All Access: Amy Higgins, Director of Interior Design & Associate
An Exclusive Insight from Director of Interior Design and Associate, Amy Higgins
Amy Higgins, a graduate from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design, has been with our firm since 2006. Amy was promoted in 2014 as an Associate and the Director of Interior Design. Not only has Amy become a major asset to the Interior Design Department, she has experience in all aspects of design, including construction administration, furniture specifications, and finish selections for a variety of projects, graphic design and construction documents.
Q: Describe your role as the Director of Interior Design at HMN Architects.
Amy Higgins: I find that this continually evolves over time, but what I aim to do is help, teach, promote, inspire, learn and lead.
Q: How has HMN helped you in your career development?
Amy Higgins: Giving me the freedom to work on a wide range of projects within the healthcare field. It feels like there has been this fluid motion of working on one project, that then sets me up for the next, so on and so forth. There are so many lessons and tools that I carry with me with the different projects/people I work with.
Q: What advice would you give to young professionals interested in interior design as a career?
Amy Higgins: Get involved. Join organizations (they don’t even have to be related to your day job). Attend meetings/events. You never know where that next step is going to take you or where you’ll find that “wow” inspirational moment that drives you for days and weeks to come.
Q: What has been your favorite experiences so far in your career?
Q: Favorite part of your job at HMN Architects?
Amy Higgins: The people I work with.
Q: Why do you love being an interior designer?
Amy Higgins: It enables me to meld so many of passions together. I grew up playing with Legos and building things, so now I get to play with real building blocks. I also love art, computers and graphic design, which lends more toward the color theory, drafting, wayfinding and branding aspect of interior design.
Q: What is one thing about the evolving healthcare design that excites you?
Amy Higgins: It’s been growing for a while now, but the evolution of healthcare into the realm of hospitality and treating the person and not the disease. I find that approach rewarding, especially coming from an Interior Design program at K-State that was in the College of Human Ecology. By definition, human ecology is “the relationship between humans and their natural, social and built environments.” That’s an idea I can get behind.
Q: What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?
Amy Higgins: Home improvement projects; photography; travel; and surprisingly, sewing. I can sew a mean stitch.
Posted on January 20, 2017
Category: HMN News & Updates