Bonita Boeckman-Cook from JSA Architects and Sarah Desiderio from JSN Engineering have been named "Top Young Professionals" in New England by Engineering News Record magazine. Sixteen construction professionals were honored, the majority from firms in Boston.
Boeckman-Cook LEED AP, an architecture job captain at JSA brings a special passion to healthcare design and has an uncanny sense of what it takes to create healing environments. As part of the design team for the new Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital at Pease, she facilitated full-size bathroom mock-ups allowing the staff to simulate patient care movements. The result was a redesigned bathroom that became the standard for all 33 patient rooms. "It gives me a tremendous feeling of satisfaction, knowing I make a difference in the daily lives of patients facing monumental therapeutic challenges."
Desiderio P.E., a rising young University of New Hampshire-grad structural engineer at JSN, spent less than a year post-bachelors degree before she was back in the classroom for three more years, juggling a full time engineering job with a masters program in structural engineering at the UNH. Eight years later, her structural engineering creativity and competence are legendary among local architects.
When asked why she chose structural engineering, Desiderio said, "It's the beauty of the technical professional. When you work to have a detail come together and your result is better than the standard solution, well, that's pretty slick."
Founded in 1980, JSA Inc. is an architecture, planning and interior design firm with offices in Portsmouth, N.H. and Jacksonville, Fla. JSA specializes in healthcare, education, senior living, housing, and hospitality environments.
Founded in 1987, JSN Associates provides structural engineering and design services to the construction industry throughout New England.