For Kinsey, design is centered around developing spaces that have a strong sense of belonging. Raised by a father who was an architect and a mother in the healthcare industry, Kinsey was seemingly destined to design healthcare spaces.  As an architect, Kinsey is passionate about developing close client relationships to produce projects that not only reduce a building’s impact on the environment but also create spaces that foster community. 

Read more about what motivates Kinsey and who has influenced her journey. 

Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to this career path? 

Since my father was an architect, I grew up drawing floor plans and visiting construction sites, which ignited my passion for design. When it came time to decide on an undergraduate major, naturally I thought architecture, but I surprised myself when I ultimately made the decision to pursue a degree in fine arts.  

Upon graduation, I began my art career creating small scaled sculptural buildings and architecturally influenced paintings, which was a great experience. Eventually though I asked myself why I was creating small sculptural buildings when I could contribute to designing the real thing. It was then that I decided to pursue a master’s degree in architecture.  

While pursuing my graduate degree, I completed several architectural internships and served as a teaching assistant, aiding students in software tutorial workshops on Rhino, Adobe Suite, and Revit. These experiences combined with my diverse professional background have given me unique insight into executing projects to fit the needs of clients and users.  

 Who or what have been the strongest influences in your career? 

There are two people who have been most influential in my career, the first being my father. Since my father was an architect, I grew up drawing floor plans, modeling off the plans I often saw him sketching. I was also his tag along to various project sites where I saw firsthand what was once a sketch transform into incredible buildings. Watching my father ultimately sparked my passion for design and eventually led me to my own career in architecture.  

The other influence has been Liz Normand. When I started at Shepley Bulfinch, Liz was my mentor who helped me navigate the, at the time, seemingly intimidating world of healthcare architecture. From the beginning of our relationship, it was clear that Liz loved designing in the healthcare field, which quickly rubbed off on me.  

What are you most passionate about? 

Design goes beyond creating a beautiful space, it involves reducing a buildings impact on the environment and fostering community. I’m passionate about utilizing critical thinking and communication to problem solve, collaborate, and execute projects that have a strong sense of belonging. As an architect I find it incredible that we have the ability to create spaces that people live in, and that impact their day-to-day interactions. It is this human component that drives me to design healthcare facilities that leave behind the stark white, sunless spaces and instead design functional, enjoyable facilities.  

What are you most proud of accomplishing? 

One of the projects I feel proud to have contributed to is the Ancillary PICU to NICU conversion at Duke Health. The conversion involved providing privacy for patients and their families, elevating outdated and deteriorated finishes, creating functional and compliant support spaces, while maintaining the level of care and comfort needed by the families and staff. I knew how impactful designing a calming and inviting environment would be to the families and healthcare workers, and I felt proud to contribute to such an important project.  

The project was even more special to me as it was completed in February, one month after I gave birth to my son. While we were blessed with a healthy baby that luckily didn’t need to go into the NICU, the life event brought me even closer to the project.  

What do you do for fun? 

I love traveling and exploring new areas. Since having my son our adventures have become more local, but any time we can spend together, I love. To decompress at the end of the day I also love binging a good show, reading a book, or playing board games with friends and family.