Expansive Thinking: Multistudio's Patrick Dimond on Communication, Mentorship, and Fostering Curiosity in Others
Portrait by Bryan Tarnowski.
By Julia Gamolina
Patrick Dimond is a design communicator committed to exploring the interplay between architecture, community building, and cultural traditions. This lifelong zeal propelled him through architecture school and currently fuels his role as the lead of communication at Multistudio.
Patrick is also a contributing editor at Madame Architect and a freelance writer. He and seven classmates founded Design Anarchy Cooperative, a democratically organized and worker co-operative. His profound interest in the intersections of architecture and mortality culminated in a capstone project on funerary architecture, earning him the J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program’s Outstanding Design Award for Architecture in 2021.
JG: Between your work in Multistudio and with us at MA, you are deep into all things writing and communications in our field. What's the biggest lesson you've learned in having this focus, and what are your priorities for your roles for 2024?
PD: An architect's currency is their ideas. When focused on architecture and design, it’s natural to be fixated on the visual realm. I’ve realized how nuanced writing can be and how the visual and the written can combine to make something richer and more dynamic. The process for both writing and design are pretty similar, so I’m very focused on that intersection right now and how to lead communications with that in mind at Multistudio. Looking ahead to 2024, our foremost goal is to visually articulate the design excellence that defines Multistudio.
Since starting my career, I have experienced that leadership at design firms often separates those who perform ‘administrative’ tasks from those who are credited as designers. I would be remiss to say that no one is excused from administrative duties; every job has an unglamorous side. However, I’m working toward a future where this division is blurred, and talents from outside the profession and the academy are welcomed into the fold. I guarantee that inclusivity will lead to a more prosperous practice. I’ve noticed several firms hiring outside the profession, such as Snohetta’s new CEO, Isabella Alveberg. Those new voices will lead to innovation within and outside our practice, and those who take this approach will lead the pack. As for looking ahead to 2024, our foremost goal is to visually articulate the design excellence that defines Multistudio.
Let's come back to the beginning now. You have a background in both communications and architecture. Why did you pursue a Masters in Architecture after studying corporate communications and human resources?
In 2019, I learned about the J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program at Indiana University in Columbus, Indiana. I left my marketing position at the firm where I was and joined the inaugural cohort—a decision that turned out to be the best and likely most extravagant career move I have ever made. I'm proud of this program and Columbus, both of which owe their success to design that presents itself at the scale of an entire city. Columbus is entrenched in mid-century modern architecture, and much of the work commissioned in the 40s, 50s, and 60s maintains its original programs and continues to serve the city as it did when it was built. In my opinion, that is design at its best.
If anything, I pursued architecture to be an ardent supporter and lover of the craft. I see it changing, and I wish to accelerate and convey those shifts so that they reach developers and policymakers at a more expedient pace. I would like to see change happen quicker, and my experiences give me the tools to talk about it and convince people why good design matters.
Patrick Dimond is silhouetted as he paints a scene from atop a hill at Mill Race Park near downtown Columbus during class. Photo by Chris Meyer, Indiana University.
Tell me about your role at Multistudio — what are you focused on these days?
As our communications leader, I am deeply engaged with shaping the studio's image. I oversee all aspects of studio communications, including internal and external communications and public relations. My primary focus has been elevating our practice's visual identity in external communications and ensuring our design ethos is clear and present in everything we share. I'm also constantly building on a communications strategy I developed with our CMO, Bridget Lowe.
A unique element of Multistudio is the coalition across our locations—Lawrence, Kansas City, New Orleans, Phoenix, and San Francisco. I have seen how our team attends client meetings unified and stronger because of their varied backgrounds. We don't just go to work; we are part of diverse communities across time zones, climates, and disciplines. This is a testament to our team's versatility and ability to deliver results. The true strength of our team lies in its adaptability.
Why did you want to get involved with Madame Architect? What have you learned from your years with us?
My decision to get involved with Madame Architect was influenced by the fact that my most influential mentors and strongest supporters have been women in architecture. Their guidance and advocacy not only shaped my career but also highlighted the critical role women play in our industry. I also understand that I have a lot of privileges. I'm a white guy, and those two innate things have opened doors for me. But, because I'm Queer, I have also experienced being an outsider, which ingratiates me to the company of my peers who have likely also felt alienated in a field that they respect and love. This combination of personal experience and professional inspiration led me to Madame Architect, where I could contribute to and amplify the voices and successes of women in architecture.
One thing that excites me about our future is the prospect of how our world could transform if different voices, particularly those historically marginalized, held the pen. If you love architecture, then you should love innovation, and the next step for our profession involves stepping back and empowering people to design the future that historically haven’t been able to. I’m so eager and ready to see what that world looks like. The architecture industry can be relentless, but having a publication where individuals who look and sound like you hold decision-making roles can be profoundly transformative. Madame Architect offers a glimpse into this evolving landscape and serves as a roadmap for achieving it.
“If you love architecture, then you should love innovation, and the next step for our profession involves stepping back and empowering people to design the future that historically haven’t been able to.”
Looking back at the entirety of your career so far, what have been the biggest challenges?
Reflecting on my career, one of the biggest challenges has been the struggle for respect and space for input as a communicator and marketer within the architecture industry. Often, we are seen as traffic controllers, especially when we don’t come from the academy. A lesson for me has been learning the balance between persistence and restraint. It's essential to advocate for your beliefs and champion your projects, yet equally important to know when to step back and allow others to contribute. Effective communication involves both speaking up and creating opportunities for quieter colleagues to express their ideas.
Above all else, know when to stick up for yourself and for others. If something egregious happens, say something. I’ve had experiences after which I wished I had said something and stood up for myself. I hope to have the courage to step in if it's happening in front of me to a colleague.
What have you learned in the last six months?
You can't beat historical knowledge. I sit next to a mentor, the Director of Marketing at Multistudo, Julie Charvat, who knows so much, and she's kind enough to take the time to share her knowledge with me and our team. If you are new to a role and want to succeed … find these people. They know the firm like the back of their hand, and when you're in a pinch, they are your best friend.
At Multistudio, our marketing, communication, and business development team is second to none, and it's a privilege to continuously learn from them. Leading this team is our Chief Marketing Officer, Bridget Lowe. Bridget is a poet and a businessperson, and she brings a level of excitement and rigor to our team. She is a big ideas person with a scrupulous eye for detail, which I find rare in a leader, and I've enjoyed learning from her.
A moment outside Multistudio’s new office in San Francisco’s South Park neighborhood. Photo by Alvaro Batista.
A moment from Multistudio’s open house – a celebration of our move to the South Park neighborhood. Photo by Alvaro Batista.
What are you most excited about right now?
2024 is all about nesting. On the professional front, Multistudio's New Orleans office is transitioning to a new space in the vibrant Lower Garden District. Thanks to effective leadership, our NOLA team has grown from small and scrappy to securing significant projects. We’re really experiencing momentum with our investments into the communities where we live, work, and play. Our new studios will serve as meeting places for the groups we are engaged with and as models for innovative ways of working.
Personally, my partner and I are embarking on decorating our apartment. After a decade of living nomadically, I'm looking forward to making our home feel like a home. It's a charming stuccoed fourplex on a quiet corner in Uptown. In the spring, everything smells like jasmine, and I am enjoying every moment.
“A lesson for me has been learning the balance between persistence and restraint. It’s essential to advocate for your beliefs and champion your projects, yet equally important to know when to step back and allow others to contribute.”
Who are you admiring now and why?
The other day, I was on an auction website and saw a painting attributed to Otto Marseus van Schrieck. Schrieck practiced during the Dutch Golden Age and was known to paint “sottobosco”— or undergrowth in Italian. Schrieck studied what was beneath the surface. He meticulously captured the likeness of reptiles, insects, rodents, and all sorts of flora that cover the forest floor. He was, first and foremost, a scientist with a penchant for documentation. I admire how his passions rolled into other mediums. Had he been around today, I imagine he would be a fierce advocate for sustainable practices.
What is the impact you’d like to have on the world? What is your core mission? And what does success in that look like to you?
When I was little, I would draw elaborate sections of houses, which was a way for me to create a kind of theater. I used painting and drawing as a portal to an imagined world. These outlets allowed me to get lost in my imagination, which have shaped my core mission, which is to never lose that way of expansive thinking. Although it can seem indulgent, dreaming creates a more beautiful world.
The impact I would like to have on the world centers around fostering curiosity in others. We have an obligation to inspire each other. My grandmother was a docent at Newfields (formerly The Indianapolis Museum of Art) and nurtured a sense of curiosity in me. She was a retired school teacher and led tours for mostly children, she was such a champion for curiosity.; I remember her telling me to never outgrow my mine. I hope everyone has someone who introduces them to film, art, and music. If I can help inspire a curiosity for art and architecture in someone then that is a life well lived.
Left: Early exploration with a pink marker. Image courtesy of Lynn Dimond. Right: An original section drawing. BIC Round Stic Xtra-Life Ballpoint Pen on a white legal pad.
Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career?
I advise being entrepreneurial; by this, I mean don’t get in your own way. My mom used to say to me and my siblings, “Be bold! Be brave!” I know that she was intending to provoke us. I think of this when I consider a path forward; it’s sage advice for anyone a bit more timid.