2024 Women in Construction: Rachel Lanzafame, Bergmeyer

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? 

Last year, our team completed a complex and transformative $40 million phased renovation and addition at the Lowry Center at the College of Wooster. Lowry Center is a student center and dining hall that every student on campus visits at least once a day, and had been the heart of campus for over 50 years. The project was the result of a deeply collaborative process that we led with the college’s many stakeholders. Knowing that our work strengthened the student center’s role in supporting community, accessibility, and inclusivity for its diverse population was incredibly rewarding for me both professionally and personally.

Who or what inspired you to join the AEC industry? 

I was exposed to the industry at a young age – my dad is an architect and took me on my first construction site visit when I was 6! I grew up hearing about his trials and tribulations during construction. Even though I didn’t fully understand what he was talking about then, I believe a lot of that information helped form a basis for my informed decision-making in my work today. I have also always had a great appreciation and curiosity for how design shapes the way we experience space. I found my home with Bergmeyer because we take an experience-first approach to every project.