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Treadwell and Fickling have collaborated on numerous public, private and civic projects and Treadwell has great admiration for her friend's work. "Shannon has always loved architecture. Enthusiastic about each project, she sees things homeowners don't see and creates space that makes them happy," Treadwell said. Early in her career, Fickling realized she preferred residential design to commercial. Even before venturing out on her own, she drew houses on the side, which she said is common among architects. "When I started out, residential work was a niche no one filled. Larger firms wanted bigger jobs because their overhead was greater. When I opened my office, those firms sent me residential jobs," she said. In 1998, motherhood pushed Fickling to launch Fickling Architectural Services. "I needed more flexibility and the ability to work from home. Being on my own also enabled me to concentrate on residential work, historic renovations and additions, which is hard to do within a commercial architectural firm. Both reasons were equally important," she said. MIXING PASSION AND PURPOSE Success in residential design led to a passion for historic preservation. "A client hired me to work on an old house, which I found extremely interesting, and they recommended me to someone else. Nearly all my work throughout my career has been word of mouth, from one old-house owner to the next. What I enjoy most is a house that's a wreck, although I've worked on many historic homes that weren't," she said with a laugh. "I enjoy problem-solving, the challenge to modernize a historic home and retain its character. I love bringing an ugly duckling back to life." Fickling's interest in historic preservation originated with her love of her hometown. Although born in Augusta, she was raised in Macon, which she said, "has a wealth of historic buildings. But due to the city's relative poverty, they didn't get torn down during the 1960s and '70s when urban America was tearing down and rebuilding. Vacated buildings sat empty long enough to come back in style, which is the source of our successful revival. We didn't plow everything under like Atlanta and other cities." Looking for a new challenge and a way to contribute to the community, Fickling joined the Historic Macon Foundation (HMF) staff in August 2018. Executive Director Ethiel Garlington called her the most accomplished and talented residential architect in the area, crediting her with tireless work on 16 design projects in Beall's Hill. FICKLING DESIGNED THE HOME OF LAWAHNA AND BYRON PYLES. LAWAHNA SAID, 'SHANNON HELPED US SORT THROUGH OUR IDEAS TO CREATE A FUNCTIONAL AND CHARMING DESIGN. OUR OPEN FLOOR PLAN GIVES US LOTS OF ROOM. ... WE LOVE THE NATURAL LIGHT FROM THE BIG WINDOWS AND TRANSOM.' JUNE/JULY 2021 | maconmagazine.com 53