Spotlight On is a Liollio tradition of interviewing team members to celebrate them and get to know them better. Our October Spotlight On feature is Jeremy Eaton. Jeremy joined the Liollio team as a Project Designer in 2021. A graduate of Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture, with a Masters from Clemson University, Jeremy is interested in community-focused design and favors a critical regionalism approach to architecture. He has a passion for making and is a valuable contributor to the Liollio studio, jumping into pinups, production, and the culture of the firm. We sat down for a Q+A session with our October Spotlight On feature:

Where did you grow up?
I grew up mostly in Temple, Texas, but I call Waco, Texas home.

Are you married?
I’ve been married 5 years to my wonderful wife Hannah!

Do you have children?
Yes, I just recently welcomed a son!

What do you like to do for fun?
I have too many hobbies. Currently the fun ones are watching soccer, woodworking, and cooking.

Do you have pets? If so, tell us a bit about them.
I have a 9-year-old rescue dog named Romulus. He’s red haired with white paws and we think he’s an Australian cattle dog. He only likes to play with blue/orange ‘chuck-it’ balls so long as the squeaker has been destroyed. He loves sourdough bread, chicken, and anything I have in my hand. He loves his new little human too.

Favorite place(s) to go locally?
I love the West-Ashley Greenway and Stono River Park. Mozzo Deli, Orange Spot Coffee, Riverfront Park, Guilded Horn, Kudu Coffee, and Bowen’s Island restaurant are some other faves.

Favorite restaurant?
La Fiesta Restaurant & Cantina in Waco, Texas. Probably.

Favorite food?
It’s a tie between a Klobasnek or an Empanada. Pretty much just any meat filling inside some dough, baked or fried. Except calzones – those are just okay.

Least favorite food?
It’s a tie between meatloaf and chicken piccata. It’s how you ruin beef and chicken respectively.

Favorite book?
Do cookbooks count? Bread is Gold by Massimo Bottura.

Do you play any instruments?
I’m a pretty decent drummer.

What song is at the top of your most played list?
High-chance it’s Once in a lifetime by The Talking Heads.

Favorite musical artist or genre?
It’s an 11-way-tie between Phil Collins, Alicia Keys, Radiohead, Snarky Puppy, Lettuce, Jurassic-5, Kate Bush, Van Morrison, Lubomyr Melnyk, The Talking Heads, and Jim Croce.

Favorite visual artist?
James Gurney. He’s a painter with an incredible portfolio of artwork. We probably wouldn’t be able to visualize dinosaurs without his illustrations and studies. He’s also been fairly influential in sci-fi and fantasy renderings for all kinds of media.

Favorite television show?
Believe it or not I’ve re-watched the entirety of The X-files more times than I have re-watched all of Breaking Bad.

Favorite book or author?
Other than Michael Pollan I can’t think of multiple books I’ve read by a single author. - so probably Michael Pollan.

Last book you read?
Where the Crawdads Sing.

Favorite podcast or blog?
Charleston County Public Library’s Charleston Time Machine with Dr. Nic Butler is the best.

Favorite movie or genre?
It’s a tie between Gangs of New York and Nacho Libre.

Last movie you watched?
Big Daddy starring Adam Sandler.

Favorite place you have traveled to and why?
Delphi, Greece and Mt. Parnassus. The ruins and history are incredible at Delphi and the landscape around Mt. Parnassus was beautiful.

Favorite style of architecture?
I don’t really have one. If anything I subscribe to a Critical Regionalism approach to architecture. 

What building have you visited that most impressed or inspired you?
I feel unoriginal for saying a museum impressed or inspired me, because most of them are impressive architecturally. However, I’ve been to the Kimbell Art Museum, by Louis Kahn, in Fort Worth, TX so many times and every time it’s still a wonderful experience. I’ve also gone there specifically to take a nap in the courtyard.

What would the book or movie about your life be called?
EatOn Table: A Journey of Woodworking and Cooking Mastery. Also rife with low quality puns.

Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Daniel Day-Lewis if he’s available.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
Maybe like a Mountain Weasel. Live in a cold, rocky, mountain, and quiet environment.

Are you messy or organized?
Messy, but always knolling.

What’s your pet peeve?
Salting your water before it’s boiling.

Guilty pleasure?
Extra Toasty Cheez-its. As far as I’m concerned, one box equals one serving size.

Tell us a random fact.
Strawberries are not berries but Bananas are berries.

Favorite quote?
“Time’s fun when you’re having flies.” – Kermit the frog

If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be?
Massimo Bottura, world renowned chef.

If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see?
Johannes Gutenberg constructing the movable-type printing press.

If your house was burning down, what is the one nonliving thing you would save?
My dog’s favorite ball.

What three traits characterize you?
Patient, intentional, and receptive.

What’s your astrological sign?
Capricorn.

What is your personal philosophy?
I always try my best to make things easier for the next person and also to leave things better than when you found it.

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
Of course I couldn’t live without my wife and son, but they have to eat. So, one thing would be my 11 7/8” Matfer Bourgeat Carbon Steel Fry Pan.

What is your greatest fear?
Widespread apathy

What inspires you most?
My newborn son’s curiosity of the world (which is whatever part of our apartment that is 10 inches in front of him).

What is your favorite thing about working at Liollio?
That I don’t feel like I work for people, but instead work with people. It’s also a plus that those people are way smarter and harder working than me.

What does true leadership mean to you? 
Knowing how to leverage the talents of those around you as a critical factor in your own success.

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
I think I could do a lot of design justice in one day as a packaging engineer. We have too much packaging and consumer waste. Also, has anyone ever not destroyed a cardboard box that tears open along a perforated line? It’s time for a change.

What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?
Afford yourself some grace and extend more of it to others. At least until you reach my age.

How do you define success?
Contented in my pursuits and feeling as though I’ve spent time improving myself.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I took a speed-walking course in college and got a personal best of 6:33. I think that’s not too shabby for an amateur.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
I once had a drawing professor, after watching me erase and redraw some lines, tell me that “if you just draw them all bad, then you don’t have to worry about making them all correct”. He probably didn’t make that up but if you draw all your lines wiggly it’s just a style. If only one line is wiggly, then it’s probably a mistake. Scribbled my way through school and into a career, so must have been pretty solid advice.