Honoree Profile
Joe Mautino
Whitney Architects, Inc.
- Title: Senior Designer
- Tenure at Firm: 6 Years
- Nominating Principal: Melissa Bogusch, Principal, Rick Joutras, Principal
- School: Miami University of Ohio
- Major: Bachelor of Arts in Architecture
Inspired By:
It is so easy to find inspiration in nature, the built environment, or even a new wallcovering collection. However, what I am truly inspired by is the satisfaction of a client falling in love and exploring their space when a project is finished.As designers, it is our responsibility to create spaces people “get to go to” and not spaces they “have to go to”. We need to create destinations that people are excited to discover and spend time in. Creating spaces like this is what genuinely inspires me.
Keys to a Successful Project:
The key to a successful project is creating a harmonious balance between functionality and art. When designing corporate spaces, the client’s main objective is to make sure the space is as functional and efficient as possible. However, in doing so, the overall vision can be overlooked, and you are left with a very utilitarian environment. Yet, at the same time it is easy to focus only on the overall appearance of the space and in turn overlook the main objective, rendering the space useless to the client.Being able to find balance and skillfully blend form and function is the most critical tool in creating a successful project.
Interests Outside of Work:
Contrary to popular opinion, I do enjoy winter. So outside of the office, I love hitting the mountains and snowboarding (preferably back on the east coast). However, on a more day-to-day basis I enjoy taking advantage of Chicago’s iconic food are bar scene.
“Joe has demonstrated outstanding growth as a designer and was recently promoted to Senior Designer. We are excited to see Joe lead more design projects at Whitney and hope this program will increase his confidence.”
Melissa Bogusch
Principal, Whitney Architects, Inc.
Favorite Haworth Collection Piece:
What Is Special About It:
This iconic chair was a part of a collaboration between Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand. This piece, which was a breakthrough back in the 1920’s, features both functional design and the clean lines that are still on par with the furniture trends we see today.
Photos From Joe
