Employee Spotlight: Chris Connors

One of our newest employees is Chris Connors, ACP. Chris joined the MKSD team this summer as a senior architectural designer and graphic designer and has jumped right into work with several projects. Chris was a Nittany lion, completing his Bachelor of Architecture at Penn State University. As a father of young twin boys, he and his wife Barb are busy parents! Thank you to Chris for taking the time to answer a few questions. We hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as we have the last few months.

• Give us a quick rundown of your LinkedIn/resume.
  • Graduated from Penn State University with an Architecture degree.
  • Right out of school, I worked at 3 firms in DC (LSM, HOK, and HYL) before moving back to Bethlehem, PA in 2015.
  • Designed furniture with Knoll during my first architectural job at LSM.
  • I run a small graphic design studio (thisisheavy.co) outside of my day job with MKSD specializing in branding and illustration.

• What brought you to the Lehigh Valley, or why did you decide to stay?  

I grew up in Bethlehem and most of my family is here.  I like the scale of the Valley and see a lot of potential for growth in several areas of design. 

• Where did you go to college and what was your favorite class? 

Pennsylvania State University. My favorite class was always design studio.  It’s where I had the most creative freedom and cut my teeth on a lot of software/tools I use today.

• Who is your favorite architect/designer and why? 

LTL Architects (Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis).  They really get creative with materials and challenge spatial norms.  I think they’re in a category that exemplifies architecture as a work of art.  Their visuals are pretty killer as well.

• What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

A Marine Biologist or Illustrator.  My fallback was playing 2^nd Base for the Yankees but haven’t had to resort to that yet.

• What are some of your favorite hobbies? 

I love to watch and play baseball in the summer and practice a bit of woodworking in the colder months.

• What is the last tv show you binge watched? 

Love on the Spectrum – on NETFLIX

• What is the best advice you have ever received?  

Treat people the way you’d want to be treated.  A great tip for life in general but can be applied to design as well.  It allows you to stay mindful and manage the tone of a relationship.

• What keeps you motivated and/or inspired? 

Seeing a project go from a sketch to reality is extremely rewarding and provides excitement for the next opportunity.

• What are you most excited about as a new member of the MKSD team?  

I’m learning from and collaborating with a group of extremely talented people, but also being supported as a valuable resource in the studio.  It’s an environment I’m really enjoying.