Robin Guenther is so amazing, both interms of innovation, design and research. She owned her own firm in New York city and was so successful that Perkins + Will acquired it and made her a principal. She has authored several books and also pioneered new strategies to incorporate sustainability and different design/practice models into the way that architects approach healthcare projects. When I have heard her speak, I am blown away at how she manages to address things that I am just starting to think about and then takes them to the next level. And if you have been following this blog at all, you know that I care about how projects are structured and the process of design to near-obsession levels. I have participated in discussion groups with her and found her so receptive to the thoughts and ideas of others, which I also admire because the hallmark of a true leader is humility, not arrogance. This is what I aspire to as an architect, to teach and to lead in order to build spaces that enrich people's lives.
Oh, and I also have always admired Laurinda Spear for being a powerful designer, leader of one of an influential inernational firm, and being an amazing product designer all while raising six children.
