Not so long ago, Lulu Li was in a classroom in graduate school, inspired by her education, the buildings around her, and a childhood dream. Since joining SOM as an entry-level architect a little more than three years ago, Lulu has grown in her role. She?s now a leader of the design team for a new science center at Wellesley College. We spoke with Lulu to learn more about her experience: the opportunities she?s found, the challenges she?s faced, and her advice for new graduates ready to begin their careers.

© SOM | Lucas Blair

Not so long ago, Lulu Li was in a classroom in graduate school, inspired by her education, the buildings around her, and a childhood dream. Since joining SOM as an entry-level architect a little more than three years ago, Lulu has grown in her role. She?s now a leader of the design team for a new science center at Wellesley College. We spoke with Lulu to learn more about her experience: the opportunities she?s found, the challenges she?s faced, and her advice for new graduates ready to begin their careers.How did you get interested in architecture"Lulu Li: I was born in Shanghai and as a child, I remember watching the first two supertalls being built across the Bund, in Pudong. One was the Oriental Pearl Tower and the other was the Jin Mao Tower (designed by SOM). Those new towers were bigger, taller, more daring than anything previously in the city. To me, it was what the future looked like.
The skyline of Pudong, S...