Following Up on Kindness: Because it matters

In a tumultuous world, do you ever stop and wonder if the little gestures are worth it? We suppose one can argue that they not only matter, but they add up to big changes. Looking into the power of kindness, they also have mental and physical impacts. Studies have shown that acts of kindness reduce cortisol levels in the body, lowering stress and blood pressure. Psychiatrists have reported that kindness increases one’s overall well-being by improving empathy, self-esteem and compassion.

In a blog, Dr. Waguih William IsHak, a professor of psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai, said:

"We all seek a path to happiness. Practicing kindness toward others is one we know works."

A kindness that we offer to our community is a scholarship to students at the University of Oklahoma’s Gibbs School of Architecture in Norman. They are reported in our blogs after recipients are selected, roughly every one to two years.

We wanted to check in with recipients to see how life is after architecture school with hopes that they are happy—because we know giving back to our community positively impacted us and we hope the same for them.

Following is what one former winner, Allison Winn, an interior designer with MA+ Architecture in Oklahoma City, had to say. We featured Winn’s win in a May 2023 blog.

I've always gravitated toward the people in the "South." Their slow lifestyles, kind speech, and thoughtfulness has always made me consider moving. When I took the leap of faith and moved for college, Boomer Sooner, I never looked back. California now feels like more of a vacation spot, while Oklahoma feels peaceful, like home. It’s also a plus that majority of my family is moving out here in just a few years!

My responsibilities as an interior designer include:

• Managing my time well to hit project deadlines.

• Design, ideate, and create new and innovative solutions for our clients.

• Consider the end-users of our designs daily through researching and consistent programming.

• Compilate comprehensive construction documents, design and reimagine visual representations of our designs to clients through project presentations and renderings. 

• Communicate with reps, consultants, peers and clients, consistently. 

• Ever-learning through CEUs and product update meetings.

• Practice design with the health safety and welfare of students, faculty and visitors in mind, while we design some of the most notable schools in Oklahoma and beyond!

• Etc. –To name a few!

Prior to starting at MA+, I didn't realize the complexity of coordination. There are so many details we fixate on in design, that ruminate in our heads, but to get them out and attach constructability to them can be difficult. There's a great deal of products and methods to achieving your goals, so accurately communicating our ideas to consultants and successfully designing an equitable design is quite a task.

Challenges that I face include:

• Differing of opinions among various individuals in the trades. Sometimes coming to one solution that fits all of our best interests can be difficult.

• Managing changes to a project scope, design, schedule, etc. takes patience.

• Being fresh out of school, there is a basis of knowledge I have and do not have, so having to rapidly learn meanwhile designing can sometimes be a challenge. 

The biggest reward is seeing our clients fall in love with what we have helped them create. Seeing their ideas come to life in the physical is a great feeling. 

I have not worked with any curves on the interiors side just yet! There have been lots of funky shaped spaces though! 

We wish Allision continued good luck in her career in our very own Oklahoma City. And yes, we are going to keep checking in on her, out of kindness and curve curiosity.