Staff Spotlight: Courtney Sluder
Courtney Sluder has always been interested in all things creative – painting, drawing, writing, and even developing unique strategies to win Settlers of Catan (she recommends stocking up on wheat). She draws from this same sense of creativity in her day-to-day life as a Design Manager at COAR.
Growing up, Courtney’s mom recognized her daughter’s blend of creative and analytical skills and encouraged her to explore the field of architecture. As Courtney considered her post-high school path, she decided to give architecture a shot. Shortly thereafter, she officially became a mustang enrolled in the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (SLO) Architecture program.
“I went into the architecture program at Cal Poly [SLO] not knowing what I was getting myself into, but I am extremely lucky that it was a fit!” Courtney said, reflecting on the decision. “I am always grateful that I get to spend my day problem-solving and working on impactful projects for the community.”
Connection.
Courtney was born and raised in San Diego, only 10 minutes away from the Jeff Katz Architecture (JKA) office, the firm that would later evolve into COAR Design Group. So, when she needed to interview an architect for a class at Cal Poly SLO, Jeff Katz was the first person who came to mind.
When Courtney reached out to Jeff, she had no idea that a simple school assignment would lead to her first tour of an architecture office… and the start of her career. Jeff mentioned that they were looking for a summer intern, and the rest was history.
At that time, the JKA team was much smaller and consisted of 10 full-time staff members. Courtney completed three back-to-back summer internships and, following her graduation from Cal Poly SLO, joined the team full-time.
When reflecting on what initially attracted her to COAR, and what has continued to be the reason she works here, Courtney’s answer was simple: “My desire to work on community-focused projects was what first drew me to the firm, but what kept me coming back year after year was truly the people.”
At COAR, Courtney has taken on leadership roles both in and out of the office. Alongside a few other COAR team members, Courtney is a co-team lead for the Ace Mentorship program at Canyon Hills High School, where she works with students who are interested in pursuing careers in architecture, construction, and engineering.
This past spring, she took on yet another impressive feat, captaining the COAR Kickball team “Design + Destroy.”
“I’ve had a few people say, ‘wow, you must really like your coworkers!’ whenever I tell stories of our Friday lunches, kickball seasons, or nights out line dancing. And that’s definitely true!” said Courtney.
She has also championed office culture by participating in several office committees, enthusiastically joining in on volunteering and community events, and hosting a monthly in-office happy hour where COAR team members can share project milestones with the entire team.
COAR Associate Malina Villanueva has worked with Courtney since her start with the company, sharing, “Courtney has been a core part of COAR’s story since her start as a summer intern. Now as Design Manager, she helps shape culture and brings the team together - both in and out of the office.”
Growth.
Undoubtedly, the COAR team has grown significantly throughout Courtney’s eight years here. Courtney’s role at the company has followed the same trajectory of growth, from intern to designer, job captain, and most recently, Design Manager.
As Design Manager, Courtney works on the front end of projects, creating the general space plan, thematic elements, and designing the overall feel of the building. In this initial stage, determining the overall design is a crucial and very collaborative process with the client.
To fit all the necessary project elements into one site, Courtney defers to her longstanding sense of creative problem-solving. She excels at developing different iterations of a design – ensuring that the final product is as tailored to the clients’ needs as possible.
When asked about her mindset around this approach to design, she responded, “I think being able to recognize that design should be an evolving process and not sticking with something just because I think it's good.” Exemplifying the COAR value of ‘client-centered creativity,’ Courtney always works diligently to ensure that each design meets the needs of the end-users.
Inspiration
Courtney finds inspiration from biophilic design – a design approach that aims to connect people more closely with nature than the built environment. The focus is primarily on incorporating aspects of the natural world that contribute to health and productivity.
Where possible, she tries to incorporate “indoor/outdoor space” by adding natural light, combining warm colors, and building opportunities to connect with the outside world throughout a building. There are many instances of this strategy in the Marina Sports and Aquatics Complex project pictured above that Courtney is currently working on, including an indoor/outdoor patio off the aquatic center, balconies, and several purposeful views of the adjacent park across the street. Together, these elements work to create a space that is inviting, engaging, and inherently connected to its surroundings.
On any given day, Courtney could be providing design insight and contributing ideas to several different COAR projects.
“I enjoy the fact that every day is unique, and I can be working on eight different project types at any given time. It’s fun that everything's a little bit different, and I’m always learning new things and applying a whole array of strategies to each of them.”
Full Circle.
Looking back at her first year at Cal Poly SLO, Courtney reminisced about the project that made her realize she had chosen the right career path. The entire class collaborated on an elongated pier project, adding whatever elements they could dream up, from Ferris Wheels to sushi restaurants. The perfect pairing of creative freedom and strategic problem-solving drew her to the field of architecture.
This is the same spirit Courtney brings to all facets of her life. Positive, inclusive, creative, solution-oriented, and goal-driven. She lives by the mantra, “when life rains on your parade, bring out the slip in slide!” an attitude that without a doubt inspires her work, and the work of everyone around her. We can’t wait to see what she tackles next (and we know she will bring her signature sense of creative problem-solving with her)!
