Architect Stephanie Millet loves residential projects, turning lines and curves into rooms and homes as clients dream out loud about the places they want to live.
A native of California, Millet earned her bachelor’s degree in architecture at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and worked for a residential architecture firm in California before moving to Houston to earn a master’s in architecture at Rice University. Once here, she decided to stay and found a work “home” at Natalye Appel + Associates Architects, where she became a partner in 2010.
In July, Millet – who lives in Houston’s East End with her 10- and 13-year-old sons – was named a Leader In Design by the Houston Design District.
“Natalye has been a huge inspiration and mentor to me,” Millet said. “When I came to Houston, I thought about how I would have a family and a career and they seemed like conflicting ideas. When I saw Natalye doing it, all blended together … it allowed me to say ‘I don’t have to fit in this box, I can design my own box, my own life.’”
Appel’s office culture is collaborative, so everyone has input on a lot of projects. In addition to high-profile residential work, they’ve done the Saint Arnold Brewery, award-winning Levy Park as well as Woodchase and Pine Cove Parks and the recently finished Camden Park.
The city park projects were done with the Office of James Burnett, which was hired as landscape architect, then OJB hired the Appel firm for pavilions and outdoor structures.
“We just finished Camden Park in April and I’m excited about that one,” Millet said. “That park had unique challenges because the canopies and buildings are egg-shaped, so there were no corners in the project and we had to make sure all of the edges met. We also have this big metal screen that wraps around the building like a ribbon.”