Meet Natalie Seagriff: Architect

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Seagriff and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’m not sure if it was as much of a thought process as it was an inner knowing early on before I even began my career that I wanted to have my own business. Pair that with stubborn determination and valuing one’s freedom to steer the ship; I believe that is what eventually led to opening my own firm. I spent the early part of my career learning the ropes and working toward my license. I took a few years off to stay home with my children and as they grew into elementary school age, I knew that was the opportunity to take to start my own business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What I am most excited about when it comes to my practice is the ability to pivot into other areas of design and having a diverse skill set – for example providing graphic design and/or 3d visualization services. Not every project or client that reaches out requires full architecture services. Having the ability to provide different services allows me to customize and tailor the delivery methods on a project by project basis. This also provides additional revenue streams that can supplement income during the normal and inevitable ebb and flow of the AEC industry.

Providing these additional services as a normal part of my work flow actually came as a result of my “time off” of my career to stay home with our two young children before they reached school age. I’m a curious person by nature and love to learn new things – when I stumbled upon an open-source program called ‘Blender’ (a powerful 3d rendering software), I immersed myself in learning it. It’s my go to modeling and rendering software. During this time, I had a few inquiries to create some logos and produce product renderings; it just seemed like a natural fit to include these in my services because the process of design is the same whether you are creating an architecture project or a logo. I decided then that my brand is really about realizing visions, regardless of the type of project.

When we made the move back to New York in 2018 and the kids were entering elementary school, I took a leap of faith and launched SDS Architecture, PLLC. The biggest challenge for me early on was figuring out the balance between workload and being available to my kids when they get off the bus. I’ve had to learn how to create strong boundaries between work time and family time, which is no small matter when you run a business out of your home. Honestly, sometimes the scale tips too far in one direction (usually work) and so I consciously make an effort to tip the scale the other way. Additionally, 2020 put a lot of things in perspective for our society and what’s truly important at the end of day (hint: our relationships with our loved ones). I personally have seen the shift across multiple industries in figuring out the elusive work/life balance. The biggest lesson I have learned from my experience thus far is valuing myself and my work properly and saying no when a project doesn’t seem like a right fit.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I actually live about two and a half hours from NYC, just northwest of Albany. The Mowhalk Valley and Hudson Valley offer so many different attractions, it’s hard to choose. I would probably spend each day in one of the various historic downtowns starting in Albany, Schenectady, Troy and then make our way down the Hudson River to NYC.

NYC in and of itself requires way more than a week to truly explore, but if I had to pick my favorite spots there, it would be Greenwich Village, the East Village and Park Slope in Brooklyn for food and nightlife.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, my husband Joe. He’s always supported my goals and is my biggest cheerleader.

Secondly, my mentor Geoff MacDonald. He took me under his wing and help me grow in ways that I never had the opportunity to before, simply by his belief in me and my abilities. That’s worth it’s weight in gold. We stayed in touch throughout my time off and as I opened my own firm, he was there (and still is) to lend a hand or offer up his sage advice. I am forever grateful.

Saving the best for last – my children are my inspiration and best creations. They provide the fuel I need when I feel like I just can’t push anymore and it gets me over the hump.

Website: https://www.seagriffdesignstudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sds_arch/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sdsarch

Twitter: @SDS_Arch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seagriffdesignstudio

Image Credits
All work and images are original content and copyright 2018-2021 SDS Architecture, PLLC