Nelson Design, Inc., grows with addition of designer

38 minutes ago

A drive to solve problems and four older siblings with engineering degrees strongly suggested Kendra Schulz would become the fifth. Instead, she is on a path to become the only architect in the family.

"I think in a very process-oriented manner," Kendra said on June 9, her first day in the office at Carl A. Nelson & Company. "But I never fit the box of the engineer. I was looking for a way to do problem-solving more creatively."

Her pandemic-altered path led in May to a Master of Architecture from Iowa State University. By then, she had already been working part-time and remotely for about four months with CANCO's design subsidiary, Nelson Design, Inc.

Over the next two years, she will work under the supervision of Nelson Design architect Ellen McCulley to meet licensure requirements, while also contributing to CANCO’s design-build and other projects.

"With Kendra on board, we are better positioned to deliver high-quality service to our clients," said Dan Culp, Vice President of Operations in CANCO's Burlington office, where Nelson Design is based. "Kendra not only strengthens our internal design capacity, but also brings a collaborative mindset that supports our core values of Fairness and Honesty, Quality Workmanship, and Service Second to None."

Kendra began her journey at Iowa State in the fall of 2020 as a double major in architecture and finance, with a head start from the Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees she earned at Southeastern Community College while still a student at Mediapolis High School. However, her arrival on campus coincided with the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the university holding classes remotely. She completed her entire first year as an Iowa State student without ever leaving her home near Oakville, Iowa.

"Drawing online was not my cup of tea," she said, explaining why she chose at the time to drop architecture and focus on finance.

After graduating in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in finance, she went to work in corporate accounting—briefly following in the footsteps of her parents, both of whom are accountants.

Plan B, however, was to go back to school. Kendra considered studying law before deciding to return to architecture. The field appealed to her, she said, because of the way design can be a positive force in how people live. After more than two years of coursework, her senior project included the design and installation of 3D-printed concrete structures for a nonprofit farm organization in Earlham, Iowa.

Rather than join a traditional architectural firm after graduation, Kendra chose Carl A. Nelson & Company because of its role in the design-build realm—leading both design and construction under a single contract with clients. The integrated team of designers and builders helps reduce the conflict that can arise in other project delivery methods.

"I'm excited to be more on the collaboration end than the conflict end," she said.

Away from work, Kendra lives near Oakville. She enjoys spending time outdoors and, after growing up on a farm, still looks forward to climbing into a tractor each spring and fall. She is regularly involved in activities at her church, is a certified SCUBA diver, and enjoys spending time with her 29 nieces and nephews, who range in age from 22 years to 3 months.