Some architects credit landmark buildings or formative travel experiences with inspiring their career paths. For Rohit Sood, it was a napkin.

This particular napkin was the makeshift sketchpad a college friend used to explain an architecture school project during one late-night study session back in Rohit’s undergrad days. He was immediately riveted by the possibilities, and on this napkin he saw his future. The very next day Rohit decided to switch majors from electrical engineering to architecture.

From that initial, seemingly spontaneous spark, Rohit found a field and profession with the power to inspire him daily. He believes a successful project should meld a high level of design with practical solutions to each client’s individual goals and needs. He’s happy to report that the firm culture at Holly & Smith Architects, where attention to design is combined with attention to detail, fosters just this kind of success.

While outside of the office, he’s an avid outdoorsman, hitting hiking trails and fishing spots around the region. Rohit graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2004 and joined Holly & Smith Architects that same year.