Welch is the ‘why not’ behind the ‘why’

Maria Welch –
Bray Architects

Maria Welch has had a passion for architecture for as long as she can remember.

In middle and high school, she took all the drafting classes she could and then went on to the University of Wisconsin to earn her degree.

“It’s a really rewarding profession, especially in the work that I do doing schools,” said Welch, a senior project specialist at Bray Architects. “I get to really curate meaningful environments for students to learn in and in architecture in general, you get to build the environment around us.”

In just five years in the industry, Welch has taken part in a variety of different projects throughout Wisconsin. She’s an advocate for the importance of developing the “why” behind a project. Welch acts as a resource for clients to guide their decisions and build trust.

“We need to be constantly adapting as architectural professionals and constantly looking towards the future,” she said. “We need to make sure we’re implementing that into our work.”

Welch has been involved with school projects in Sun Prairie, Mukwonago, Green Bay, Evansville and Fall Creek. She has also helped with designs for Mount Horeb’s fire and police departments as part of the village’s public-safety building project.

“We have to be good listeners and balance important things like security concerns and balancing that with the progressive, 21st century learning objectives they have,” she said. “You have to listen to both the education side as well as the facility management and grounds side as well.”

She also worked on the Oregon School District’s new Net Zero elementary school. Welch drew up designs to build installations in common spaces to help students learn about conservation.

“She always goes above and beyond, working and reworking different designs,” said her supervisor, Chris Eger. “She’s not afraid to start from scratch.”