Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
At New York Art Life, we continue to publish artists who are devoted to making big changes that evaluate our experiences in the art world. As people who live in the city, we are constantly drawn to the wonders of architecture and the way it influences and enhances city life and our understanding of structure in the modern world. There are many ways that architecture makes a city have its character, with old and new designs and projects, and iconic buildings and constructions that shape a city. We will be speaking to Lucia Dudorova, an incredible architectural drafter.
NY Art Life: It’s very great speaking to you, thank you for taking the time. Please tell us about your perspective on architectural drafting.
Lucia Dudorova: I’m happy to be here. It’s always exciting for me to share my experiences with those who value art and uplift artists. As an architectural drafter, I have an interesting point of view on the city, architecture, and art. Although architecture and engineering rely heavily on the knowledge of structural design and other important aspects that bring designs to life and turn them into buildings, in the modern world, there are countless creatives who also work in this field. For instance, I find myself to have a very artistic approach to architecture and I express it evenly in my drafts and drawings. It truly affects the way buildings and construction sites appear and come forward in a city, compared to when an architectural group has more of a structural and engineering approach.
NY Art Life: That’s interesting. What is your favorite thing about your job?
Lucia Dudorova: I love the creative aspect of my job. Every day I get to work on something new and design unique solutions to problems. There’s always a challenge, which keeps me engaged and excited about my work.
NY Art Life: What is the most challenging thing about your job?
Lucia Dudorova: The most challenging thing about my job is the deadlines. We often have to work long hours to meet them, which can be tough. But it’s all worth it when we see the final product and know our hard work has paid off.
NY Art Life: How has your experience been working as an architectural drafter?
Lucia Dudorova: I’ve had great success being part of the team at V. Paulius & Associates. It’s brilliant to work in an environment where the values of work and moving forward align with your own, and your coworkers have a passion for what they do, similar to yourself. I feel that working with my team. I’ve had many projects at this company and my skill set is an asset to the entire architectural team. There are many projects that require computer-aided drafting, in which I create architectural designs of buildings or small areas of buildings such as plans. There are also other projects where I work on the structure of a part of a building, meaning I study the area and work closely with materials and machine tools to construct a draft that will best fit the client’s visualization of their building and/or construction project. It’s very exciting to work, and I enjoy the detail that goes into it. I’ve also spent a lot of time developing and modeling three-dimensional models that display the client’s project in draft form, which expresses the structural purpose of a construction project.
I draw a lot from my inspirations and how I would like a city to look like. It is in moments like this when I truly feel appreciative of doing what I love and pursuing my passion, as it allows me to create the change I seek. So, a vast part of my work includes improving design documentation procedures in which I collaborate with the architectural team and engineers, as well as supervisors. As a team, we work to resolve problems and issues that may arise during construction. This is where collaborating and connecting with all individuals that are involved in the project is critical. It is also essential for the team members to have a deep understanding of the elements in other dimensions of the work; in my case, I have a high-level understanding of building information modeling, machine tool principles, materials and methods of construction, and other estimations and insights regarding the execution of a plan, draft, or design.
NY Art Life: That is quite profound! Do you also do other work in the architectural field?
Lucia Dudorova: I also create drawings for many clients that rely on architectural greatness. I have made drawings for many notable companies, the most recent ones being Axionlog Cold Solutions, Steris Isomedix Services, and Harry & David, LLC. The drawings I presented for the first venue belonged to the Distribution Center, including office area and warehouse facilities plans, egress plans, toilet plans and details, and other aspects of the construction site that were more detailed and relative to materials. These consisted of the architectural wood casework, the accessible ramp and interior stair details, the finish, and window schedules, as well as the building perspectives. It was a remarkable experience must work on so many elements all at once.
I did similar work in terms of area drawing, but in another style and aesthetic for Steris Isomedix Services. The new sterilization facility addition also required drawings for the exterior concrete stair details, as well as concrete plug rebar detail in which I presented a three-dimensional model. It’s very interesting to see how each company has a specific structure and visualization in mind. But the level of precision and detail is always constantly high. Most recently, I created drawings for Harry & David, LLC and they were focused on the overall building floor plan which was a vast aspect of the entire project for the shipping sorter mezzanine and equipment platform. That is an area with lots of foot traffic, including heavy machinery and stock. I also took care of the drawings for the dry storage/assembly/loading area, the ground floor safety, and the loading area reflective ceiling plans. And at last, there was the mezzanine column grid layout which was an essential part of the project. I truly enjoy being part of projects like this as I am able to explore undiscovered areas of architecture.
NY Art Life: What are your goals for the future?
Lucia Dudorova: I hope to continue doing what I love and to make a positive impact through my work. Architecture is always changing, and I want to be at the forefront of that change, helping to shape the world around us.
NY Art Life: If you could give advice to your younger self, what would that be?
Lucia Dudorova: I’d encourage myself to continue pursuing architecture and always to keep going. It is a very tough field, but the fulfilling parts of it make the entire journey worth it, especially when you know others will experience your work and you are part of something many inspiring and skillful individuals have contributed to.
NY Art Life: Thank you so much for your time, Lucia! Our readers will be enthusiastic.
Lucia Dudorova: Thank you for interviewing me!
