The Design Team at S.C. Swiderski is involved from the conceptual phase of project planning all the way through completion of construction. This talented team is focused on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. We are excited to have Hadleigh Baumann share a little about what she does at SCS.
Being an interior designer was not the first thing I dreamt of as a child; it wasn’t even the second. Originally, I had intended to get a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in Construction Management. A woman in a man’s field? Sounds like a challenge, and one I was willing to conquer.
After a few years working in that industry, I noticed that I was always craving a creative outlet, and that is what led me to look at my other options. One day I came across a student who was in the Interior Architecture program at UW Madison, and I instantly wanted to learn more. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting down with my advisor telling her I was going to transfer from the engineering department to the school of human ecology to major in Interior Architecture.
Many people do not understand what interior architecture entails. Is it architecture? Is it interiors? What is it? First, interior architecture is the degree, and the individual would get to become an interior designer. Many people hear of interior design and think of an interior decorator – picking out all the furnishing for a home, the décor, the paint colors, even down to the throw pillows you put on your couch. But really an interior designer is much more. They specialize in materials, floorplan layouts, accessibility, building code, ADA requirements, unique material usage, acoustics, lighting, just to name a few. When you think of the space and everything it takes to create that space, an interior designer was a part of it from start to finish.
Once 2020 hit I never thought I would find a job in interior design. Everyone that wanted something designed or built was putting it on hold because there were more important things to deal with and the world was a different place. I luckily was able to find an amazing opportunity in Kansas City, MO. Did you know that Kansas City was the Sports Architecture capital of the world? Yup, me neither. But with that came great experiences although they were too far from the people I cared about the most. I then moved back to Madison, WI where I went to college thinking that this would be even closer to home and provide me with even more opportunities and experiences in my industry. After learning a lot and being a part of some cool projects, I knew this was not where I was meant to be.
Now fast forward to when I moved back to Wausau (yes, I was born and raised here and never thought I would come back. But hey, the place is pretty amazing) I never thought I would be able to work in this creative industry. Thankfully SCS gave me an amazing opportunity to come in and take charge of their new SCS Homes division and create spaces that individuals and families would love. In doing this I have been able to redesign some of our first homes that we built, create new designs for our homes, source materials that we have never used before, and take part in the larger apartment buildings that I have experience working with from former jobs.
Working at SCS has truly been the best career I have had thus far. I know people frown on saying a company is like a “family”, but the people I work with each and everyday are like my second family. We get to work on the really cool stuff at SCS. The Design Team starts working on a project from the moment it is conceived. We are helping with the ideation and creation, creating 3D models, and so much more. But then we also provide construction documents and follow building code to ensure safety amongst those residing in our buildings. And all while making sure the spaces are functional, look good, and are what our tenants are looking for. Every day is different, and we are always trying to beat deadlines and get the job done.
There are always new opportunities at SCS because we are continuously growing and evolving. SCS is a company that I am proud to work for and excited to see how my career and experience evolves here.
Find out more about the exciting projects Hadleigh and the Design Team are working on here.
