Lynn Shaffer is an inveterate volunteer, taking advantage of a bad economy to let her not-for-profit activities overshadow her architecture career. She is now serving her third year as president of Architalx and has jumped into the project to create The Arboretum at Fort Williams with both feet. She was also actively involved in bringing Pecha Kucha to Maine and continues to serve on the PK committee.

Like so many architects, Lynn knew early on that she wanted to practice architecture (you know, drawing building plans in high school when she should have been doing homework…). After all, she grew up in Chicago. How can anyone growing up in Chicago NOT want to be an architect?! Unfortunately – or maybe not – she let her high school counselor (and the distaste of 5 years in college) dissuade her from pursuing a degree in architecture. The desire just wouldnʼt go away, though, so after 4 years of college, a year of graduate work, several years teaching (hey! in the ʻ60s girls were supposed to pursue degrees in teaching, nursing, or the all-important MRS), bearing two sons, and following her husbandʼs career from Minneapolis to Columbia, MD to Buffalo, Lynn finally earned her M-ARCH at SUNYaB. 9 years in college, if youʼre counting, for someone opting not to study architecture to avoid 5 years in college. She likes to think all the other study made her a more well-rounded person.

Moving to Portland in 1991, Lynn was wowed by all the old brick buildings and suddenly found herself on the board of Greater Portland Landmarks. Like now, it was a bad economy and volunteering was a great way to get involved. She also joined the board of Waynflete School, through which she met Scott Simons for whom she worked for 8 years before taking time to design and build her own house, then start her own practice. But that practice will always be just part time – volunteering is too much fun!