Luigi Coletta

Luigi begins his work day by cycling to SmithGroup’s downtown Detroit office. “It gets the blood pumping,” he says, “and I get to experience the city in a new, different way than most.” Collaborating with SmithGroup engineers also gives Luigi a perspective he appreciates. “Often, when you have engineers working on projects as consultants, you don’t get the full buy-in to the design intent, or the creativity to meet project goals,” he explains. “Having them in house on an equal value allows us architects to consider alternative approaches to solving the problem. It allows us to strive for greatness.” Luigi professes an admiration for Catalonian architect Antonio Gaudi and the city of Barcelona. “If I could time travel, I’d go to 1880s Barcelona, and attempt to befriend Antonio Gaudi and study under him,” he remarks. In fact, Luigi is always game for a trip to Barcelona, “to enjoy the beautiful city, its people and Gaudi’s architecture.”