Her Story
About Katherine
Katherine Fritz is an architect with Venture Architecture in Denver, Colorado. She began her career in 2019 while in graduate school and has accumulated seven and a half years of experience. Fritz earned both her undergraduate and master's degrees from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. At her current firm, she focuses on K-12 education projects, including a ground-up school in Colorado Springs, while her earlier work encompassed restaurant, mercantile, fast casual, and corporate sectors. Her interest in architecture stems from growing up in a one-room schoolhouse that was continually under renovation, fostering a passion for construction and adaptive reuse. She combines this with a strong interest in art, organization, and mathematics, which she attributes to her success in the field. Fritz's graduate thesis emphasized historic preservation and adaptive reuse. She advises standing one's ground, particularly as a woman in the male-dominated construction and architecture industry, and encourages stepping outside one's comfort zone.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Katherine
01What do you attribute your success to?
I grew up in an old one-room schoolhouse that was just always under renovation, so I've kind of always been surrounded by construction and adaptive reuse. I've had a strong interest in art and just organization, and mathematics, so to combine that into a realistic profession. Architecture really intrigued me from both an artistic standpoint and the technical. I've done anywhere from library to data integrity, and then moving into the architecture field, so I kind of have this organization mindset, that's what led me to be successful with an artistic background as well.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received so far is just to, like, especially as a woman in construction, really stand your ground. When you're in a male-dominated profession with the contractor and the architects, it's easy to start to feel discouraged about what you're where you're headed, but just have a clear mind and state the facts and kind of stand your ground is important. Also step outside of your comfort zone and shoot for things that you might feel are unrealistic, because you'll be surprised what will come from that.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stand your ground, especially as a woman in a male-dominated field like construction and architecture. Have a clear mind, state the facts, and don't feel discouraged. Step outside of your comfort zone and shoot for things that might feel unrealistic because you'll be surprised what comes from that.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Finding the best way to work with AI instead of combating it, it can actually be a helpful tool if used correctly, but we're seeing AI being one of the biggest challenges right now. There's definitely a lacking human component that we all need. It's a double-edged sword.
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