We are Via: Meet Dan Teunis
Dan Teunis
Project Manager, Architectural Designer, Associate AIA
Via Start Date: 8/2/99
Have you always been based in the Grand Rapids area?
Dan: Yes, I grew up in Hudsonville, went to school in Ann Arbor (U of M), but came back to raise my family in Hudsonville.
What made you interested in architecture?
Dan: My initial interest was that I liked to draft, which is a little ironic because you don't draft full projects anymore. My dad was a draftsman or mechanical engineer. Everything he did was on the drafting board when I was young, which certainly piqued my interest in what you could achieve with drafting. When I was in school, AutoCAD was just getting going. But when I graduated and started my career, all final drawings were done on the computer.
How long have you been at Via? And do you remember how you first found out about the job?
Dan: This will be my twenty-third year. My wife was a friend of David Tuck who worked here (Via) in the past, I think they were in a group of local artists that would just meet to hang out and share ideas. Via was hiring, so he mentioned to her, “I think there's an opening here, you should tell your husband.”
How would you explain your role to someone who is not familiar with an Architectural Designer, Project Manager?
Dan: it’s kind of a do it all type thing. I often get the overall design picture from Brian and Val, but from there on out, I have my hands on a little bit of everything. Making sure the design intent works structurally, functionally, etc., and seeing it through construction.
Tell us a bit about the people in your life.
Dan: My Janet is an artist. She works at LowellArts and we’ve been married for over 20 years. We have two kids, Riley and Parker, who have both been in and out of here (Via) for a summer or two working part-time. Riley's in her second year of college and Parker is a junior in high school.
Do you have any hobbies or other things that you like to do outside of the office?
Dan: Yes, sports is probably number one. I'm a sports junkie. I like anything competitive. I like any Michigan sport, U of M or professional. Parker is really involved in sports as well. So I spend a lot of time coaching or just watching him.
If you had an ideal vacation, are you a tropical resort? Camping? Something else?
Dan: I like 'em all? Maybe that is too vague? I'm not a relaxer type, so I probably would not like to just sit out on a beach all day. We have a family cottage. So a lot of the time off that we do have, we'll go to the cottage where there’s always something fun to do or a project to work on.
The fable around you, Dan, is that you're a big Coca-Cola fan. Care to respond?
Dan: I do. I like Coke, But It’s not like I don’t drink Pepsi, too! All pop, or cola, is equal in my eyes. I don't know why people assume I’m such a Coca-cola person. I think it's maybe because my wife drinks diet coke so we get a lot of coke in the house. I actually really like RC.
