{"id":8727,"date":"2020-06-09T08:07:13","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T12:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/?p=8727"},"modified":"2020-06-09T08:15:29","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T12:15:29","slug":"building-legacies-with-varda-albert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/building-legacies-with-varda-albert\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Legacies with Varda Albert"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cTo be able to participate in the next generation of skylines in this country, as an immigrant, it\u2019s a real honor and an amazing privilege,\u201d says Varda Albert, VP of creative services with AECOM\u2019s Construction Management business, as she shares a few of her biggest design inspirations, how she got her start in construction, and why she\u2019s passionate about the industry. Click here<\/a> to tune into Varda’s episode of At the Core, Construction Management’s video series.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I am the vice president of creative services with AECOM\u2019s Construction Management business, overseeing all creative design projects, translating marketing objectives into creative strategies, and advancing the firm\u2019s brand identity. I lead and direct a team of designers and production artists in the development of high-profile proposals, presentations and marketing materials.<\/p>\n

Finding my inspiration<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was born in Paris, France, and as a teenager, was really into American culture. I loved the automobile industry, especially the cars from the 50s to the 70s. I loved the seaside motels and their architecture.<\/p>\n

I remember enjoying the film title sequences designed by Saul Bass. He designed all the great credits for Hitchcock and Kubrick movies. That was my inspiration.<\/p>\n

Opening up a world of opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n

My first experience in construction was when I was hired as a production artist by Lehrer McGovern Bovis. I just could not believe the projects that were landing on my desk. It was the renovation of The Statue of Liberty, the renovation of Grand Central Station, Canary Wharf in London. It was just this opportunity that opened, and I was right in the midst of new building and old building construction. And then I could walk in the street and see that building being built, in the process of being built.<\/p>\n

My purpose and passion<\/strong><\/p>\n

To be able to participate in the building of next generation of skylines, of vertical towers \u2014 in this country, as an immigrant, it\u2019s a real honor and an amazing privilege.<\/p>\n

An everlasting legacy for the community<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether people realize it or not, AECOM\u2019s work is embedded in the fabric of New York City. I think the most impactful project for me is our work at the World Trade Center. For many New Yorkers the Twin Towers didn\u2019t just dominate the skyline, they were<\/em> the skyline, which was part of why their absence was felt so viscerally. The new World Trade Center is perfectly fitted for the community. The vertical towers standing tall is a visual representation of our rebound as a nation; we get our freedom of movement back with the Transportation Hub; and a calming oasis for reflection at the 9\/11 Memorial Plaza and Liberty Park.<\/p>\n

Lessons for new graphic designers<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, fall in love with a range of great designers. You need to study the classics and pay attention. Design is everywhere \u2014 Paul Rand\u2019s collection of visual identities, Charlotte Perriand and Ray Eames\u2019 furniture, Milton Glaser\u2019s \u201cI love NY\u201d ad campaign, even album covers like Pink Floyd\u2019s Dark Side of the Moon. This is your framework, recognizing what works.<\/p>\n

Then you can move on to architects, builders, and their iconic creations \u2014 the Sheats Golden Stein residence, the Shard, the United Nations Headquarters, the Gateway Arch, the Sidney Opera House and so many more! Challenge yourself to ask questions and find the answers. Why was it designed this way? What were the solutions to obstacles and challenges? Observe the details, like the Chrysler Building\u2019s sunburst pattern of the stainless-steel cladding.<\/p>\n

With love comes curiosity, research, knowledge and understanding. Graphic design is an integral tool in successful marketing departments. The craft of creating visual content to communicate is like learning a new language. Stay open-minded, listen to unexpected sources, accept criticism and directions to improve your work, be patient to let ideas develop, try new technology, never stop learning and enjoy the problem solving!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cTo be able to participate in the next generation of skylines in this country, as an immigrant, it\u2019s a real honor and an amazing privilege,\u201d says Varda Albert, VP of creative services with AECOM\u2019s Construction Management business, as she shares a few of her biggest design inspirations, how she got her start in construction, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":564,"featured_media":8728,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4399,5021,5020],"tags":[4820,5022,4717,5023,5024,211],"yst_prominent_words":[5017,5009,5005,5015,1626,5010,5012,5016,5003,5014,5013,5006,5018,5011,5008,5007,5004,5019,1347,1346],"class_list":["post-8727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers","category-construction-management","category-creative-services","tag-buildinglegacies","tag-building-legacies","tag-construction-management","tag-creative-services","tag-graphic-design","tag-new-york"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/564"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8727"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8734,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8727\/revisions\/8734"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8727"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}