Kara Meyer

“More often than not, you will find yourself as the only woman in the room. Embrace it; you're a badass. And when you find yourself in a room with all women, celebrate it for a quick minute before getting to work.“

#WomenWhoBuild, meet Kara Meyer,

Kara is the Managing Director of Friends of +POOL, the nonprofit behind +POOL Development. Kara helped create the organization with the intent of building the worlds first plus-shaped, water-filtering, floating swimming pool. She is responsible for the organizations forty million dollar capital campaign and one million dollar operating budget. Kara is also the liaising between the various groups of engineers and designers who are working on the project as well as the local community. Kara is no stranger to nonprofit work, prior to her time with Friends of +POOL, Kara was the Director of External Relations at the Storefront for Art and Architecture and a Senior Development Associated at Art in General.

ArchNative sat down with Kara (virtually of course) to discuss what her day to day looks like, the personal growth she has had while working on this project, how she navigates working with a variety of stakeholders, and her advice for women entering the field.

Please describe your current role on the +POOL project? What does your day to day look like in your current role?

I am the Managing Director of Friends of + POOL, the nonprofit behind + POOL's development. I helped create the organization, which was founded to develop the project in partnership with the city. We also founded the organization with an educational mission to advocate for free and safe access to our water bodies, educate the public on the issues impacting our waterways, and promote water stewardship. I spend a lot of the day liaising between the amazing people working together to realize + POOL -- from the architects, engineers and designers of the project; to the scientists and water quality experts supporting our research; to the many city agencies who require oversight, to the board members, advisors and creators of + POOL who are helping drive the project. I also work to make the development of + POOL transparent by communicating with the public and the local community; oversee the organization's educational programs; and spearhead project fundraising and partnerships.

How did you get introduced to the project and what made you want to be a part of the team designing and building it?

I worked with the designers of + POOL in the project's early years of conceptualization and feasibility testing, having met them through my former employer, Storefront for Art and Architecture, which was the project's fiscal sponsor before the nonprofit was established. When I left Storefront to work full-time on + POOL, I was most excited about the opportunity to rethink models for designing and stewarding public space. One of the most beautiful things about + POOL is that it is truly a community-driven project. The designers seeded an idea that has only made it to where it is today because of the people that surround, question and engage it. It's a labor of love for so many and the time, talents, expertise, and donations of so many people is what is driving this project that will have an impact on generations to come.

Tell us a little bit about your background? How did you find your way to a career in the built environment?

I have always worked in nonprofits producing innovative projects at the intersection of art and design. I've worked to support creative projects at institutions including the American Dance Festival, Art in General and Storefront for Art and Architecture. Through these institutions, I sort of stumbled into work in the built environment, collecting many architect and design friends along the way!

What projects had you worked on prior to +POOL?

Perhaps most significant was a commision from the U.S. Department of State to represent the U.S. at the 14th International Architecture Biennial in Venice, Italy. Entitled OfficeUS, the project focused on the ways in which the space, structures, and protocols of the U.S. architectural office have participated in the construction of Modernity. It was simultaneously a repository of historic architecture projects and a laboratory of new ideas in the form of an alternative architecture office, which was fully staffed by a group of designers who worked in the space, engaging visitors throughout the duration of the installation.

Other design focused projects prior to joining + POOL include organizing an international symposium in D.R. of world renowned architects to discuss pressing issues in urban planning, civic design and public life with local practitioners; hosting an Open Call for Ideas in partnership with the New Museum for the Ideas City Festival (this is actually how I initially met the + POOL designers), and commissioning a series of collaborative projects between artists and architects inspired by the famed Vito Acconci/Steven Holl collaboration on the Storefront facade.

A rendering of + POOL in the Two Bridges Neighborhood of Lower Manhattan

What career and personal growth have you experienced while working on this project?

So much! Because there is no existing regulatory structure for what we have designed, in many ways, we are charting our own pathway forward. This means I get to experiment with new ways of doing things and consistently evaluate what works and what doesn't. It also requires the advice and expertise of so many specialists across so many industries, some of which I didn't even know existed previously. This means I get to learn from people every day about things I didn't even know were things!

This project involves an incredible amount of collaborators. Can you tell us a little bit about the process of navigating such an unconventional project which deals with so many different stakeholders?

This is perhaps the most challenging and interesting part of the project. There is no room for egos in a project like this. What you think you know does not always apply so all of the team members really have to listen to each other and collaborate across different areas of expertise. In some instances, this means that some firms or agencies who are typically competitors are working together to problem solve, which is beautiful to see. While it is incredibly challenging and sometimes you want to scream or give up, everyone involved is driven by our mission to provide free and safe access to the rivers. At the end of the day, we can all celebrate that together, we are helping to achieve that goal.

What is one piece of advice you have for women entering the field?

More often than not, you will find yourself as the only woman in the room. Embrace it; you're a badass. And when you find yourself in a room with all women, celebrate it for a quick minute before getting to work.