Jennifer is a leader in the development of collaborative design processes. Her key strength is an ability to effectively engage the community – the public at large, project stakeholders, the design team, and firm members – to build an understanding of the role of architecture in creating a sustainable future. Throughout her 20-year career, Jennifer has cultivated both high-performance teams and high-performance buildings in an expanding range, scale and complexity of project types, both regionally and internationally. Her rich portfolio reflects her unwavering commitment to client needs and sustainability. One such example is the recently completed Zhang Jia Yuan Elementary School, designed pro-bono in response to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

Jennifer’s mindset and approach have transformed the culture of EHDD. Under her leadership, the firm embraces design-led collaboration at every level. Rallying people around common goals, she elicits deep engagement of project team members, regardless of roles. Her commitment to professional development has made mentorship a cornerstone of the firm’s philosophy.

As the practice of architecture continues to evolve, Jennifer leads efforts to further diversify the firm’s portfolio. Her strategic vision has facilitated a successful entrée into government work, the greatest challenge and most profound opportunity for community engagement. Also under her leadership, the firm has become a pioneer in designing high-performance buildings that vividly teach the principles and processes of resource conservation – yet another form of engaging the community to better understand the value of architecture. Recognizing architects’ and designers’ ultimate responsibility to humanity, she champions philanthropy, from individual give-back efforts to firm-wide initiatives including pro-bono work.