Her Story
About Andrea
Andrea Alvarez Barrios serves as a project manager at Matt Fajkus Architecture in Austin, Texas. In this role, she spearheads custom high-end residential and boutique commercial projects, carrying them through all five phases of design from initial client conception to construction administration. She specializes in BIM modeling and administration to improve built outcomes and reduce construction issues. Andrea began her career in Venezuela, earning a Bachelor of Architecture from Universidad Central Venezuela before completing a Master of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin in 2020. She is LEED certified since 2018, a registered architect in Texas and Venezuela, and a registered interior designer in Texas. A highlight of her work includes leading the certification of a small home as the firm's first 5-star Austin Green Energy Building. She also mentors young designers in BIM software and has authored a booklet on design guidelines for environments serving people with autism spectrum disorder based on her master's thesis.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Andrea
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them not to give up because the field can be mentally and emotionally exhausting. Criticism in architecture school and practice is not personal but constructive, and one should learn to get comfortable with it as an opportunity to learn and defend ideas. Architecture involves many points of view and variables, making discussions rich and nutritive rather than right or wrong like mathematics.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.