Hayeon Shim
“Don’t be afraid to speak up with confidence. Chances are what you have to say is just as valuable as the person sitting next to you so don’t overthink. Just do.”
#WomenWhoBuild meet Hayeon Shim,
Hayeon is the Managing Director of Studio at Common: a residential manager making city living easier through the thoughtful use of technology and design, and the nation’s leading coliving operator. Hayeon started with Common (3) years ago as a Senior Design Manager on the Architecture side, after many years of working for top Architecture firms including HKS, Inc, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and Morris Adjmi Architects. Hayeon received her undergraduate degree in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley.
ArchNative sat down with Hayeon to discuss her introduction to the field of Architecture, the difference in working on the consultant side of the business versus the owner side, how she sees the field changing within the next (10) years, and what her advice is for women starting their career in the field.
What was your first introduction to Architecture and what made you pursue it as a career?
I’ve wanted to become an architect for as long as I can remember. When it came time for college applications, I knew right away that I wanted to apply to an architecture program. I’ve always been fascinated by built environments and how design can inform and dictate how people interact and inhabit that environment.
You studied Architecture at University of California, Berkeley, can you tell us a little bit about your time at the school. What were the most valuable lessons from the program? What would you tell your younger self to focus on more or less during your time at the school?
Like you hear from many (if not all) architecture students, I spent countless hours in the design studio. In my thirties, I could never dare to do those hours again, but I actually look back to those days very fondly. All that time thinking and developing a design concept and building physical models and 2D/3D visuals to communicate really allowed me to become a visual thinker and a critical observer.
I’d tell my younger self to focus more on architectural theory and history. I’m not sure that I enjoyed those classes as much as I should have and now I wish I had more time to study, which can be tough to find between leading a design team at Common and being a mom to my 1-year old son.
You are currently the Managing Director at Common. Can you tell us a little bit about this role and what your day to day looks like?
I oversee all facets of designing and building for over 15,000 units that are currently being developed - from real estate partnerships, to data-driven design details, and to purposeful interior design and brand. I’m very fortunate to be working with talented architects and interior designers who’ve dedicated themselves to building a team together from the early days of Common.
Day to day, I may be brainstorming on initiatives or working through design on a project with the design team. Or I may be meeting with our property management team to check in on how our homes are performing. Or I may be working through a contract for a new potential project. My day to day looks different every day but it certainly keeps my job interesting.
You joined Common as a Senior Design Manager in 2020, what initially drew you to the company?
I really loved the idea that under one company, you could have access to the real estate team, marketing team, leasing team, and property services team. This access enables a feedback loop that constantly improves the way you design — which funnels into resident experience and financial performance of the buildings. When you work at a design firm, you have limited visibility into building operation or real estate development. So I was very excited by this idea and to this day, this is one of my favorite parts of working at Common.I very much believe that our ability to make data-driven decisions is what sets us apart from others.
Prior to Common, you had largely worked at Architecture firms, how did this prepare you for your current role? What are the similarities and differences of working on the consultant side vs. the owner side?
In my previous roles, I learned how to concept an idea, document it and get it built! It sounds crazy but you could be in the industry for years and never see a project get built. I’ve been fortunate enough to design and manage a handful of projects and see them through. It’s prepared me well as our design team currently oversees over 70 projects in various stages of design and construction.
There are a lot of similarities but the biggest difference is that I’m approaching design through the lens of an operator, including the resident experience.
How do you approach each project you work on? Where do you look for inspiration?
I find inspiration in everyday life. I naturally find myself always observing the pavement I’m walking on, touching and feeling the texture on walls, and looking up at the details in the ceilings wherever I may be. I document my inspirations and when I work on a project I look back and use it as a reference.
For each project, I usually start by researching the project site, the neighborhood, historic context, and demographic in that region and city at large. To me, it’s really important that each project is representative of the neighborhood it will be built within and the people it will serve.
What have been the biggest challenges and greatest rewards from your career?
One of the biggest challenges has been the speed to market of each project and all the ups and downs along the way. Between multiple agency review processes, fluctuation in the construction cost, and change in trends from market demand, there are so many things that affect the ability and the speed at which you can bring each project into fruition. When you dedicate 3 years to one project that becomes 4 years, then 5 years and so on, it could be disappointing and often discouraging. But when you do finally see your design fully built, it’s truly the greatest reward. There is nothing better than finishing out your project and seeing hundreds and thousands of people making a home out of it. One of the most memorable rewards so far was meeting someone that lives in one of the first multi family residential projects I worked on in San Francisco.
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How do you see the field changing in the next 10 years?
More than ever, we need buildings that create more energy than they use, resilient designs that can withstand natural disasters, and innovative construction methods that are efficient and sustainable. At Common, we work with various partners who put sustainability at the core of the developments so I’m optimistic that we will see a field that puts sustainability at the forefront of design universally.
What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Don’t be afraid to speak up with confidence. Chances are what you have to say is just as valuable as the person sitting next to you so don’t overthink. Just do.
Photo Credit: Common