Meredith Chavez, Class of 2008

Meredith earned her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Houston. After three years of practicing at Morris Architects, she was accepted into Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, where she earned a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture (MLA I AP ‘19) and a Master’s degree in Urban Design (MAUD ‘19).

Meredith's passion for design can be traced back to Mrs. Inaba’s kindergarten classroom. She loved to draw and color, and little did she know these skillsets would form her passion for using creativity and art to build meaningful spaces. Meredith remembers how Mrs. Inaba created a nurturing environment that allowed her to express creativity and curiosity about the world around her.  

In high school, Meredith thrived in Duchesne’s fine arts program, specifically in ceramics. Meredith loved the three-dimensional art form and how it engages both the technical and creative sides of the brain. She enjoyed envisioning what could be, and the process of bringing it to fruition.  

Meredith’s father introduced her to construction early on. As a home builder, he often took her with him to construction sites. Meredith drew on these early experiences and subsequent training in design to create lasting impacts in the built environment. Her architecture work includes James Madison High School in Houston and a Medical School campus in Vietnam. Her landscape architecture work includes a healing garden at Houston Methodist Hospital and the new Hanszen quad at Rice University.

Meredith has the courage and confidence to imagine!