Bialk: There is certainly more awareness and support growing; from community to regulatory levels and everything in between. The culture is transitioning from Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) to Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY). With that paradigm shift comes a belief that affordable housing can be beautiful, uplifting and safe. Studio E Architects has always maintained that belief and we strive to make places that elevate the everyday life into the extraordinary.

GlobeSt.com: What are some of the firm's most interesting projects currently?

Bialk: Every project we work on is interesting, we even love garages, but some to highlight that I'm working on are University of California, Riverside's (UCR) Desert Research Centers in remote desert outposts and Helen Woodward Animal Center's new Adoption & Kennel Building on their existing campus. The UCR Sweeney Granite Mountain and Boyd Deep Canyon projects are two remote desert sites that are off the grid and present unique challenges and opportunities. Through extensive code research on how to design jewels in the harsh desert climate without power and water, we believe we have a legacy project in the making that could benefit future generations and act as a case study for designing off the grid. The Adoption and Kennel facility is a new project type for us and has been an exciting opportunity – designing for cats and dogs is a rewarding job.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about Studio E?

Bialk: Studio E Architects produces meaningful projects for mission-driven clients – including universities, charter schools, affordable housing and service organizations. It's a perfect fit because we're a mission-driven firm. We care about the clients, families, seniors, students, places and communities we work with. We are energized by what others might see as challenges and instead see those as opportunities to create smart and elegant solutions.