Strada’s Newest Creative Mind

01.2018People, Uncategorized

By Street Talk Editor

Last month, we welcomed an extraordinary architectural designer, Timothy “Timo” Ong to our team. Not only has he hit the ground running with projects and proposals, but he does so with a spirited energy, air of positivity, and always with a smile on his face.

Timo’s experience and passion for design excellence perfectly complements our focus on raising the bar in architecture for our community and our clients by creating places that people truly enjoy.

Meet Timo…

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What made you want to get into the field of architecture?
“My entry into the field of architecture was rather serendipitous. Through a series of unexpected events, I ended up in Kent State University in Ohio, initially intending to pursue applied engineering as my major field of study. During freshmen orientation, I asked a few sophomores about the college of applied engineering only to be told, “what, we have a College of Engineering?” Falling on my insecurities and wanting to be involved with a more rigorous and well-known program, I quickly changed my major to Architecture, which I quickly fell in love with and stayed passionate about since.”

If you weren’t an architect, what might you be?
“If I were not an architect, I would probably be involved more heavily in the print / graphic design / marketing universe probably in a startup company somewhere trying to change the world.”

Why did you choose Strada?
“I wanted to be part of a practice that was involved in a lot of local work while having a strong design ethic and good work culture, which happens to be the way I saw Strada at the time of application. I also received a good amount of #ads from friends about the firm and just knew great people in the office.”

When you tear yourself away from the studio, what can you be found doing?
“I find myself having a good stretch at the climbing gym on the Southside called Ascend Pittsburgh after a stressful day of work or for fun! In which, if any of you find yourself needing a good climb, let me know! #shamelessplug. In addition, I do some music and illustrate on the side, mostly for friends, if I find myself requiring an additional creative outlet. If not, you can probably find me lazing around the local coffee store with a good book.”

You just won a free trip, where would you go?
“I would love to see more of the crazy stuff happening in dense urban cores such as Turkey, Brazil, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Melbourne. Basically, anywhere with a population density greater than New York City.”

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We extend a warm welcome to Timo and look forward to achieving, with great excellence, the firm’s targets and goals!