The Great Gabi: one woman’s journey from computer science to urban design, and all things in between…
For this installment of Teska’s ‘People Feature’ series, Teska Planner, Carol Brobeck, sat down to interview one of Teska’s more veteran urban designers, Gabi Ebikeme, who lends her creative insights and design chops to the Teska urban design studio.
Gabi graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies and a minor in Urban Studies. Prior to joining Teska, she worked at a full-service architectural firm in Des Plaines, Illinois and currently lives with her husband and young daughter in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood. Gabi is passionate about understanding the relationship between form and function, and enjoys the challenge of finding innovative ways to incorporate unique characteristics of sites into Teska projects. Her background in drawing and painting, combined with tech savvy computer skills, makes her a talented urban designer.
Q: What led you to the field of landscape architecture?
A: My family has always worked in real estate and development, but I began with computer science – it seemed to make sense at the time because I was pretty tech savvy and good at science. I enjoyed it, but found it too independent, and was longing for more interaction and communication. I need that face-to-face collaboration to really enjoy myself. In urban design we’re always bouncing ideas off each other and looking for community input. The sheer versatility in our work is just baffling – from designing community spaces to site planning to logo design to marketing….
I remember being a kid in my parents’ office and how they always hung-up watercolor paintings of houses they helped develop. They were so beautiful – the amount of talent in hand drawing is amazing. I’m sad it’s being forgotten.
"In urban design we’re always bouncing ideas off each other and looking for community input..."
Q: With two years under your belt here at Teska, what project are you most proud of working on?
A: Well, I’ve always been fascinated by bridges because they are landmarks – they welcome you into a city in a big way. It’s not something you are going to miss. Anytime I am road tripping I always cross bridges slowly so I can look at the details. I’ve been working on a bridge and boardwalk trail in Streamwood across Illinois Route 59. So even though it’s a small bridge…. I’m getting to put that passion into this project. The design is beautiful and really nicely shows off the elements of the Village’s character.
Gabi in front of the AmberSky Ferris Wheel in Gdansk, Poland (Port City on the Baltic Coast)
Golden Bridge (Vietnam) on Ba Na Hill in Vietnam | Image Credit: Laslovarga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Q: Favorite Place in the world?
A: I love history – so I’m a big fan of any historical city. But I am especially fascinated by Krakow, Poland – the original capital. It’s just got this mythical aspect – there’s a belief that a dragon lived underneath the city. The city itself is very castle-like – but it’s been so well designed for people places. Also, did you know that Poland has a desert, too – it’s crazy!
Q: This or That?
- Office or WFM? Hybrid – I hate working in a silo even if I’m at home.
- Hand drawing or computer designs? Computer – I never got time to learn how to hand draw because everything is all done on the computer these days.
- Coffee or Tea? Both – I love caffeine!
- Night owl or Early Riser? I’m an early riser by default but because of my daughter I now get up early so I can go to the gym at 6am.
- Camping or hotel? Glamping
- Cooking or being cooked for? Cooking!
Q: In your opinion, what are the most underrated Polish dishes?
A: The tried-and-true dishes are great, but Golumpki (cabbage rolls) are simple yet delicious. However, if you hate the smell of cabbage, these might not be for you!
Gabi's homemade Golmpki (cabbage rolls)
Gabi snowboarding at Granite Peak in Wisconsin
Q: If supplies of any kind everywhere were running out, what three things would you prioritize?
- A radio – for music, of course.
- A really, really, really big book – it would keep me entertained and be useful for fires if need be!
- Salt – we need at least one basic seasoning...
Q: We’ve heard you are a "gym rat"... True or False?
A: Guilty as charged – I LOVE going to the gym and challenging myself. I used to go right after work, but I’ve started going at 6am. It’s something I never thought I would do but found that people who go at that time (or anytime in the morning) are really dedicated to fitness, which is inspiring and motivating. I mostly do interval training because it’s a good way to build endurance. It is amazing what you can do with just a treadmill though – incline and speed take a short workout to the next level.