This month, our Alumni Spotlight highlights two brothers who both graduated from the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design - Guillermo Augusto Sahagun '08 and David Alejandro Sahagun '09.
Name: Guillermo Augusto Sahagun
Hometown: Katy, Texas
Major: Architecture & Environmental Design
Graduation year: 2008
Employer: Sahagun Architecture
Title: Partner
Why did you choose the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design and what drew you to design?
I have always liked designing things and building with Legos as a kid. I was not sure what I wanted to do until my brother said he wanted to be an architect. You could say that I was inspired by my younger brother.
What was one of your favorite memories from your time on campus? Was there a particular professor that influenced your education?
I enjoyed all of my time at UH. A funny moment I had was in second-year studio. At the end of every semester, we had a formal jury where we presented our project. I was heading to the presentation, decided to take the elevator down, and got stuck in the elevator for most of the jury. The fire department had to be called to open the doors so that I could get out.
I remember Professor Griffin the most. He pushed me to become a better designer.
What has been your career path since graduation? Where are you currently working and in what capacity?
I started interning at architectural firms when I was in third-year studio. After graduation I jumped around a few architectural firms, working with builders and developers. I feel lucky to have had this experience early in my career because of the knowledge I gained, and my brother’s experience, is the reason that my brother and I have been able to start Sahagun Architecture.
What does a typical day look like in your job? Do you have a particular design or business philosophy?
My day begins at 6:00 am and it ends around 10:00 pm, seven days a week. There are a lot more administrative/marketing tasks that I take care of to ensure that projects continue to come in. Time management is very important, but with today’s technology, it makes things more manageable.
I worked in many firms where ego was a big thing and interns were treated poorly. I hate that. I strive to have an ego-free environment, and I do my best to mentor people who are earlier in their career.
What is one accomplishment of your career of which you are most proud? How do you feel the College prepared you for this?
My brother and I are working on a few development projects that we are proud to be involved with. It is great to be responsible for designing the site and everything that entails, as well as each individual building.
I believe the College helped me think about and analyze architectural design. Interning and going to school at the same time better prepared me to understand how architecture is done in the real world.
What is a piece of advice you would give to current Architecture and Design students?
Begin interning at architectural firms or construction companies as soon as you can. You will get a taste of what our profession is really like and understand that there is a lot more than just design.
Name: David Alejandro Sahagun
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Major: Architecture & Environmental Design
Graduation year: 2009
Employer: Sahagun Architecture
Title: Partner
Why did you choose the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design and what drew you to design?
I chose the University of Houston because I wanted to stay close to home, close to my family. I was always drawn to the idea of designing lake houses, so I decided to take an architecture drafting course in high school. I won a drafting award, which gave me the confidence to go into architecture. I used those drawings for my entry portfolio at UH.
What was one of your favorite memories from your time on campus? Was there a particular professor that influenced your education?
My favorite memory from my time at the College was staying up late and telling jokes while finishing a studio project prior to a jury presentation. I became close with my classmates and still stay in touch with many of them.
Professor Robert Griffin was the biggest influence on my education. He had a way of simplifying the message through positive reinforcement. At the same time, he was very direct, which was a communication style I appreciated.
What has been your career path since graduation? Where are you currently working and in what capacity?
I graduated in 2009 during the recession and was laid off two weeks after graduation. (I had an internship throughout my time in school). Since I could not find work in architecture, I moved into construction, then back into architecture, and followed by real estate development. After many years of discussing it, my brother Guillermo and I finally decided to start our firm. I am back in architectural design, and this time, hopefully, we can do some lake houses.
What does a typical day look like in your job? Do you have a particular design or business philosophy?
As much as we try to plan, we do not have a set schedule. I do not always know what will happen throughout the day. I might have to head to a job site or the City of Houston office and spend most of my day there. However, a typical day usually includes phone calls with clients, meetings, drawing, and setting budgets. The fun part is seeing the projects we design break ground and come to life.
While we do not have a specific design philosophy, we do strive to listen to the client and let the end goal determine the design. We encourage sustainable, modern design, but we do not force this on our clients.
What is one accomplishment of your career of which you are most proud? How do you feel the College prepared you for this?
Obtaining my architecture license was one of my proudest moments. This has opened more opportunities for me. The Hines College gave me the theoretical and practical foundation to build on, and I used that strong foundation as a springboard to keep growing.
What is a valuable lesson you learned during your time at the Hines College of Architecture and Design?
Time management. Look at your deadlines every day, but also avoid burn-out. There are only so many hours in a day. At a certain point, you become inefficient and it is time to give your body and a mind a rest.
What is a piece of advice you would give to current Architecture and Design students?
Learn the business side of architecture – school will not teach you this. Intern as soon as you can – school is completely different than working. Learn about construction as much as you can – this will help you visualize what you are drawing. Finally, when working on larger projects, understand the big picture. Who are the investors, who is the developer/builder? How are they getting a return on their investment? Where does an architect fit in this picture? My biggest mistake was only focusing on the drawing portion of architecture, and not the big picture. Smaller firms allow more growth.
