Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Van Der Veen.
Hi Lauren, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I got started in design through my mother, Charlene. I can remember us putting up drywall in our basement and using power tools in elementary school. By the time I was accepted into the School of Architecture at Woodbury University, I had already owned a construction company, and so I just skyrocketed. I am grateful to God that I have always wanted to be a Great American Designer. To me, it’s my birthright, and so I was always receptive to anything that brought me closer to my purpose. I was the best student with top grades and strong leadership skills; I am highly competitive, but also, being Black in architecture is already an anomaly. I began freelancing in design while I attended Woodbury. I was going to school full-time and working full-time on high-profile projects in Los Angeles, California. One day, I found myself at a crossroads. I was being recruited to work for the college dropout Kanye West while I contemplated dropping out of architecture school. That interview with Beth Cowan made me jump like a quantum leap in the night, and that led me to have a very fascinating career before launching Zen Ren Inc.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
A smooth road, what in life is ever smooth? I think some of the biggest struggles working in architecture, unfortunately, come from race. As an Afro-Indigenous woman, I make up less than 1% of my industry. So much of my career has been about making sure I have a seat at the table so that I can represent my community. Also, I think marketing has been a struggle as well. Getting myself out there so that my divine clients know that I exist. That there is a woman of color who is out here designing and seeking clients with similar culture background and or value systems is important at this stage of my career. Getting permits sometimes can also be a struggle. During the pandemic, it was hard to meet my client’s expectations because so much of the way we were designing was changing, and so we were all struggling to adapt to a new way of life and doing business. I took a lot of those expectations personally, and it did make me doubt my worth, but when I look back on the projects completed by my team, I do feel a sense of pride. I am grateful for what struggles teach us which is the areas in which we can grow. I like growth, so I see these struggles as a badge of honor.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the principal designer at Zen Ren Inc., a Los Angeles-based design firm that specializes in architectural design services and project management. I really love taking my clients through the entire process of interior architecture – from conceptual design, getting drawings permitted, and then to the fun part, the cherry on top, completing the interior design. I am obsessed with capturing my client’s essence and showing both my clients and my colleagues that renovations can be Zen.
Currently, I am known for Zen renovations. I love renovations. It’s like the sweet spot in sustainable architecture, taking something that’s existing and freaking it. It’s my pleasure to do renovations. I worked as a project manager and a “closer” for Richard Holz Inc., a premier builder with a who’s who of clientele. Richard himself is just cool with flowing hair and sarcastic humor, but he is one of the sharpest people I have ever met, and he, too, went from architecture to construction. He told me one day when I was still in college, “my son is an architect, and my daughter is an interior designer and construction allows me to do both”. I really credit my knowledge of construction with where I am today. As I think it sets me apart from other designers. I’ve always taken pride in construction, and I run a tight job site. I am the queen of weekly meetings and work side by side with my construction team. They are the backbone to why my company is Zen. Together, we keep the flow. I’d like you to know whether you are ready to take on a project or want to know where to start; look no further. I am like an architectural doula, and we are giving birth to design.
How do you think about luck?
I’m not sure that I believe in luck. If I measured my success based on luck in a lot of ways, I would have been considered unlucky because eye have dealt with a lot of adversities on my Earth walk. I do believe in harnessing energy. It’s in the way that I move through the world that I attract blessings. When my energy is clear I attract because I am magnetic. Being in a flow state is my definition of luck because things are just flowing, and I am attracting effortlessly. That attraction typically brings in clients and opportunities that are in alignment with my greater good.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zenrendesigns.com
- Instagram: @zenreninc
