Marie Durrett

“I feel at home in complicated spaces,” says Marie, who grew up in houses under construction. Her father, a general contractor, taught her the finer points of building and design as he was constantly renovating their home. Marie feels this is why she looks at spaces differently than most people. “Not everyone can visualize how to transform a place, simply because they’re used to it being one way,” she says. “I loved rearranging my bedroom, and for my eleventh birthday, all I asked for was new furniture.” 

With more than 10 years of aviation experience at Corgan, Marie prides herself on her technical expertise and problem-solving skills. She is most proud of her work on the American Airlines Integrated Operations Center — a highly collaborative, fast-paced and complex project. “I learned the backend of airline operations — for instance, the large network of people it takes to address flight delays.” The intuitive, functional, and dynamic workplace designed to support the administrative and operations staff led to similar projects including the American Airlines DFW Hub Control Center and the United Airlines Backup Network Operations Center.  

"I want to learn the “why” behind a space to create a more thoughtful design suited for a particular client — if we run into a design issue or can’t find a material, I don’t stop thinking until I figure it out.” This passion for problem solving makes Marie an invaluable asset to her airline clients.