Inspiration Breakfast: Set Design with Jacob

Every month, our design team comes together to spark creativity by sharing their unique sources of inspiration. We refer to these sessions as our "Inspiration Breakfasts," a space and time where we connect, learn, and celebrate the unique creativity within each team member. Jacob Miklasz, one of our talented Architectural Designers at En Masse, shared his intriguing journey from Theatrical Set Design to Architecture and shared some ways that we can apply different art-forms to our own craft of design:

"The Crucible", set design by Es Devlin, National Theater, 2023

Before shifting into an Architecture degree at UIC, I originally completed one year of Theatrical Set Design coursework at NIU after a few years of high school and community theater experience. I was drawn to set design as both an extension of the figural and thematic storytelling of a show as well as the logistical requirements of how the actors move to and from and around the stage.

In much the same way that the Director of a show could reimagine a classic script through a new lens to tell a new story, the set design’s physical and ephemeral attributes could drastically alter how that same script is presented and what the audience interprets.

"Midsummer Night's Dream", set design by Nicholas Hytner, Bridge Theater, 2019

The biggest lesson I was able to transfer from my experience in Set Design into Architecture was that of flow and sequencing. Even from very early schematic floor plan designs, especially for residential projects, I find that being able to take a step back from a programming list and envisioning how someone will inhabit that floor plan is an incredibly potent approach, humanizing the process:

“What is it like to wake up and get ready in the morning?”"  “What will they see when they sit at their banquette for their afternoon coffee?” “What lights will they be able to control as they go up and down the stairs?” “How will they bring in shopping bags?”

Approaching Architecture from a storytelling perspective endears us to the process. Instead of only focusing on a final product, checking all of the boxes from the early design meetings, Architecture becomes the backdrop to everyone’s narrative that exists within those spaces. Being able to play a part in shaping those narratives well beyond our involvement in the project is an amazingly rewarding experience.

Jacob Miklasz,
Architectural Designer