Following her passion for art and math, Elizabeth Graziolo decided that getting into an engineering university was an excellent way to leave her house. She was a teenager that just immigrated to the US, but dealing with puberty and starting to build her future didn't seem much for her; in fact, it was one of her traits - she enjoyed challenging herself. She got into the Cooper Union's Architecture program, which she thought she'd use to get into The Albert Nerken School of Engineering, Cooper Union's largest engineering school. But after a semester of Architecture, she fell in love with it. The feeling was mutual; Elizabeth became an award-winning architect and built an outstanding career, which she is sharing with us today. 

Elizabeth Graziolo is the Founder and Principal of Yellow House Architects, PLLC. She is the recipient of the "City of Design Award," a distinction awarded by the Museum of The City of New York in 2018. Elizabeth is also a trustee of The Museum of the City of New York and The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art and serves on the Delano & Aldrich/Emerson Fellowship Committee of the American Institute of Architects.

In this episode, we explore Elizabeth's successful journey into a male-dominated industry. We talk about her mentors and what she learned after school when she started doing the real thing. We also go through her decision of leaving a great job in a great company where she had become a partner to start her own architecture company. Elizabeth also shares the projects she most enjoyed working on, her opinion on general contractors, and her advice for those interested in joining the construction industry.

Some Questions I Ask:

• How did you get into architecture? And why architecture. Can you talk to us a bit about that? (3:23)
• You worked at Peter Pennoyer Architects for almost 18 years and you became a partner there. What made you decide to take a chance on yourself and go out on your own? (7:34)
• Can you talk to me about the favorite projects that you've worked on? (13:48)
• When you hear about general contractors, what comes to your mind? (20:27)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• How Elizabeth ended up loving Architecture (4:11)
• A bit about the fun stuff Elizabeth learned that Architecture School doesn't teach (7:10)
• It is hard to leave a job, and when that job is outstanding, it is even more complicated (9:58)
• The future plans for Yellow House Architects (18:16)

Resources:

• Yellow House Architects website
• Yellow House Architects Instagram

Connect with Elizabeth:

• LinkedIn

Let's Connect!

• LinkedIn
• Instagram 
• Twitter
• MPC Builders - Website
• MPC Builders - Facebook

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