Why Architect Melissa Shin Adds Drawings of Smurfs to Her Project Plans

I’ve always been a little cheeky and playful. My architecture training was very heavy and serious, but I’ve just never been that person. When I started my own practice, Shin Shin, in Los Angeles, there was a big question of how I wanted to identify myself as a designer. I knew I wanted to produce rigorous work, but without always being so severe.