San Jose, CA—We’re pleased to introduce Jane Picazo, Project Designer in our San Jose Studio, as this month’s Studio W Spotlight team member. With over 27 years of experience, Jane is a versatile team-player and a go-to designer for education, civic and commercial projects across our three studios, including Brisbane Elementary School Modernization and Santa Teresa High School Learning Center in our San Jose Studio; the North Natomas Community Center & Aquatics Complex and Paradise High School Reconstruction in our Sacramento Studio; and the Hawes and Moffett Elementary Schools Modernizations in our Irvine Studio.
A Bay Area native, Jane has experienced both small town life and city living. She also loves hiking the beautiful California trails with her family. Learn more about Jane…
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- Santa Teresa High School Learning Center | East Side Union High School District
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- Paradise High School Reconstruction | Paradise Unified School District
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- Victory Park Pool Renovation | City of Stockton
What is your hometown, or where do you live currently and what do you like about it?
I grew up in a small town—Watsonville, California. It is 15 minutes south of Santa Cruz. I am currently living in San Jose and it’s a big change from where I am originally from.
What is your favorite restaurant or food?
My favorite food is anything that has to do with potatoes.
What is your favorite song, movie or book?
One of my favorite songs is “No One” by Alicia Keys. It’s mine and my husband’s song.
Who is your hero or a person that inspires you?
My grandparents. They were hardworking, funny, wise and always spoke their minds about what they believed in.
What is a typical weekend for you?
My husband, our 9-year-old son, Jaxon, and I have recently taken up hiking. We have been going almost every weekend for a couple months now. We never imagined that there were so many beautiful trails in California.
How did you find architecture as a career?
Throughout my career, I have worked for many companies designing different types of buildings, whether it was residential, commercial or education. It is awesome to see drawings be built and come to life.
What is a building and/or destination that inspires you and why?
I worked for an architect in Carmel, California a few years back and it was nice to work on so many houses. Each one was different and had its own style and characteristics.
What is your most memorable project and why?
Moffett Elementary School Modernization and Hawes Elementary School Modernization. They were the first projects I worked on when I started at Studio W. I was able to visit both sites and get a feel of what I was drawing.
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- Hawes Elementary School Modernization | Huntington Beach City School District
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- Moffett Elementary School Modernization | Huntington Beach City School District
What is your favorite aspect of working at Studio W Architects?
My favorite aspect of working at Studio W is that we all support each other in so many ways. It’s nice to work as a team since we are all striving to succeed together.
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- Studio W’s San Jose studio at a AAA baseball game.
What project have you worked on at Studio W that made you grow the most professionally? Why?
There isn’t one project that I can say. Every project is different and similar in some ways but there is always something to learn from them all.
