Taisa has been practicing architecture in one form or another since she was 16 years-old. From sweeping floors filled with modeling dust, to completing projects currently floating off the coasts of Africa, South America, and Europe. She immigrated in the early 90’s from Sarajevo and found comfort in architecture; using it to learn about the places she had traveled and lived. Understanding how their cultures were impacted throughout the years and how that was reflected in the design of their built environment. After completing her master’s degree at the University of Kentucky, Taisa immigrated once more to the Netherlands. She established herself, working as a Naval Architect specializing in ship and yacht structures, interiors, and ship master-planning. It is here that she met her partner and became a proud mother. Taisa recently returned to the United States to pursue her dream of licensure and running her own office. She hopes to create a safe-place where her community can interact with the projects being built, a place where fellow architects and architects-to-be can practice architecture, share their experiences and ignite a passion in younger generations to serve as a boost to a rewarding career through her non-profit The 38|85 Initiative.
After obtaining her Associates of Arts at Hopkinsville Community College, Brittany moved to Lexington to pursue her Bachelor’s of Arts in Architecture at the University of Kentucky and graduated with her Master’s in Architecture in 2018. She is now pursuing her licensure while working as a designer at Omni Architects and serves as Secretary for AIA East Kentucky.
I was raised in Versailles Kentucky, a small town known for its horse industry and bourbon production.
I was enrolled in art and engineering classes in high school; I’ve been interested in these subjects since I was a child, I wanted to major in architecture to combine both subjects. I was influenced by my parents; my dad’s side of the family are all engineers and my mom’s side are mostly creative people. My grandpa on my dad’s side drew up custom houses and his neighbors constructed them near Louisville.
I started my architectural studies at community college which taught architecture as more of a trade which allowed me to get work experience in the industry as I transferred to UK.
I was an intern at a local design build firm the entirety of my undergraduate in Architecture at UK. Interning taught me about business. Projects can get out of control quickly and risk management is vital for a smooth operating business.
I am continuing my education for my master’s degree at UK in the fall. My hope is to be a well-rounded architect and have my own business perhaps with work regarding disaster assistance/restoration. It’s fulfilling to build stronger communities.