2025 Women in CRE: Erin Flynn, Cooper Robertson

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why?

As someone who has always believed deeply in the importance of community and the public realm, I feel fortunate that as an architect I’ve been able to devote the majority of my career to museum and cultural sector projects. It’s immensely rewarding to know that so many people will engage with these buildings on a daily basis, and I’m especially thrilled that three very significant museum projects we’ve worked on at Cooper Robertson will open to the public in coming months: the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Princeton University Art Museum, and the New Museum expansion.

What skill or quality do you believe is essential for success in your field today?

Architects have to be problem solvers and collaborators, and they must be able to ask the questions that help clients uncover what they really need. All of these qualities are essential for success. In our work, it isn’t possible to design an effective museum without probing and developing a clear roadmap of institutional programming demands and the specific needs of artists, curators, art handlers, conservators, and the public. And it’s only possible to deliver the building through close, ongoing collaboration with the whole project team. Architecture is always a collective effort.