Archinect: Where did you study architecture?

Annie Mohaupt: I studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I received a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies in 1998.

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue architecture?

AM: I decided I wanted to be an architect my senior year of high school - it was at that time where everyone starts asking what your major will be the following year. I actually remember the specific moment that "architecture!" occurred to me: I was sitting at my family's dining room table, looking at one of those cheesy catalogs of suburban house plans that you get at the home improvement store, and I thought, "This stuff is so awesome. I want to draw houses like these." Yikes, that's so embarrassing to admit - thank goodness my tastes have changed over the years! But the cards were stacked up toward architecture anyway – my dad's an engineer, and my mom's an artist, so there may be a bit of a genetic predisposition as well.



When did you decide to stop pursuing architecture? Why?

AM: The career lost much of its luster the day I sat down at my first architecture position, mouse in hand, staring at that black AutoCad computer screen. Architecture school was fun: sketching, drafting by hand, constructing models, discussing ideas with teachers and other students, even pulling all those all-nighters… I loved it all! But pushing a mouse around, sending endless faxes, and speaking with contractors when I had no idea what I was talking about - this was just not the career I had pictured. From the start, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I really missed doing things by hand. However, things did get better, and I ended up enjoying my career for the most part. I ended up working about seven years in architecture before I stumbled upon something I liked even better: making shoes.


Describe your current profession.

AM: I make wooden sandals. It's funny, because as an architect, I would come across different materials in the office library or the Merchandise Mart and think things like, "wouldn't this make a neat pair of shoes?" I had never literally thought, "I want to make shoes", it was like I was kind of subconsciously storing stuff away. One day in May 2005, a picture appeared in my head: a pair of Eames-inspired skateboard-ish bent plywood sandals. It was a classic light-bulb moment, and I knew I had to figure out how to make those shoes. It took me a couple months, futzing around in the basement in the evenings after work, until I came up with something passably shoe-like. Then it took another year and a half to further develop them so they're durable enough to last at least 100 miles (yes, I did log 100 miles in a pair – and never a blister!)


I currently can make only a few pairs a day, but they sell pretty well, so scaling up production has been my biggest challenge. I finally have been able to obtain financing for my own CNC machine, which I will hopefully receive in February. I'm incredibly excited about the CNC, because I'll finally be free of the limitations of my bandsaw, and my production processes will be more scalable. In the future, I hope to grow my little sustainable footwear factory here in Chicago… the fact that I get to both design *and* make stuff is what I love the most and hope to continue doing in the long run.



What skills did you gain from architecture school, or working in the architecture industry, that have contributed to your success in your current career?

AM: I feel that architecture has provided the best possible preparation for my career as a footwear designer and manufacturer. I considered majoring in fashion design, and even though I'm now working in fashion, there's no way I could do what I'm doing without my background in architecture specifically. My training and work in the industry have touched every facet of what I'm doing – including teaching me physical endurance (I don't get any more sleep than I did in school), environmental conscientiousness, dealing with vendors, working with customers/clients, fundamentals of design and structure, organization, collaboration, meticulousness in presentation… I guess it's a whole way of thinking and doing things. The basic theoretical and practical concepts behind building design and construction really aren't that different from that of footwear, it's just on an entirely different scale. I can't think of any aspect of shoe design and manufacturing that has not been enhanced by my architecture background.


Do you have an interest in returning to architecture?

AM: Not so much. My husband is an architect, so the architect in me lives vicariously through him. However, now that I know I'm getting the CNC, I'm becoming a lot more excited about interior design elements, furniture design and product design. I'm always looking around at items or furnishings in my house or studio saying, I could make a cooler version on my CNC (if only I also had an infinite amount of time…!)





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LEFT: Annie Mohaupt (click here for hi-res image)

Related Links:
mohop shoes
CraftSanity Podcast with Annie Mohaupt