Helen Fantini

AIA, MCPPO

Project Manager

At SMMA

  • Helen is a project manager whose experience in the design and management of K-12 projects informs her proven approach to balancing scope, budget, and schedule
  • She provides overall direction for all aspects of project design and construction, serving as the day-to-day contact for clients
  • Combines her architecture background to ensure seamless communication among all disciplines

Art and Science

Raised in suburban New York, Helen found her calling while studying architectural history at Smith College in Massachusetts. “As a teenager I had always loved drawing and painting. Once I got to Smith, I realized there was a way to combine the art and science of things I already liked to do.”

“It’s the ‘getting it done’ that I really love—organizing the resources to get the results. That really piqued my interest in architecture and drew on my talents more than, say, the technical or artistic sides.”

A Focus on K-12

Helen is passionate about using her project management skills to help school stakeholders achieve their educational goals. “I urge teachers and administrators to zoom out and look at the bigger picture: What are the educational goals you’re trying to achieve? What role does social-emotional learning play in the classroom these days? Then it’s our job to design the spaces to help you do your job.”

K-12 school projects are notoriously complex, but Helen enjoys the challenges. “I like working with clients who, in many cases, have never done this before. I can explain to them what’s going to happen next.”

“I worked for a firm in Chicago that did a lot of public architecture—not just schools, but streetscapes, city halls. A real mix of things. But there’s something about the K-12 world. They’re great building types, and at the end of the day you’re doing something great to help a community improve a vital resource for its all its citizens—young and old.”