Who she is:

A materials conservator for engineering firm Walter P Moore in Kansas City.

How long she’s done it:

Two years.

Her foundation:

Blank, who grew up in Kansas City, says she’s always loved old buildings. At first she thought she wanted to be an architect, but then she decided she’d rather preserve structures than build them. She earned a master’s degree in historic preservation from Columbia University in New York City. After graduating, she spent a year as a monument conservator, repairing gravestones in a Brooklyn cemetery.

Antiques, tweaked:

Blank works with construction teams to bring retro buildings up to date. She shares her knowledge of outdated construction methods and materials — which she says behave much differently than modern materials — with engineers and construction workers. That means she splits her time between hanging off scaffolding in a hard hat and sitting in her cubicle, studying vintage construction manuals.