The Insider: Wendy Dunnam Tita
Interior Architecture Director, Page Southerland Page
As principal and interior architecture director at Austin-based Page Southerland Page, Wendy Dunnam Tita is the type to master her profession–and then go a step further. Case in point: She’s slated to be the 2018 president of her local AIA chapter and currently chairs the group’s newest committee, Women in Architecture, an endeavor she pursued based on the alarming difference in the number of women who earn architecture degrees and those who join the industry. We caught up with her to learn more about her work.
You often collaborate with Austin artisans. Can you name a few? For woodworking and steel, I go to Macek Furniture Company and Hatch Workshop. For lighting, I turn to Cook Shop and Warbach. And for hardware, I am grateful we have Alexander Marchant in town.
Any current projects you can share? My firm is working on a lovely boutique hotel in Round Rock called The Ruby Hotel. An existing midcentury house on the property will be used for a cocktail lounge and meeting rooms, and we are adding two wings of rooms under a canopy of gorgeous heritage trees. It will be a true gem.
What’s in store for Women in Architecture? We recently hosted our inaugural Shape the Conversation initiative, a three-week event with exhibits, events and roundtables that recognize women’s achievements and promote diversity and inclusion. Our fund-raising is going toward an Early Career Leadership Program, which will help participants develop communication, business, negotiation and other skills.
