Jocelyn Barahona, 30

When Jocelyn Barahona was a little girl, she’d travel between her hometown of Los Angeles and her parents’ birthplace in El Salvador. It was seeing the contrasting characteristics of the homes and buildings in both places during these trips that kindled her interest in architecture.

“No one in my family was an architect at the time, but just being able to see how culture influences the built environment got me curious about the industry,” Barahona said. “That’s really what piqued my interest. Honestly, I was like, ‘OK, clearly lifestyle and architecture go hand in hand.’ ”

In 2021, Barahona joined Elkus Manfredi, where she has mostly been working on research facility projects. One that holds a special place for her is the Boston Children’s Hospital project at 421 Park Drive in the Massachusetts capital. As an architect on this project, she led the fit-out design efforts for its research and laboratory facility and worked closely with the hospital’s research team to ensure all of their needs would be met. 

She also advocated for and implemented natural light features in the vivarium procedure rooms for animal testing — an uncommon feature, but one she believes is highly appreciated by the people who work in institutional buildings. 

“We’re very lucky to be able to work with Boston Children’s. Working with them is very different from working with a developer,” she said. “It’s really nice that you’re not working on something that’s speculative. It’s based on what their current needs are, and how we can make that happen.”

Looking toward the future, Barahona could see herself leading as a principal at a firm, helping to manage the business side, including bringing in new talent and helping shape strategy.

“I would like to be able to be a little bit more influential,” she said. “Not just someone who’s working at a firm, but someone who is helping shape that firm.”