Proposed Ambulatory Acute Care Clinic
Location: California
Firm: SS&A Design Collective
Architect: Travis P. Krimmel, AIA, NCARB
Travis P. Krimmel, AIA, NCARB
Associate | Architect, SS&A Design Collective in Auburn, AL
Company Commander, Army National Guard
Travis Krimmel joined SS&A Design Collective’s Auburn, Alabama office in 2019 and currently serves as an Associate and Project Architect in the firm. He joined the Alabama Army National Guard in 2012, graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor in Architecture in 2014, and was commissioned as an Officer in the National Guard that same year. Travis now serves as a Company Commander of 171 Soldiers in the National Guard. During his initial years post-graduation, he worked for a Residential Architect in Atlanta from 2014-2017 and 2018-2019. He deployed to Kuwait between 2017 and 2018 as the Executive Officer of a unit with 228 Soldiers.
Travis serves as Secretary in the local Montgomery AIA Chapter and committee member of the Auburn Young Professional Program. He also serves as the founder of the SS&A PATH program for young professionals seeking mentorship and ARE support in the firm.
Educational Background
2014 Bachelor of Architecture | Auburn University
Q&A …
How did you become involved in the Army National Guard?
After finishing my fourth year of Architecture school at Auburn University, I needed to find a way to finance my fifth and final year. I couldn’t get a student loan so I had to pivot on my path to architecture. I explored many different options and joining the Army National Guard seemed like a perfect fit, though I had never thought about joining the military before. I do come from a military background, as my grandfather served in the Army, my mother served in the Air Force, and my brother still serves in the Army National Guard so I felt even more confident in my decision to join. My original plan was to pay for school using the Army National Guard educational benefits, complete my contract, and enjoy my Architecture career. Nine years later, including three years past my contract, I still enjoy both paths, balancing my Guard career and my Architecture career. In fact, sometimes, they go hand in hand. Both take a great amount of critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and leadership. I can honestly say that I would not be as good an Officer if I wasn’t an Architect, and I would not be as good an Architect if I wasn’t an Officer in the Army National Guard.
Why did you pursue architecture? And what inspired your interest in healthcare architecture?
Growing up, I was around construction all of the time. My whole family are tradesmen and contractors. I traveled with my father over summers going to all of his jobs. He would always tell me how much he disagreed with Architects. That just made me want to be one so I could be the intermediary and bridge the communication gap between the two. I knew then, that I was going to be an Architect. Seeing buildings transform and evolve from little drawings on paper always fascinated me.
My first job out of school was designing custom houses. I truly enjoyed it, yet I wanted a little bit more of a challenge. Healthcare seemed to be that challenge, and SS&A Design Collective specializes in this form of architectural design. Combining a truly important function and an appealing design is quite that challenge. There are so many codes and criteria that not only require technical skills but also a mind for creative designs. I also feel that what I am doing is not only beautiful but also helping people who need it.
What obstacles presented themselves when attempting to cross career paths between Guard involvement and working full-time for an architecture firm?
I have been in the Guard the whole time that I have been an Architect, so I seem to know no other way. But is does have some challenges.
The National Guard has its own commitments, sacrifices, and challenges. You have Guard duty one weekend a month as well as 2 weeks a year. That is the minimum commitment you make when you join. Other commitments in the Guard include schools, extra duties, state deployments for hurricanes or storms, or yearlong deployments overseas. As a Company Commander, I have committed more of my time throughout the week to take calls and make decisions for my unit. SS&A was the right fit for me because SS&A is government focused. I am able to use my military background and knowledge to aid me in my responsibilities. The only way I am able to be productive in both careers is due to my strong support system and having an employer that understands and respects my choice to serve.
Both of these careers are challenging and fulfilling, yet they take a lot of time and commitment. The challenge is balance. I have looked for a way to have perfect balance between both of these careers, and I have asked every mentor I can find. My conclusion is there is no such thing as the perfect balance. I feel like the only way to give my best self to my work is to be 100% in the moment and concentrate my efforts to that task. SS&A has allowed me to be fully committed to my Guard duty while away, and they allow for a smooth transition back once Guard duty is over. When I am on Guard duty I fully commit those hours to the Guard. When I’m back at work, I fully commit myself to architecture. I use the “time blocking” method, which is a skill I acquired while studying for the Architecture Registration Exams (ARE).
Would you like to highlight any benefits, limitations, triumphs, or lessons learned while simultaneously serving as a Logistics Officer and Architect?
Benefits:
There are so many different benefits to being an Officer and an Architect at the same time. I get to see two different career paths. No matter how different they are, they are parallel paths. The skills I get from one directly or indirectly aid the other. As a Company Commander, I am the leader of my organization. I have 171 Soldiers and their families to worry about and a mission that needs to be accomplished. In my civilian career, this helps me see and understand a top level point of view and the efforts in planning an architecture project. I have to adapt to changes quickly as a Commander. This helps me detach from a building or a design that is not working and move forward quickly. As an Architect, I enjoy designing. This helps me as a Commander to design a training plan. Both being an Architect and a Company Commander involve massive amounts of critical thinking and problem solving, yet the solutions are always different. Being able to take my experiences from one profession to the other has allowed me to think outside the box when it comes to accomplishing the mission in the National Guard and designing a building or detail as an Architect.
Limitations:
The main limitation is time. Managing the way I use my time is by far the toughest part of having two careers. One will always take time away from the other. When you want to give something your all but you have something else that demands your time, it gets really stressful. I use time blocking to carve out time for specific tasks. If I need to do something on Monday that needs all of my attention, I block out a chunk of time on my calendar to do that thing. Of course, I have to be flexible, but it has helped me stay focused. One career may demand more over the other at times, but together they really do help me grow as a well-rounded Officer, Architect, and person.
Triumphs:
I was lucky enough to get my Architecture License and get a Company Command at the same time. This put me in great position to help and lead others in different positions and in different ways. Knowing that I have affected someone’s life in a positive manner is the best part of each of my careers.
Lessons Learned:
The main lesson that I have learned in my time as Officer and Architect is that no matter how hard it may seem and how busy you may think you are, there is always a way through it. Ensure that you build your support system, ask for help when you need it, and then return the favor. I am where I am today because of the people that have helped me get here. Family, friends, mentors, and colleagues all have taught me so much. So now, it is my turn to pass on what I have learned, where I have failed, and how I got through it.
My Advice …
“My advice to personalizing your career path is to have an idea of where you want to go, head in that direction, but do not shut out the other roads that show up on your way because you have blinders on. Do not abandon your goal because you have a few setbacks either. Sometimes you need to look at a setback or obstacle from another point of view. I did not get into the architecture program at Auburn after my first attempt at Summer Option; however, I did not change majors. Instead, I took a year to look at where I was and why didn’t get in. I also look at areas where I could have done better and learned from it so that I could be accepted in the second year. My second obstacle was that I had no money to pay for my fifth year of architecture school, so I joined the National Guard to help me pay my way.
I took two AREs in the 4.0 version and failed both before I was deployed to Kuwait. While I was deployed, I studied up for version 5.0. I failed three more exams before I finally passed my last ARE. I failed five total exams and passed six. Who cares, I am a licensed Architect now. I give you all of that to show you that there may always be obstacles, but there is always a solution or a triumph; you may have your mind set on one path, but there may be another one to take you to your end goal. I urge you to keep you options open, take those opportunities. You never know where the road may lead.”
- Travis P. Krimmel, AIA, NCARB
