In honor of women’s history month, Taylor Design is reflecting on our legacy as one of the earliest female-founded U.S. architecture firms. Nearly 45 years after Linda Taylor set out on her own, we proudly carry on her tradition of 100-percent employee ownership in an organization with more than 50 percent female employees.
Design is in our DNA, and Linda is the reason. Throughout her career, Linda blended professional achievement as a renowned health care architect and entrepreneur with artistic achievement as a talented painter. In retirement, she creates stunning mixed-media artwork that draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape and found objects. And though our headcount and project profile have grown substantially in recent years, Linda’s unique blend of technical expertise and creative energy remains the foundation for our approach today.
As Taylor Design expanded into a new Sacramento office space last year, we crafted an inspiring environment for our growing staff that celebrates this legacy. A striking mural by local artist Douglas Keliiheleua Kleinsmith greets visitors in the community café space, complemented by Linda’s signature paintings placed throughout the office and employee-owner Hunter Wood’s sculptural draped canvas artwork. Each piece provides an opportunity for collaborative engagement as meaningful as the artistic process itself.
Taylor Design’s current generation of female leaders share Linda’s passion for design. Interior Design Director Stephanie L’Estrange draws constant inspiration from the world around her. Her gorgeous collection of wallpaper samples reveals conceptual entry points into new projects. Director of Medical Planning Teresa Endres channels her love of design into fashion, with shoes in every color to match her bold, patterned wardrobe. Project Director/Office Leader Caitlin Stevenson finds a creative outlet in home improvement, crafting a cheerful environment to serve as the background for her busy family life. These individual passions translate into fresh design perspectives that energize the strategic and operational planning, architectural design and interior design services we deliver to our health care, science and technology, higher education and senior living clients.
