Welcome to "Good, Thoughtful Hosts,"
an insightful new design podcast.
On Good, Thoughtful Hosts, Sarah Steimer explores the built environment on the notion that a designer's role is to anticipate the needs of their guests. Join us to dig into the ways in which the built world can influence people's feelings and experiences -- and how. Beyond the traditional requisites of form and function, hear firsthand from architects, engineers, planners, and more on...
Engineering to great heights.
For National Engineers Week 2023, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick, and to help inspire the next generation of engineers!
Who or what inspired you to be an engineer?
I wish I could say I have a good story of how I became an engineer, but it really just happened because I didn’t know what I wanted to do in college. I was g...
Melding civil and land development.
For National Engineers Week 2023, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What is your area of expertise and why did you choose it?
My area of expertise within the expansive civil engineering discipline is land development. It took me several years of dabbling in other engineering fields, such as structural and environme...
Always calculating the best moves.
For National Engineers Week 2023, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
Who or what inspired you to be an engineer?
My uncle was a civil engineer for the Anaconda Company in the mid-1970s. He was credited with developing environmental measures to clean up the Silver Bow Creek between Butte and Anaconda, Montana. I remem...
Engineering the air we breathe.
For National Engineers Week 2023, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
Who or what inspired you to be an engineer?
I was always drawn to disassembling and understanding how things work. Broken appliances, tools, and toys were typically dismantled and reassembled. They were, usually, functional after the fact.
...
Living out the ethos of constant curiosity.
For National Engineers Week 2023, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
Who or what inspired you to be an engineer?
The ability to create and build things is what drew me to engineering. Learning the skills to create something from nothing was quite powerful. Engineering is much more than just math or science....
Community-minded, sustainability-focused.
For National Engineers Week 2023, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
Who or what inspired you to be an engineer?
When I was a kid, I read each month's issue of National Geographic cover-to-cover. My favorite stories were about the people who developed an innovative solution to a challenge their community was f...
Good, Thoughtful Hosts #113: Microgrids and Resilient Energy with Alan Bronec and Nathan Bronec
In our final episode of the first season of Good, Thoughtful Hosts, we're focusing on the U.S. energy infrastructure. We'll speak with engineers Alan and Nathan Bronec about the upgrades needed to bring energy grids into the future as systems age and needs grow. They'll walk us through the types of modern power solutions available, along with a few examples.
About Our Guests
A 25-year veteran...
The role of the designer is to immerse themselves in the world of the user groups they design for while keeping an eye on the bigger picture, pulling in knowledge and inspiration from a variety of sources. How we live, work, and learn is constantly changing, and so too must the practice of how we design for the built environment. With this desire to understand user groups as well as address fluctuating needs and circumstances, our approach to design must be responsive and facilitate the...
Dual-discipline adventure-seeker
For National Engineers Week 2022, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
Who (or what) inspired you to become an engineer?
Like many people, I originally didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was good at math and enjoyed drawing and being creative. It wasn’t until high school that I began to be inspired by building design wit...
Embodied carbon crusader
For National Engineers Week 2022, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
Who (or what) inspired you to become an engineer?
In high school, a math teacher suggested architecture as a field of study she thought would be a good fit for me. I knew nothing about architecture at the time, so I spent time looking into the profession and ...
Engineering for an energy-efficient future
For National Engineers Week 2022, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
Who (or what) inspired you to become an engineer?
I didn’t know anything in particular about engineering in high school but felt that my strengths were related to the sciences. When I looked at college opportunities in my state, Montana Tech...
Career Fair Connect
At Cushing Terrell, we are creative, resourceful, and passionate. We focus on innovative architecture, engineering, and design that results in a transforming experience for our clients, and we're always looking for talented team members to join our ranks. Let's get to know each other!
The 2023 Career Fair Season is Here!
Cushing Terrell team members are coming to a university near you. Visit with us at a career fair, apply for an open p...
Future-proofing our protected lands
Few countries can boast having the range of natural environments that we do in the United States. From the rocky peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the Gulf Coast wetlands — and all of the national monuments that dot the landscape in between — these scenic places are the stuff of great field trips, road trips, and vacations. But if we want to continue making these great American memories, it’s up to those tasked with the maint...
Engineering inclusive infrastructure
For National Engineers Week 2021, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
As a kid, there was usually a sprawling Lego city on my bedroom floor. As I got older, I really enjoyed studying physics and earth sciences. After a couple detours in other fields, engineering caught hold of me and didn’t...
Engineering for resilience
For National Engineers Week 2021, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
Everyone in my family has had their own business. As a kid, I helped my dad manage his hardware business and learned a lot about construction, paint, plumbing systems, and metals. This piqued my interest in design, but I wasn't as ...
Putting the green in engineering
For National Engineers Week 2021, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
My dad! He's a petroleum engineer. Plus, I was a natural at science and math in school. Originally, I had planned to pursue a degree in architecture because I've always loved buildings and how they are designed and built. My ...
Interest in microgrids has been growing as the country (and the world) confronts more frequent, extreme weather events and an increased urgency to consider alternative energy sources in the face of climate change. Microgrids aren’t a new concept (most early energy grids would be considered microgrids), but they're fast gaining traction for a variety of organizations as a way to address modern-day energy challenges.
Traditional utility grids vs. microgrids
W...
Meet Our Talented Team
Inspired by collaboration.
We might be old, but we've aged gracefully. Back in 1938, founders Cushing and Terrell believed integrating architecture, engineering, and design opened the doors for deepened relationships and enhanced creativity — and that hasn’t changed. Generations of collaborative practice have proven the benefit of working shoulder-to-shoulder to yield broader viewpoints and better design solutions.
But our passion to forever improve ...
Enjoys the journey, and the finish line
For National Engineers Week 2020, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
This may be a recurring theme with engineers, but my inspiration came from an interest in math, particularly calculus (yes, it's true). Finding myself understanding math, with the help of an amazing teacher, was a grea...
Just add water
For National Engineers Week 2020, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
My older brother, Tyler, inspired me to become an engineer. Going into college, I didn’t have a clear direction of what I wanted to do, and I remember thinking his career path seemed both cool and challenging. He's also a water/wastewater engi...
Data-driven and service-oriented
For National Engineers Week 2020, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
My dad’s career as a physicist took us to Los Alamos, New Mexico, a town based around the national laboratory there, with all sorts of cutting-edge research and development going on. My dad’s passion for science and a few int...
Civil in spirit and in practice
For National Engineers Week 2020, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
I went to college and started studying mechanical engineering for no other reason than I had a natural bent toward math and physics. After my sophomore year, rather than finding an internship (as my parents suggested), I spent...
Multi-faceted adventure seeker
For National Engineers Week 2020, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
I'm a person who looks for the logic in how things work. I've always been good at math, and I've enjoyed working with my hands ever since I was a kid. These interests all led me to pursue a bachelor's degree in mechanical engin...
STEM champion extraordinaire
For National Engineers Week 2020, we’re sharing stories from Cushing Terrell’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
In high school, my mom took me to a seminar where a few women spoke about their engineering careers. I wasn’t exactly sure about a career at that time, but I liked math, physics, and taking things apart. What struck me was how en...
Hailing from diverse offices across the United States — from the mountain region to major metros — our teams showcase the very best in multi-disciplinary collaboration. Whether the expertise comes from one location or multiple, we work with our clients to design responsible, imaginative, first-of-their-kind environments. For a little local flair, we’re highlighting our office teams, showcasing their capabilities and culture.
Our Denver office is a story of the underdog: an experimental...
Join Us
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What's it Like to Work Here?
Delve into Cushing Terrell history, check out our bedrock firm values, read quotes from team members, and meet the people driving the strategic direction of our firm on the Meet Our Team page.
Dig a little deeper and explore our down-to-earth design approach that puts people and the planet first. Whether designing for the user experience, he...
Engineering positive change in places near and far
For National Engineers Week 2019, we’re sharing stories from some of CTA’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
I’ve always been drawn to math and science. At about age nine, I started professing my desire to be an engineer when I grew up. Upon being granted the freedom of four wheels, I developed an affinity for car audi...
The more calculations, the better
For National Engineers Week 2019, we’re sharing stories from some of CTA’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
I didn’t know about engineering until my aunt described her friend’s successful career as a computer engineer. I was intrigued and realized the common characteristic among engineering professions is math, which happens to be my ...
 Sees beauty in art, music, and logical structural solutions
For National Engineers Week 2019, we’re sharing stories from some of CTA’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
Music and math were integral to my young life. Having played acoustic guitar for six years, then classical saxophone through college, I developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of music. I see musi...
A modern-day magician
For National Engineers Week 2019, we’re sharing stories from some of CTA’s engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
I believe I was destined to be an engineer of some sort. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of things. As a young child, I would often take things apart to see how they worked and then put them back t...
A literary engineer with a spirit of adventure
For National Engineers Week 2019, we're sharing stories from some of CTA's engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.Â
What inspired you to become an engineer?
I originally wanted to become an architect, and in high school, I signed up for a polytechnic school in Arizona to learn architecture and engineering basics specific to residential and commercial buildings. My first...
Father and son engineering dynamic duo
For National Engineers Week 2019, we're sharing stories from some of CTA's engineering talent to learn more about how they chose their profession and what makes them tick.
What inspired you to become an engineer?
Alan: Growing up on a farm in central Montana, we were 70 miles from the closest town that stocked repair parts for farm equipment. When equipment failed, we didn’t have the time or money to go that far, so we...
When Zoe (pronounced Zoh) Smith speaks about Montana, she pays respect to the raw survival instinct it demands, its rough-and-tumble roots, and its gruff no-nonsense attitude. Without a doubt, Zoe radiates these same qualities, sharing the essence of her home state. The delightful surprise, though, is that she embodies them without sacrificing an incredibly warm and supportive spirit.
Though she was born in Georgia, she comes from a long line of Montanans and has lived in the state for ...
