Trivers is proud to highlight our highly skilled team of diverse professionals passionate about creating architecture and design of lasting positive consequence. Get to know them in our recurring team spotlight series.
Ashley Hoolihan, AIA, LEED Green Associate, has been a valuable member of the Trivers team for 12 years. A project manager and associate with a passion for higher education projects, Ashley serves on the firm’s higher education marketing committee and is the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) North Central 2023 Regional Conference chair.
Q: Describe your role and responsibilities as a project manager and associate at Trivers.
Everyone treats project management a little differently at Trivers. Everyone has their own style. I view it as truly leading the design team, so I am a part of staffing selection, I help build the team, and I rely on architects and designers on my team to help me make decisions on what we should be presenting to our clients. I’m the main point of contact for the clients as well, so if they have any questions or issues, they call me. I also develop our proposals and work plans, and I’m constantly checking in throughout the life of the project to make any adjustments needed to our staffing or our fees.
Q: In addition to your role as project manager and associate, what are some of your other responsibilities as part of the Trivers team?
I oversee our higher education marketing with Trivers Principal Joe Brinkmann and Leif Hauser, a senior project manager and associate at Trivers. We review requests for qualifications as a team and decide whether we’ll pursue them. I’m part of the interviewing efforts for the firm’s higher education pursuits, too. I also help manage hiring with Trivers Principal Joel Fuoss, and I oversee the Trivers Community Committee.
Q: What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on while at Trivers?
Q: Why do you enjoy working on higher education projects?
Q: What attracted you to Trivers when you were seeking employment?
About 12 years ago I was a student at Washington University in St. Louis, and I met Joel and Joe at a career fair. I knew a little bit about Trivers, but finding out more about its history of adaptive reuse really drew me to the firm. My thesis project was focused on abandoned buildings and the memories they hold, which coincided well with the work Trivers does.
Q: What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
Q: What books are you reading, or what shows are you watching right now?
I am reading novels that take me away to different time periods. It’s escapism at the end of the night. For shows, my husband and I are big “Star Wars” fans, so we’re binging “Mandalorian.” A new season of “Ted Lasso” also just came out, so we are excited about that.
Q: If you could have dinner with anyone, dead, alive or fictional, who would it be?
Jeanne Gang is an architect for Studio Gang. I would love to pick her brain over dinner and talk to her about being a woman in this profession. She’s extremely successful, so I would enjoy sitting down and talking to her about her experiences.
Q: In addition to your work at Trivers you also serve as chair for the SCUP North Central 2023 Regional Conference. What is SCUP, and how did you get involved?
To watch more, visit our YouTube page. College and university professionals, architects, planners and designers can learn more about the SCUP North Central 2023 Regional Conference taking place October 16-18 in St. Louis here.
