Martina's journey from art-loving kid to mission-driven architect at Moseley proves that the best careers blend passion with purpose.
Martina is transforming Baltimore one building at a time: converting former train stations into permanent supportive housing, navigating the chaos of back-to-back Zoom calls, and finding poetry in the delicate balance between community needs, building codes, and tight budgets. A past president of AIA Baltimore and long-time volunteer with Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) of Maryland, Martina believes architecture isn't just about designing structures; it's about tackling climate change, housing inequality, and human dignity through the spaces where life unfolds most powerfully.
What attracted you to this profession?
I was initially attracted to the field of architecture when I was young; I loved art, was decent at math, and like many millennials, I grew up with a ton of Legos, a passion I continue today.
What attracted me to multifamily housing, preservation, and affordable housing was a sense of mission. I started my architectural career doing housing, but took some time to try other building typologies. I quickly found my way back to housing knowing it was my passion. Working in housing is the only time in my career when I had someone write to say “You saved my grandmother’s life. She now has a safe place to live.” Housing is a critical issue in our world today. It is where people laugh, cry, live, and die. Nothing else is like that. Housing is a social justice issue, a public health issue, an equity issue, a climate crisis issue…so many things can be addressed by housing. I truly feel like I can help make a positive difference in the world doing what I do—that is why I am an architect.
What three words would you use to describe your job?
Steward. Working as an architect, I am the steward of many things. Primarily, I serve the client and the community in which they intend to build. I look after their health, safety, and welfare through the design process. At the same time, I also serve as a leader at Moseley, ensuring a sustainable environment within the company.
Storyteller. I often describe my work as storytelling. Each drawing needs to tell the story of how a building needs to go together. If you get the story right in the drawing, it is much easier to build. Storytelling also comes in handy when communicating with the team, with clients, and community groups. If you can easily tell the story of the design to others, if that story ignites passion in those you tell it to, that design is much easier to build.
Balance. Being an architect is a constant balancing act. Balancing needs of the client, consultants, and community takes a lot of thoughtful consideration. Layer on to that codes, environmental responsibility, time, and budget and it is quite a lot to manage. The true art of architecture is balancing it all and finding the common ground that aligns everyone’s goals.
What are the most important personality traits to have in your profession?
I think the most important personality trait for an architect is the ability to think holistically. An architect must be able to see the whole picture…how one thing is the sum of multiple parts that must all be in harmony with each other to succeed. A small detail can have a big ripple effect. As holistic thinkers, the architect needs to think of the ripple effects and how they can affect multiple people and things; whether it is other designers, the client, the end user, the contractor swinging the hammer, or the earth disturbed by the work. There is a lot to think about when designing a building, so it is important to think holistically about the work.
Along the same lines as holistic thinking is having a sense of empathy. In order the see the whole picture, you need to be able to look at it from multiple perspectives. A lot of the work of being an architect is trying to convince people that the design idea is a good idea. Presenting ideas from a place of empathy can help you hone your design and deliver something that serves the needs of all parties involved.
What’s a typical week in your job like?
Email. Zoom. Email.
Draw for fifteen minutes. Zoom.
Put out a fire. Zoom.
That is the simple haiku version.
In actuality, a typical week is more complicated than that, but the vast majority of what I do is communication. Whether it is in person meetings with staff, zoom meetings with clients across the county, or a running stream of emails, most of my week is consumed by communicating with others. Communication in our profession is critical—whether it is running meetings or drawing a clear detail on the page. Managing time and resources is a constant struggle but it keeps us all on our toes so there is never a dull moment.
Some weeks, site visits are peppered into the routine which are welcome diversions. I love going to the site and connecting with a physical place. I have become an expert pigeon whisperer…if you have been in as many vacant buildings as I have, you know that is a crucial skill. It is all about communication.
What’s it like to work in your office?
The Moseley office in Baltimore is amazing. We have a wonderfully diverse, energetic group of people. It really does feel like family. Everyone is very down to earth and mission-driven, which can be a hard quality to find in an architecture firm. We have a lot of people who are involved with the community, whether through the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), or other organizations. There is a strong spirit of giving back to Baltimore across the firm. It is a great vibe.
In addition to the great people, it is such a great place. We can see the harbor from the office, smell the molasses in the air from Domino Sugar, and have a ton of amazing options around the office for lunch. On nice days I love walking down to the water to have lunch. It is a beautiful spot.
What do you like most about your job?
I like the variety and challenge in my job; I work on multiple different projects at one time including new construction, historic preservation, renovations, and the odd “'small project' that is not really small at all.” There is never a dull moment, and it keeps me on my toes. At the end of the day, I feel accomplished after moving the ball forward on so many different things. A lot of the projects are incredibly challenging so producing new ways to address something is very fulfilling. It is especially rewarding when a project is complete, and you see all the bits and pieces come together and people have smiles on their faces. It is all worth it to see the smiles.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is having enough time. We often have multiple deadlines at the same time and very limited resources to make them happen. Sometimes schedules for projects can be incredibly aggressive, going from concept to construction documents in just a month. To get things done you have to pick your battles and have good organizational, time management skills. It is a challenge, but it forces you to get creative and produce new ways to be more efficient.
How does your work benefit from Moseley’s interdisciplinary approach to design?
The best way to design an efficient building is an integrated design process; having multiple disciples working together from the beginning of a project through the end. Having so many of these disciplines in-house has really helped the design process run smoother and faster for our projects. It really helps with project management knowing everyone on the team is on the same page; it is one less thing to worry about when trying to get everyone to work together. When you have limited time and budget, these efficiencies are a great benefit not only to our work process but for our clients as well. It brings great value to the team.
What’s the coolest thing you’re working on right now?
I am blessed to say I get to work on a lot of cool projects. If I had to highlight one, I would say the coolest thing I am working on now is Sojourner Place at Park. It is a city block in downtown Baltimore where we are renovating an existing historic building that started as a train station, was turned into a bank, and then served as offices for Health Care for the Homeless. We are then preserving existing historical facades along Liberty Street next door and inserting new construction behind them, turning the whole block into one building. It will become 42 apartments where Health Care for the Homeless will return to provide permanent supportive housing for the formally unhoused. It is a wonderful, complicated balance between old and new, preserving the past while making room for a new future.
In the design process we did a focus group with potential residents at Health Care for the Homeless to see what features were desired most. A recurring theme was finding a sense of community while having a space to call “home,” that is theirs and theirs alone. I look forward to the completion of this project so we can bring things full circle at this place—where the old offices of Health Care for the Homeless can provide the very thing that can help end homelessness: more affordable housing.
What have you accomplished at Moseley that you’re proudest of?
I am most proud of the work I’ve done to help develop the mentoring program here at Moseley. It started with workshopping some ideas just here in the Baltimore office. It gradually developed into the mentoring program we know today as “Moseley Minds,” where colleagues of all levels get matched together across offices and disciplines, depending on personal preferences. One person can be both a mentor and mentee; there is no limit to learning more from others. It has been a great way to share ideas, aid career development, and foster a sustainable work culture. I am proud to have had a hand in this successful program.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Outside of work I enjoy playing board games. I am an avid collector and have over 300 games, including an autographed copy of Boop, a copy of Catan from Germany, and Carcassone Hiver from France. The game that gets the most play these days is Pretty Pretty Princess: Unicorn Edition. The kids love it.
I admire the design of games, from the artwork to the tactile nature of the pieces. Games often allow me to exercise my systems thinking which comes naturally to me as an architect.
What music are you listening to right now?
Lately, I have been mostly listening to audiobooks; I have a long commute so listening to a book tends to help the time go by faster. When I am not listening to a book, I enjoy listening to the local WTMD radio station. It has a great eclectic mix that I enjoy from classic rock to 90s bangers, to musicals and sea shanties. It really has something for everyone.
What’s your favorite film?
Amelie is my favorite film. I love the visual storytelling. It’s funny, has a good story, an amazing soundtrack, and is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen. I also greatly enjoy horror movies, mostly because I feel like they are some of the more artful movies out there. Nothing beats the original Alien.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
It may be cliché, but the best gift I’ve been given are my two kids. There was a time when I thought I wouldn’t be able to have kids, but I have been blessed with two wonderful gremlins. They can be a handful, but they are the most precious things in my life. As far as physical gifts it would be a three-way tie between an electric keyboard for Christmas when I was a kid, a hockey stick from my Dad on my birthday, and the Home Alone house Lego set from my husband on our 10th anniversary.
What’s your motto or mantra?
I college I would often say “I’m not short, I’m fun size.” I also often say “Make it or make it work.” In both instances, you have to take what you are given and do something positive with it. That pretty much sums up my outlook on life!
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