Main Entrance Lobby | Paradise Valley Hospital | Phoenix | Arizona | 3,500SF
Tom Zandler, Project Director | DAVIS Design Solutions
To whom it may concern:
I am writing this letter of recommendation on behalf of Karen Shakman, AIA, LEED AP, EDAC. She was part of my team at DAVIS Design Solutions, LLC, where she worked as a Project Architect from May 22, 2019 until Sep 3, 2020. The separation was a direct consequence of decreased economic activity generated by the COVD-19 crisis.
Karen’s skills include multi-tasking, quick problem-solving and critical-thinking. Her propositions showed an evident understanding of the project as an integrative process among the branding, interior design and architecture. She communicated with the team efficiently, using a wide range of graphic tools from hand sketches to sophisticated software to convey and document information. This translated into an impressive fast-track process.
One of the projects we worked together was a 12 story, 180 room Marriott flagship luxury hotel. Karen was a dedicated and skilled architect not only on the technical but also on the design side. The project was a tight urban corner site, with may difficult issues, including a parking garage with stacked car stalls and utility equipment that had to be managed and blended into the exterior design, which required review and approval by the city. Karen worked diligently to study all the issues involved, understand them and ultimately solve them to the owner’s, designers’ and city’s approval. She coordinated these issues among all the consultants proficiently with the use of hand sketches, SketchUp models, CAD/REVIT sketches and Bluebeam exhibits and sessions. The project was terminated by Marriott as a direct consequence of the economic slowdown secondary to COVID-19.
I feel Karen was an extremely valuable member of my team, committed to the success of the project. I fully recommend her for employment in any position as an architect. I would not hesitate to re-incorporate her in my team and work with her again.
Sincerely,
Tom Zandler
Project Director
DAVIS Design Solutions, LLC