Her Story
About Danielle
Danielle Aspitz is a project architect based in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her undergraduate degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2015 and her master's degree from Harvard. Aspitz has been practicing architecture for about eight years and has held her professional license for three and a half years. Her work centers on institutional projects, particularly schools in historical districts, where she manages the drawing sets through all phases from concept to construction documents and handles filings with agencies such as the Landmark Preservation Commission and the Department of Buildings. She is a member of the Van Allen Institute and the Urban Design Forum, and she seeks to partner with organizations for pro bono or low bono small-scale design and build projects to foster team building and community impact. Aspitz attributes her success to persistence and a commitment to exceeding client expectations in a profession that balances creativity with logistical realities. She advises young professionals to remain disciplined and curious, noting the rewards that come with experience and confidence in navigating complex projects.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Danielle
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being persistent and believing in the service of delivering something greater than what the client had anticipated. Architecture is a tough profession that can grind you down, with creativity limited by logistics, budgets, and filings, but I find it rewarding to fulfill clients' hopes. Persistence helps keep the eye on the end goal and keep pushing for it, even when friends have left the field.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was from my professor to suspend disbelief. In architecture, you often hit walls trying different things that don't work, so you have to keep iterating until you find the solution that meets all needs, like getting through the landmarks commission. It's a very iterative profession, and you have to keep pushing and testing every aspect despite wanting immediate gratification.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise young women entering architecture to stay disciplined and stay curious. There's a steep learning curve with codes and getting your license, but if you stick with it, it's rewarding and fulfilling. It might be a slow arc, but once you have enough experience, you gain confidence in your knowledge. You're always learning in this profession, but you reach a point where you can be confident in navigating and making proposals.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now is climate change, specifically how to make buildings cost-effective but also highly performative. Regulations are becoming more stringent, and we're learning to reduce our carbon footprint with materials that are as carbon neutral as possible. Products like better insulation and windows are evolving, moving everything towards highly sustainable, cost-effective buildings.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Valuing the relationships you have and constantly tending to them is most important. In personal life, making time for friends makes experiences worthwhile despite being busy. In work, continuous relationships with clients over many years on small projects year after year is really nice, and having both big and small projects keeps the team nimble and creative.
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