KATIE HUNT
LRK
SAY IT LOUD - Tennessee Exhibitor
Tennessee Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I am inspired by the sustainable practice of working with what we already have. The existing character is full of endless opportunities to reference our past and celebrate the future of architecture while remaining mindful of the environment.
KATIE HUNT
Bio:
Katie brings nearly ten years of experience to LRK. Since returning to Memphis, she has focused on the adaptive reuse of buildings, including the former Gibson Guitar Factory and the Old Spaghetti Warehouse. She relishes in the opportunity to revive existing structures and believes that often, the most sustainable thing to do is to work with what you have. With a background in textile design and architecture, Katie is attuned to how the human body perceives materials and informs design.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
My grandfather is an architect, so architecture has always been on my radar. In college, I majored in Textile Design and Architectural Studies. I was drawn to the field’s interaction between art and engineering which I find equally fulfilling.
What do you do?
I primary focus on mixed use adaptive reuse projects. I enjoy the challenge of it. Knowing an old building has been saved and will remain an integral part of the urban fabric is a success in and of itself!
What excites you in the work you do? Who or what inspires you professionally?
I enjoy the unique challenges of designing within an existing building context. No matter how much planning go into the design phase, once construction begins there are inevitable discoveries that require flexibility and creative problem solving.
Who or what inspires you professionally? What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
I am inspired by the sustainable practice of working with what we already have. The existing character is full of endless opportunities to reference our past and celebrate the future of architecture while remaining mindful of the environment.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
Becoming licensed was certainly an achievement.
Featured Project Name:
Kemmons Wilson Corporate Headquarters
Featured Project Location:
Memphis, TN
Featured Project Completion Date:
August 2021
Role in Featured Project:
Project Manager/Project Architect
Featured Project Description:
With the goal of moving their company to the city core, Kemmons Wilson Companies renovated a downtown historic warehouse for a new corporate headquarters. The 115-year-old, 20,415-square-foot building that last held the Spaghetti Warehouse also includes a 600-square-foot incubator for business start-ups, 2,900 square feet that is used for co-working space, and a public mural facing Wagner Place.
