Experience

Capability summary

Catherine Gates, Artist Los Angeles
Artist / Architectural Consultant

Recent Highlight: Invented, structured, shaped, and modeled a modular truss. Corresponded and communicated with targeted industry stakeholders who were researched and discovered through public information sources.

Authored the blog “Architectural Comment” for select, multidisciplinary audience with outstanding positive response from engineers, architects and builders.
Accelerated webpage visits with a social media strategy that tripled page views.
Proved capability of completed and ongoing programmed projects in an overhauled website that unified market presence as a consultant with a diverse offer who has innovated based on a design approach.
Collected and combined emails in a database that broadened the audience of an impressive creative portfolio at cathgates(dot)com.
Systematized content and identity of social media posts in multiple formats, which decreased production man-hours by 50% and increased creative output by 400%.

Skill sets

Ownership
Online Marketing, Advertising
Database Administration
Balance Sheet, Bookkeeping
Business Planning
Branding & Identity
Content Strategy
Email Marketing
Concept Development
Continuous Improvement
Submittals, Pre-sales
Visual Identity, Logo Design
Product Management
Business-to-Business
Scheduling, Cash Flow
Income Tax
Negotiation
Press Releases

On-the-Job Capability
Contract Management
Customer Contact
Customer Experience
Project, Vendor Management
Design Research, Publishing
Feasibility Studies, Editing
Project Coordination
Design, Project Delivery
Architectural Drawings
Construction Drawings
Architectural Design
Banquet Operations
Supply Chain Operations
Invoicing, Front Office
Visual Communication
Architecture
Urban Design, Planning

Know-How
SQL, Python, Tableau, Excel

Building Information Modeling
Computer Aided Design
ARCHICAD, Vectorworks
AutoCAD, since DOS
Sketchup, Revit
Sketching, Vector Illustration
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Acrobat
Office 365, Microsoft Access
Data Entry
Blogging, Wordpress
E-commerce, Social Media
Web Design, Development
Search Engine Optimization

People & Soft Skills
Critical Thinking
Interpersonal Skills
Solution Selling
Storyboarding
Time Management
Can Do Approach
Strategic Communications
Cold Calling
Phone Etiquette
Accounts Payable & Receivable
Writing, Typing
Networking, Wine
Leadership
Public Speaking
Analytical Skills

Quantitative Research

Qualitative Research

Rapport

Competitive submissions

Submittals and Competitions

Sourced, cleaned, compiled World Bank data relevant to the built environment to raise awareness of need. Handled data, calculated quartiles, and created a presentation with an essay that emphasized natural adaptive patterns. This data essay was submitted to Bee Breeders, 2020.
Developed, resolved, co-ordinated a design for an Emergency Operations Center including a report with a quantities table of iteratively revised, computed estimates submitted to an architecture competition, Kaira Looro, Worldwide, 2020.
Conceived and prepared a proposal for an exhibition of an industrial landscape and sent to the United States Embassy Kinshasa, Public Affairs Section, DRC, 2016.
Conceptualized, budgeted, and scheduled a proposal for a wall mural to the Legal Aid Foundation, Los Angeles, 2015.
Improved, planned, and influenced a regional government planning project in a strategic proposal for Metropolitan Planning Organization, NCTCOG, Dallas, 2008.
Created and illustrated design proposal and poster submitted to the Landsnet Competition for high-voltage electrical towers, Association of Icelandic Architects, 2008.
Redesigned, revamped, and strengthened graphic presentation for thesis design project ‘An Atoll Rises’ for the 1st Advanced Architecture Contest, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Spain, 2005.
Designed an architectural circulation concept for the competition ‘Frontera/Border’ hosted by 7° Concurso Internacional Arquine, Mexico, 2005.

Highlights

Career Highlights

Established and published in an atlas and guest blog post by Guerrilla Cartography, 2021.
Reviewed and critiqued peer content to be published, 2020.
Awarded cash grant by a California artist collective, 2016.
Exhibited in ‘5 X 7’ group show, Humboldt Arts Council, California 2016.
Exhibited at Harbinger showroom and 212 Pier coffee house, Los Angeles, 2013, 2012.
Designed: Space planning for a shelter for homeless women, group proposal, Los Angeles, 2012.
Exhibited a complete body of artwork (solo show) at 500X Gallery, Dallas, 2009.
Published and exhibited: ‘High Voltage Transmission Line’ design proposal for a competition, with prizes totaling EUR30,000, in Landsnet exhibition catalog, Iceland, 2008.
Presented and explained an original design concept, which inspired an international, multidisciplinary audience of nearly 60 participants at the Biorock Workshop, Pemuteran, 2005.
Completed solo 3-day trek: the Kepler Track, New Zealand, 2004.
Researched urban design theory for ‘Designing Cities: Critical Readings in Urban Design’ by A. Cuthbert, 2003.
Researched architectural correspondence for ‘Merchant Prince and Master Builder: Edgar J. Kaufmann and Frank Lloyd Wright’ by R. Cleary, 1999.
Promoted to Associate Editor of the math department in less than one year of employment at Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1996.

Freelance history

Freelance Architectural Work Australia, 2000 - 2008

Highlight: Structured Architectural Brief, coordinated and integrated input from a community working group as a team member. Defined and identified key spatial functions and organized architectural priorities, Australia, 2007-08.
Client List: Tain Investment Trust, Tricend, Phil Wallace, Engineering Firms, Toni Appleton, Building Designers, New Wave Contemporary Furniture, Deicke Richards Architects, Architectus, Harry Levine Architects, Sue Barnsley, Landscape Architect, Healthhabitat.
Markets and Projects: contemporary residential, coastal residential, multi-unit residential, holiday houses, education, Steiner school campus buildings, alterations and additions, new construction, rural homes, residential cabinet work, furniture, renovations, upgrades, artist and pottery studio, model making, competition entries, National Indigenous Housing Guidelines revision.

Relevant past employers

Architectural Graduate Positions Australia, 2000 - 2006

Mark Jones Architects Queensland, 2006
Olsson Associates New South Wales, 2005
New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment New South Wales, 2004
Simpson Wilson Architects New South Wales, 2003
†Nicholas Murcutt Architects New South Wales, 2002

Personal development

Qualifications

Data Analytics Fellow, Correlation One/Amazon 8/2022
Autodesk Certified Professional: Revit for Architectural Design Exam Prep, with honors, 11/2020
Global Islamic Finance and Banking, certificate, 9/2020
Fundamentals of Business Law, certificate, 8/2020
Introduction to Contracts in Law, certificate, 8/2020
COVID-19 Contact Tracing, certificate, 7/2020
Essential Management Skills for the Workplace, certificate, 7/2020
Effective Communication Skills for Managers, certificate, 7/2020
Diploma in Contemporary Architecture and Design, diploma, 7/2020
Cities and the Challenge of Sustainable Development, certificate, 8/2019
NIMS Intrastate Mutual Aid, FEMA certificate, 6/2019
Incident Command System, FEMA certificate, 7/2018
National Response Framework, FEMA certificate, 7/2018
National Incident Management System, FEMA certificate, 7/2018
Incident Command System for School, FEMA certificate, 5/2017

Licenses or Authorizations

California Casualty and Property License, approved, 2021
California Notary Public, stamp issued, 2019

Other horizons

Conferences

Presenting Data and Information, Edward Tufte, Universal City, California, 2008
Biorock Workshop, certification and presentation, Pemuteran, Indonesia, 2005
Art and Architecture symposium: la fundación CHINATI, Marfa, Texas, 1998
Eco-Design Arts Conference: HOPES, Eugene, Oregon, 1996

Languages

Italiano, Instituto Italiano di Cultura, Los Angeles, 2014
Deutsch, Goethe-Institut, Sydney, 2004

Journeys and Treks

Italy (2015), Japan (2008), New Zealand (2004), Vietnam (2001), Germany (2001), Australia (2000-08), Kepler Track (solo), Wilsons Promontory, Royal National Park, Big Bend

Education

Bachelor of Architecture Degree, first class honors, University of New South Wales