Page 82 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2018

HOME & GARDEN built with passion
PASS CHRISTIAN ARCHITECT she came, she saw, she conquered
Northern Virginia’s loss was Pass Christian’s gain when Leah McBride Watters came — along with her parents Matt and Annette McBride — as a volunteer to help the devastated town after Hurricane Katrina and stayed to make it her home.
“We came for the compelling need
in the area,” she says. “We fell in love with this place and I’ve been excited to work here as an architect.”
A notable project she and her
dad worked on together was the
$2 million restoration of Trinity Episcopal Church. Since founding her architectural firm in 2008, Watters has been instrumental in many new residential and commercial structures that have helped bring the town back to life. “I have a passion for helping clients navigate the often challenging design and construction process,”
she said. “We pride ourselves on understanding our clients’ vision and
desires and helping them bring these ideas to life in the hope of providing homes that suit the family’s lifestyle and commercial projects which benefit our community.”
Watters thinks of herself as a problem solver, especially with residential projects when husbands and wives may not agree. “We have to get to know people. Listening is our biggest strength, and because our firm is small, we excel at understanding clients’ vision,” she said. “We appreciate that someone is willing
to trust us with their whole project. We can do everything from start to finish. We keep checking on projects and work closely with clients until completion.”
Tray Strawhorn and Shelley Kish work with Watters in the firm.
From the time she was in fourth grade, Watters wanted to be an architect because they design beautiful
things. A local example of a beautiful place is Pass Christian Books/Cat Island Coffee Shop. “It’s one of my favorite designs; it sings,” she says. “Due to the location, it’s tightly boxed and had city and MDOT restrictions but we made it work.”
Watters sees the challenges of building as learning opportunities. She’s learned to deal with municipalities, FEMA and insurance regulations.
Recently, her husband, Tyler Watters, joined the firm as business manager after retiring with 22 years as a Navy SeaBee. Sons James and Jude complete the family.
WATTERS ARCHITECTURE
133 Davis Ave., Suite K • Pass Christian 228.222.5672 www.wattersarch.com
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Leah Watters Architecture
82 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • March 2018
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