strohe is a dear friend, even though we’re so different (I never thought that a friendship between an Indian and a German would grow into one that I hold so close to my heart!) His talent and knowledge in architecture has helped make me better at what I do, always encouraging me to stand up for good design and fight for it. He taught me that discourse in design can lead to better solutions. We drive each other crazy but also love and enjoy working and laughing heartily together!
Nicole Nathan inspires me so much with her eye for design and exceptional talent in both interior design and architecture. Nicole is also a dear friend that I hold so close to my heart. We have shared many journeys together at JNS, lifting each other up as architects, women in design, mothers, and daughters. We have worked on many designs together as a team, laughed, cried, and celebrated milestones at JNS. I admire her greatly!
I’m lucky to work with so many wonderful people at JNS over the years that I admire and respect as Architects and colleagues.
What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned during your time at JNS?
My 20 years with JNS has been a journey of sorts. When I started at JNS, I was new to the United States and there was so much that I had to learn, other than just architecture that I came to pursue. I was fortunate to find a firm that allowed me to grow and learn and gave me many opportunities to succeed. I started as an intern working through sheets of redlines in CAD, making models and taking notes of phrases and words that I didn’t quite understand at the time to now being able to lead design teams on projects. There were some really good years in construction and some not great years too since I have been with the firm. JNS taught me resilience and determination to keep going forward, embracing change and staying excited about any design work. I am grateful to continue to be at a firm that I love, surrounded by such wonderful colleagues.
From as far back that I remember, I have always wanted to do architecture and design buildings. I find immense joy in hand sketching and coloring drawings (even if the odor of markers is less than desirable). I’m driven by the types of projects and design challenges rather than any promotions or title.
Tell us about some of your favorite projects.
Over the past 20 years, I have loved working on so many projects. The Walnut Street Townhomes holds a special place in my heart, it was my very first project at JNS that I got to design from concept, work through the design details and carry right through construction documentation and administration. I loved working on the Ramble Hotel, the Fitzgerald and the City Park Golf Clubhouse. I especially like working on our affordable housing projects with all the challenges and opportunities they bring with them.
What is your favorite memory (or funny story) of working at JNS?
One of my most embarrassing memories at JNS was during my first JNS office ski trip. I had never been skiing before and everyone at JNS assured me that I would do fine, so completely believing it to be true, without any ski classes, I was up on the ski lift with Tobias and another colleague on either side. When we reached the top, Tobias told me to gently slide off the lift, I thought he was kidding since I couldn’t even imagine gently sliding off the lift without falling. He wasn’t kidding and I couldn’t get myself to slide off, I stayed on the lift and had to go for a whole loop again by myself while the office very patiently waited for me to come back up again. It took many JNS ski trips, but I finally learned to ski!
