Meet the Team: Design Intern Ian Shaw

Ian Shaw is the most recent addition to the GOAT team, joining us as a Design Intern after graduating from the Tulane School of Architecture. He has a passion for architecture and design and, as a recent graduate, has already received an impressive number of accolades. Ian won the Tulane Design Competition two years in a row, and he was awarded the AIA People’s Choice Award for Residential Architecture in 2023. Get to know more about him:

Who is your favorite architect and/or designer? 

My favorite architect is Peter Zumthor because of how his emotions and sense of poetry permeate his work, all to create architecture that deeply resonates with its site and users.

What would be your dream project?

My dream project would be one that takes place in an idyllic natural setting. I believe that architecture has the power to exist in conversation with its context, and I find that nature is the most exciting context to have a conversation with.

What design trend do you hope makes a comeback?

I believe that everything happens for a reason. If a design trend is meant to come back, then that is what I wish for.

What topic could you give an hour-long presentation on with no preparation? 

Ever since I can remember, I have loved studying maps and learning about places, so I imagine I could have a lot to say about geography. Some more specific geography topics I have been fixated on lately are the colloquialisms we use to describe regions in the USA and the geography of languages around the world. 

What is your favorite local hangout?

Lincoln Beach was my favorite place in New Orleans to visit with friends while I was in college.

If someone were visiting the city for the first time, what neighborhood would you take them to first and why?

I would be most excited to take them to the Marigny.

What’s your favorite hobby right now? What hobby have you always wanted to take up? 

My favorite hobby right now is writing. A hobby I have always wanted to take up is making clothes for myself.

What’s your most used emoji? 

🩷