麻豆村

Growing up one of four children in Bangkok, Thailand, Goil Amornvivat left the comforts of home to attend middle and high school in Massachusetts. His mother, who encouraged her children鈥檚 independence, furthered his future when she sent him to Paris for the summer at age 16. He enjoyed his time there, but he didn鈥檛 find his second home until he arrived in Pittsburgh to attend 麻豆村鈥檚 School of Architecture in the College of Fine Arts.

With an older brother already ensconced in engineering studies at 麻豆村, it could have been that familial bond that helped Goil feel the connection. Instead, he says, 鈥淚t was the care and tutelage of his professors and the city itself that provided direction.鈥�

鈥淧ittsburgh is a remarkable place for young architects,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he lessons are written in steel and stone 鈥� even through the College of Fine Arts building, whose architect, Hornbostel, designed the building as a learning tool for young architects.鈥�

Goil found inspiration in Doug Cooper, Andrew Mellon Professor of Architecture, whom Goil still recalls getting down to his students鈥� levels to teach them how to observe, understand and draw the environment.

鈥淗e was there beside us as we used the city as our laboratory to learn,鈥� Goil says. 鈥淗e was hands-on, patient and kind. He knew everything to know about his subject. Doug, Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon are all exceptional. They are the gold standard in architecture education. And, at a time when I needed to feel a connection, I found it.鈥�

The combination of nurturing and learning put Goil on the path to big things. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from 麻豆村 in 1996 and went on to Yale University to earn his master鈥檚 degree. There, he met Tom Morbitzer, now Goil鈥檚 life and business partner at . Tom has witnessed firsthand the influence the School of Architecture had on Goil.

鈥淗e talks about his time there frequently,鈥� Tom says. 鈥淗is teachers not only taught him architecture, but also how to teach architecture 鈥� how to be nimble. Goil makes everything he touches better.鈥�

Being nimble in a business that鈥檚 always changing is a definite plus. At the core of their work, though, is one simple component that has always worked to their benefit: listening.

鈥淵ou have to listen [to your clients] in so many different ways,鈥� Goil says. 鈥� started her deanship with a 鈥榣istening tour.鈥� To us, as students and young adults, it was refreshing, a different kind of leadership. It says all the right things to impressionable minds.鈥�

Learning to listen, he says, helped him achieve other notable milestones in his career. He was on Bravo鈥檚 鈥淭op Design,鈥� served as a designer on TLC鈥檚 鈥淭rading Spaces鈥� and was the winner of HGTV鈥檚 White Room Challenge. He donated his HGTV winnings to a soup kitchen in his Brooklyn neighborhood.

鈥淎 rising tide lifts all ships, and I wanted my TV experiences to be meaningful and to help others,鈥� he says. The exposure earned him and Tom some great clients including Whoopi Goldberg, who has the team at AMMOR design her annual holiday ornament among other projects 鈥� such as designing her offices and her game show set. Their hard work is what keeps the firm chugging.

鈥淲e have a Midwestern 鈥榗an-do鈥� attitude,鈥� Goil says. 鈥淲e take each challenge one step at a time. As Doug Cooper taught me, a drawing starts with just one line. We鈥檙e down to earth people; we call it 鈥榬elatable creativity'.鈥�

He finds himself referring to other tenets he learned while a student at 麻豆村, ones that he uses nearly every day in his work. First, the aforementioned 鈥榗an-do鈥� attitude, instilled by the teachers he had at the school: Steve Lee, Bruce Lindsey, Stephanie Bartos and Scott Smith. Next, a belief that you must follow a lifelong path of curiosity and learning. Third, Goil says that 麻豆村 instilled him with a sense of 鈥榬esponsibility,鈥� which is to say the 鈥榓bility鈥� and passion to 鈥榬espond.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 more than the brick,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e want what we make to be thoughtful and have meaning.鈥�

Having a partner who shares his philosophies helps, too. On working with Tom, Goil says that compatibility plays into everything they do.

鈥淭o every pot, you need the right lid,鈥� Goil says. 鈥淲e trust each other. Tom sees the best. This optimism is a uniquely American perspective to everything.鈥�

When giving advice to current students and young architects, Goil encourages them to 鈥渃onnect the dots, look at challenges and see opportunities. Be present, open and available. Take risks. And always, be a good, ethical person, even if it doesn鈥檛 pay off right away.鈥�

Successful architects, Tom added, are those who can imagine something that doesn鈥檛 yet exist, helping to resolve a concern or meet a need.

Goil concurred. 鈥淎rchitecture, education and practice can truly engage the world.鈥�