Taylor Knoche (MArch'16) joined Foster + Partners as a Designer after working briefly as an Architectural Designer at Stantec, Philadelphia. She came to PennDesign after graduating from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies. Knoche studied abroad at the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Versailles.
Favorite book or movie about art/design?
I am continually inspired by artistic documentaries including Pina (introduced to me by my first-semester design professor) and Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present. They have a way of putting you in a different mindset that allows one to break limits and test unexpected ideas and theories. I also follow a number of fashion designers, from Iris van Herpen to Alexander McQueen.
Design hero, living or dead?
Frank Gehry, for never taking No for an answer, and continually pushing the capabilities of structure and design. "Architecture should speak of a time and place, but yearn for timelessness."
What do you miss most about your time at PennDesign?
I miss the interactions with the faculty and staff at Meyerson Hall the most. The broad range of expertise and skill set of each individual professor allow for personal development and experimentation that is hard to find anywhere else. Ideation and conversation were limitless!
What was your longest day on campus?
You look back on the three years of your Master's and think, "Wow, time has flown by." Yet while you are working towards your degree during those three years, every day seems to be long and challenging. Each day brought new opportunities, emotions, and decisions. Each day also brought me closer to graduation!
What’s been your favorite professional project so far?
I am currently working on the new Penn Med Patient Pavilion tower near Penn's campus. It is one of my first full scale projects post-graduation, a massive 1.2 million square-foot endeavor.
If you could go backward or forward in time, what era would you choose and why?
This will sound cheesy, but I would want to live in the present. There are so many great challenges that we must address as humans that will determine our future and livelihood, on this planet or another. It is a very exciting time to be alive and my generation has an opportunity to shape the world for the current and future generations to come.
What’s your favorite place in Philly?
Parc Restaurant off of Rittenhouse. Having studied abroad in Paris, I get nostalgic sitting there drinking coffee among the bustle of the other diners, fresh baked cranberry-walnut bread, and light jazz in the background. Everything feels right when I am there.
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