Growing up in one of the most architecturally significant cities in America does not guarantee success as an architect. But in the case of Mendan Bobb, it has certainly helped.
Bobb, 21, is about to begin her senior year at IUPUI studying interior design technology.
It is a passion, she says, that goes back to her childhood.
“I can remember always reorganizing my room and trying productive ways for my room to be laid out,” she said. “I just always had a thing for interiors and making it as functional as possible.”
The Columbus native grew up surrounded by the Modern architecture and sculptures of downtown. During car rides, her mother and father would point out structures that were under construction or architectural landmarks, she said.
“Being in Columbus surrounded by architecture and interior design had a big part in what I wanted to pursue as a career, “ Bobb said.
During her years at Columbus North High School, Bobb explored opportunities in dental hygiene, but soon discovered it was not for her.
“It was really hard and really just wasn’t up my alley,” Bobb said.
Bobb was also a cheerleader from fifth grade through her freshman year of college.
After graduating from Columbus North in 2015, Bobb chose to attend IUPUI to be close to home.
“I knew that they (IUPUI) had an interior design program and it was always in the back of my mind as a major,” she said.
After exploring different subjects as a freshman, she enrolled in an introductory interior design class during her sophomore year.
Interior design became her passion, and she was pretty good at it.
Show-stopper
It is required in each interior design class at IUPUI that students must submit a final project, Bobb said. The class then votes for three students’ projects to be featured in the Student Design Organization show.
Bobb’s project was on space planning, designing the upper and lower levels of a retail store. She had to include details about where merchandise and furniture would be, how much could fit in the space and create a lighting plan.
Not only was Bobb’s work chosen for the show by her classmates, it won first prize.
Next February, a new project of hers will be featured in the show again.
Software, Bobb said, is vital to creating her work. She uses programs such as Revit and AutoCAD to create projects, the same programs often used by architects.
“A lot of people think interior design is just picking out the finishing and pillows,” Bobb said. “We’re actually designing floor plans, making 3D models of homes. So we do a lot of what architects do.”
Her skill with the software has also opened doors for her off-campus.
At the end of her sophomore year, a classmate recommended Bobb to iCAD Design, a Westfield business looking for help in busy summer months.
Bobb now lives in Indianapolis and works for the company part-time using iPads to create construction documents for customers planning to build or renovate a building.
Customers go to the company and explain what they want from a construction project or renovation, Bobb said. Those preferences are then sent to her by a supervisor and she designs plans on the iPad. Once approved, the finished plans go to building crews to use in the actual construction process.
She creates everything from floor plans to electrical plans using the iPad, and said that she enjoys the opportunity to apply her knowledge.
“I love doing it. It’s a lot of fun,” she said.
But iCAD Design is not the only place where Bobb gets to practice her skills.
Working toward future
She spends her spare time at Daniel’s Vineyard in McCordsville helping design renovations to the establishment’s new production room. There, her goal is to make tank storage areas more accessible, she said.
Bobb has made the IUPUI Dean’s List every semester since declaring her major, an achievement she attributes to studying what interests her and wanting to get ahead after graduation.
“Being in a major that I love has made me work harder than I have ever worked before because I want to be good at what I’m doing when I get out into the real world,” she said.
Bobb’s grandmother, Loretta, said that her family is proud of her granddaughter’s goal-oriented outlook.
“(She has) a lot of determination,” Loretta Bobb said. “I think she just sees her goals and she sticks with it and goes for it.”
Bobb still has another year left before completing her undergraduate studies, but is already looking ahead to the future.
After she graduates from IUPUI, Bobb plans to stay in Indianapolis, where she feels there is opportunity for interior designers.
She would, however, love to complete a project one day in Columbus.
“I definitely hope to be able to do some type of interior design work in my hometown,” she said. “Columbus will always be a place I hold close to my heart.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Mendan Bobb bio” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Mendan Bobb
Age: 21
College: Senior at IUPUI, majoring in interior design technology
Parents: Douglas Bobb and Deirdre Brown
High school: Columbus North
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