Vonderberg never settles for standard thinking on projects

Listen to this article

From a young age, Agatha Vonderberg knew she wanted to pursue a career in architecture.

In every project that she’s a part of at Bray Architects, she’s been willing to push past standard thinking, taking on projects with gusto no matter how complex they are. Among other things, she’s adept at working on large school projects, expertise she has acquired in part from her past work in the Pewaukee and Port Washington-Saukville school districts.

“Agatha gets it,” said James Froemming, director of business services for the Port Washington-Saukville School District. “She sees the full picture of a building project, the community it serves, and the external minutia that can keep a project moving forward, bringing it to fruition, having all parties be proud to show off what was accomplished. … She is probably too humble in not wanting the focus to be on her efforts but the overall success of the project.”

Colleagues describe her as being extremely thorough, caring and good at talking to clients. She is committed to designing buildings that not only function well but also bring people together. Vonderberg is known for her optimism and ability to listen to everyone involved in a project.

She has many desirable attributes, not least of which is her caring nature.

Mark Lillesand, vice president of C.G. Schmidt, said, “She cares about the end-users of the facilities she designs, she cares about her teammates during the design and construction process and she cares about the communities in which she creates her projects.”

“I enjoy my job because it allows me to approach creative challenges in a variety of ways and through that, I’ve been able to learn the power of effective communication, both verbal and graphic,” Vonderberg said. “I’m so humbled and honored to be selected among this group of exceptional women. This recognition came as a huge surprise and it’s allowed me to reflect on my career so far and have confidence that I’m on the right path.”