Steinberg Hart’s Katia McClain, one of the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Latinx Leadership Award honorees for 2022. strives for inclusion in the architecture profession. 

Growing up in Mexico City influenced Katia McClain’s approach to architecture. McClain, Steinberg Hart’s Managing Principal for Northern California, remembers how people in her hometown shared homes, personal space, and sidewalks with others. “Architecture and space are for people,” McClain said. “It’s more than how pretty a building looks. Buildings shape our lives and shape how we interact with each other and the environment.”

“Katia excels at bringing people together around a common goal, and she leads effectively because she is laser-focused on the human experience, whether that is for her clients or for our staff at Steinberg Hart,” said Steinberg Hart CEO David Hart. “She is an excellent mentor, a great listener, and a trusted advisor which allows her to create longstanding and valued relationships.

Speaking to high school students, especially Latinos whose first language is not English, has been one of McClain’s outreach efforts. She encourages them to embrace their heritage and not let others define who they are. “We come from families rich in history; they’re centered around people,” she said. “they’re full of texture and color. That authenticity, that honesty, where we come from, can actually add value to a team, to a society, to a design.”

Read more at Silicon Valley Business Journal.