The Creative Curve: Building a Career in Architecture and Interiors
For some, career paths are a straight line, and for others, it's a creative curve winding from window detailing to studio director. A lifelong passion for design and a keen eye for detail have shaped the inspiring journey of Austin Studio Director Amy Martinez, one of Kirksey Architecture's most influential interior design leaders. Her passion for building structures and connections began at a young age, blossoming into a career working with the largest companies in Texas.
Framing Her Passion
Amy fell in love with the design and construction process during childhood. Watching her family's new custom-built homes evolve from frame to finish sparked a desire to understand the world of architecture. Stuck inside during hot Texas summers, interior design emerged as a focus Amy wanted to pursue professionally. After earning a degree in architecture from Texas A&M, she was determined to break into the industry. While staging homes for a local builder, she was introduced to Kirksey's founder, John Kirksey. The connection was instant, and she quickly found her place at Kirksey working alongside the architectural team. Her skills as a designer soon earned her a spot on Kirksey's interiors team, where she began to work on large corporate buildouts.
Building Her Dream
Amy and Kirksey's paths diverged a few years later when she moved to Austin. After making the move, she joked about opening an Austin office, but the timing wasn't right. Fast forward to 2018, with nearly half a billion dollars of work underway in Central Texas, Kirksey formally opened an Austin satellite office. With Kirksey now in Austin, Amy found her way back to the firm. Watching that office evolve into a close-knit, high-performing group has become one of the most fulfilling parts of her career. Along the way, she's learned that collaboration is essential. In design, there's rarely just one right answer. The best spaces come from open-minded teamwork, where ideas are shared, challenged, and elevated together.
Developing Her Talent
Behind her success is a set of skills she's honed for years: meticulous organization, an affinity for list-making, and an uncanny ability to juggle multiple projects with ease. These talents, sharpened even further by the multitasking demands of motherhood, have served her family, career, clients, and coworkers well. Amy's leadership and dedication set a professional standard worth emulating for Kirkey's growing team in Austin. Her favorite projects are the ones that allow creativity to flourish. High-end, tech-focused corporate interiors where innovation is front and center get her mind racing and spark her imagination.
Uplifting Her Community
Outside the office, she leads a life full of family, community service, and adventure. She's a proud mom to two spirited daughters, Caroline and Abigail, and shares her home with Max, their Wirehair Pointing Griffon. A lifelong volleyball player, she now coaches middle school teams in her spare time. Her dedication to giving back extends beyond sports. Amy's a longtime member of the Junior League of Austin and currently serves as a Sustaining Advisor for the Coats for Kids program. When it's time to recharge, her family hits the road in pursuit of their shared goal: visiting every national park in the U.S.
Amy's life of design has come full circle. Once a child watching her family put the finishing touches on their new home, now a mother herself, she and her husband (who happens to be a general contractor) spend time renovating old homes, including their own. Her journey through architecture and interior design has been anything but linear, but it's been drivenby passion, purpose, and persistence. The lasting impact of Amy's work is accomplished one ambitious goal at a time.