Jake Bartels – Architect-in-Training
A dual-major graduate of Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College, Jake is as ambitious as he is hardworking. In the spring of 2024, he received his business management and architecture degrees, and in fall will begin work on his master’s in architecture.
Although he was born in Michigan, Jake calls Arizona home, where he’s lived most of his life. He says he never gave much thought to becoming an architect until he was in college. Always a creative person and fascinated by the built environments in which we live, he understood that a business major didn’t quite fulfill his expressive personality.
What he did realize was that a passion for playing with Legos as a kid and the artistic nature of architecture was something he could parlay into a career. We can’t wait to see Jake succeed.
To learn more about Jake, read on.
Describe your family. Our family has always been close, and we have a blast whenever we get together. I have one brother, two years older than me, who lives in Dallas.
Most memorable job? In my sophomore year of college, I got a job at a garage floor coating company. It was the first time I had worked doing manual labor, an experience I’ll never forget. Working in a warehouse mixing 50-pound bags of paint chips and packing pallets in the Arizona heat was hard but satisfying.
Free time activities? I’m pretty busy with school and interning at Drewett Works, but I like to hang out with friends, and I’m a big fan of plants and gardening. I like tending to my collection of houseplants and propagating new ones.
One life lesson you have learned. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned since my time in college and words that I will always live by is to “do what makes you happy.” I feel it is so important to be passionate about and enjoy what you do in your life, and that is one of the main reasons I decided to pursue architecture.
Any special talents? I am scuba-certified and have enjoyed diving around the world. Some of my favorite dives were in the Cayman Islands.
If you won the lottery, how would you spend your time? I would travel the globe and experience new places and cultures. Next up on my bucket list is Singapore or New Zealand.
Favorite movie(s)? Inception, Interstellar, or Tenet would be my top three. I enjoy movies that keep you guessing and confuse you until things come together at the end.
Who is on your current playlist? My favorite genre is probably House music, so I have a lot of Noizu, Dom Dolla, Westend, Drinks On Me, Zero, MPH, Wax Motif, Taiki Nulight, and all the Night Bass crew on my playlist at the moment. I enjoy all sorts of music, though, and can’t leave out a little rap with Drake, Playboi Carti, Gunna, and Travis Scott.
Fireplace or bonfire? As relaxing as sitting by the fireplace can be, I would say bonfire. Something about the energy of a bonfire speaks to the kid in me. Did we use too much lighter fluid? Who brought the marshmallows? Are my leg hairs about to get singed off if I sit this close? You never know what is going to go down at a bonfire.
Beach or mountains? Whether you are hiking or skiing in the mountains or snorkeling and tanning on the beach, I love enjoying the outdoors. The only answer is a little bit of both.
