CORY W. SHARP

Cory is a sketch artist, a dog lover, an advocate for young professionals, a community high-fiver, and, if you think he can’t get any cooler… he’s also a drummer in a local band. Cory always brings an energetic and creative perspective to the design process and passion for his work and the community he gets to work in.

How did you decide on your career path?

Having a dad who’s an architect certainly helped shape my path to becoming one myself. But it was my interest in art and my love for drawing that made it easy for me to see myself as an architect and eventually turn that passion into a career.

What is your favorite part of the design process?

Collaborating with our clients at the beginning of the process to problem solve and ideate potential design solutions is my favorite part. Big, sweeping concepts that solve complicated problems at a basic level drives my passion for design.

How are you creating vibrant communities through design?

I enjoy engaging with the community in all aspects of my professional and personal life. I’m proud to be a leader in our office when it comes to design solutions, and that also drives my passion for working with community non-profits, boards and committees in my free time, as well. The best days of my career are when these two major parts of my life intersect.

What makes Des Moines a great place to live?

I chose Des Moines because of the high quality-of-life it provides, as well as the numerous opportunities available to me to be involved in the community outside of work. Becoming a leader in Des Moines and making a positive impact on the place I grew up was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Our work is defined not just by the structures we design, but by the people and stories behind them. To help tell some of those stories Katie Stork, our Creative Communications Leader, sat down with Architect Cory W. Sharp.

Katie Stork: Cory, thanks for taking the time to chat! To start, can you share a project that you feel perfectly captures the FEH philosophy of designing with people in mind?

Cory W. Sharp: Absolutely. The first thing that comes to mind is the City Hall project we designed in Polk City recently. When we started, their old Council Chambers were tiny, barely able to hold 20 people and their offices were cramped while the City’s workforce and community needs grew. The people of Polk City wanted to engage with their city, but the physical space just couldn’t provide for it. Our task was to try and provide a design for a large community gathering space AND a formal Council Chambers (along with all the other necessary spaces) in the new City Hall with limited area on our building site to do so.

Katie: That’s a common challenge for growing towns, trying to fit 12 pounds of things into a 10 pound sack. How did you tackle the challenge?

Cory: Instead of planning for two completely separate spaces in the new City Hall (a Council Chamber and a Community Center) we asked: Why not combine them? We designed a flexible space that can be a formal Council Chamber one night, and then transform into a wide open Community Room the next morning. We used an operable wall partition so they can literally change the room’s function as needed. The best part? This design solution was a team accomplishment derived from collaborative conversations held early on in the design phase between us and City Staff. Last I heard, they’re holding yoga classes regularly in this space as well! That’s what design should do: make life better for people while being smart with taxpayer dollars.

Katie: That kind of collaboration is really what we’re all about! Speaking of real-world challenges, we know architecture is full of practical constraints like budgets, sites, and time. How does your team balance creative visions with those inevitable limitations?

Cory: That’s where the magic happens. I always say, “Constraints don’t kill creativity, they spark it.” When you’re forced to work within boundaries, you have to iterate and challenge yourself to discover new opportunities. That pressure is what pushes you past the obvious answer and into the truly inventive one. I actually see that in a lot of my outside interests, too.

Katie: That’s great perspective. I know you’re a passionate drummer, do your outside interests, like music, ever sneak their way into your designs?

Cory: They do! Early in my career, I worked on a Student Center with a circular reception desk. I thought… why not make it feel like a drum? I never told the client this story, but to me, that desk was my quiet nod to the musician in me. Years later (after having told everyone else except this particular client), people still talk about it as the ‘drum desk.’ Lesson learned: when you let your passions sneak into your work, the design tells a better story.