10/26/2026
Great design is stronger when we’re connected to the people and ideas shaping our industry.
Slingshot is proud to be a part of organizations like the International Interior Design Association (IIDA)that champion professional growth, mentorship, advocacy, and connection across the design community. The IIDA members on our Interiors Team bring that spirit to the work at Slingshot through design leadership and collaboration.
Member Spotlight | Taylor Hays
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
“Your first idea is rarely your best idea.” I was told this by one of my professors in school and it pushed me to lean into the iteration process.
What’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on and why?
Of everything I’ve worked on, the transformation of the old Financial Center tower into Mezzo on Walnut is the project I’m proud of most. There’s something moving about taking a building that shaped the downtown skyline for decades and finding a way to give it a second life. The lobby is where it all comes together for me. We wanted it to feel less like a threshold and more like a place that people want to gather in - warm, human-scaled and inviting enough that its energy spills out onto Walnut Street. I think the space strikes the balance right between honoring the historic past while still creating something that feels genuinely modern and welcoming for the people living and working there. Watching that corner of downtown come alive again, after years of going quiet has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.
Read Taylor's full feature on our website (https://www.iida-gp.org/members -spotlight).
