History of WorK Architecture + Design
WorK Architecture + Design is located in Louisville, Kentucky and was founded in 2012 by principals Mitchell Kersting and Tyler Watkins. It is as an all-inclusive design company with the intention of providing clients with exceptional service by offering creative and dynamic design solutions.
The firm offers a multitude of services like strategy and consulting, geospatial solutions, historic preservation, furniture design, sustainable design, drone services, and planning. Their expertise in Master Planning, Urban Planning, and Facility Assessment ranges from Residential Compounds to large scale Healthcare Campuses, City Planning, and Public Parks.
They create a thorough strategy for business alignment with the project’s architecture and design at the beginning of each project. This involves, but is not restricted to, brand integration and design validation to produce a project that is successful in terms of both design and business development. WorKac believes every project is unique. They reveal the unique and independent spirit of each project by developing a holistic strategy and approaching each challenge with fresh design thinking. They see a situation’s constraints and challenges as new opportunities to produce outstanding results.
WorK A + D provides consulting services for historic preservation, adaptive re-use, preliminary and post-occupancy User Group Analysis, complete Life-Safety Documentation and Analysis, work-flow analysis and space planning, and general facility assessment. They also provide expertise in LEAN Architecture for the architectural process and similar methodologies.
WorK A+D tackles every project, no matter how big or small, with a keen eye for detail and a solid technical foundation. The company puts a personal investment into every design and meticulously upholds high standards of craftsmanship within any given budget. By employing suitably cutting-edge materials and technologies, they actively seek to achieve both expert functionality and elegant aesthetics.
Mitchell Kersting, Co-Founder of WorKac
Mr. Kersting, AIA, LEED AP, is a registered architect and designer with over 20 years of experience in the field. He is in charge of every step of the design process, from conception to construction administration, and holds a degree from the University of Kentucky. He strives to create elegant and useful spaces that enhance the quality of life for users and the environment. Kersting values local craftsmanship and attention to detail while balancing economy and constructability. Mitchell is excited to take on new challenges and learn new skills. He also enjoys working with diverse and talented teams.
Tyler Watkins, Co-Founder of WorKac
Tyler is a partner and designer at WorK Architecture + Design, with almost twenty years of experience in the architectural and design fields. He finished his undergraduate studies in architecture at the University of Kentucky in 2008.
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Company Culture at Work Architecture + Design
WorK Architecture + Design approaches every project with a positive attitude and a desire to make a positive impact on everything they come into contact with. They believe in sustainability and are experts in historic preservation. They are dedicated to providing the most effective and efficient solution to any design challenge. Sustainable strategies that are the ideal blend of active and passive are more than just a tool in their shed. They are a set of moral values that are fundamental to the business’s programming. WorKac‘s application of eco-friendly architecture will provide a project with the best opportunity to operate and thrive.
We have a great appreciation for historic architecture of any scale or period. From NPS required original historic preservation to adaptive reuse and salvage, we strive to preserve, conserve, and renovate with sensitivity, respect, and grace.
WorK Architecture + Design believe that each building and structure has a story to tell, as well as its own set of challenges, and they proceed cautiously through the preservation program to ensure that the existing structure is honored and protected. The process is a thorough one that starts with an analysis and study of the current conditions to ascertain the initial design, current situation, and extent of the task. From there, they start a thorough planning process to guarantee that the building’s historic significance will be respected and honored. Their main objective is to provide the most appropriate and effective solutions by striking a balance between technological innovation and respectful design.
They fervently support cooperative involvement in all phases of the design process, from conception to execution. They really feel that the local community’s awareness is essential to the success of their work. With the use of these strategies, they are able to skillfully balance the needs of their clients with regional regulations and customs, producing outstanding visual and functional design. They take great satisfaction in producing a finished product with the least amount of negative environmental impacts while maintaining excellent functionality and aesthetics. Because this is where function and artistry converge, WorK A + D loves the opportunity to breathe new life into places that inspire people.
Architect-US is proud to work in close contact with WorK Architecture + Design and to be able to ensure the firm gets to know and work with amazing young architects like Sarah Sioufi, whom we helped process her Visa through our J1 Visa Program!
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Sarah Sioufi
She got in touch with Architect-US to ask for help with her J1 visa sponsorship and documentation. French architect Sarah Sioufi is currently working full-time as an architect at WorK Architecture + Design in New York after completing her trainee program there on July 23, 2023!
Sarah graduated from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon with a Bachelor of Architecture and a Minor in Art History. She made the Dean’s Honors List six times and graduated with honors. Sarah’s Thesis Project was named a Highly Commended Entrant in the Global Undergraduate Awards.
Despite her young age, Sarah has a varied background in work experience ranging from being an intern at Jamil Saab & Co where she worked on Marea in collaboration with WorKac to being a Project Architect at Anastasia Elrouss Architects where she participated in the Construction, Architectural and Interior Design of DAM-MAD, a 2500 sqm fare-faced concrete cantilevered villa, the Design and Permit Phase of White House, and the Preliminary design of Z in White. Sarah is skilled in a variety of software that helped her in her career such as AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Rhino, 3Dmax, Vray, Enscape, Grasshopper, and Adobe Premiere Pro.
She participated in multiple semester-long study abroad programs while attending University, spending time at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, and the Architectural Association in London, United Kingdom, and completed a Summer Study Program at UC Berkely in California, USA. She is currently learning Spanish and speaks many languages fluently, including Arabic, French, and English.
WorK Architecture + Design‘s Selected Projects
Homepage Realty Office – Louisville, Kentucky
With its rapid expansion in recent years, Homepage Realty set out to establish a new center for its agents and customers. Complying with their agents’ mobile workflow, the office was made to be adaptable and cooperative. Within the constrained space, a variety of meeting room sizes and designs were needed, along with the ability to accommodate clients and business gatherings. The space was intended to feel welcoming, bridging the corporate and residential sectors. Originally a residential firm, it has more recently ventured into the commercial sector. The existing structure had a distinctive geometry and served as a live-work space. In order to create a workable office space, the design team leaned into the existing geometry.
Photos by WorKac
WorK Architecture + Design Louisville Office
Originally built in 1883 as Louisville’s Engine No. 11, this historic firehouse was renovated by WorK Architecture + Design to serve as their corporate headquarters. The firehouse, which is registered on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed in the Victorian style in 1883. The offices have a modern, naturally lit, open layout that is enhanced by the historic building’s architectural beauty, including the original firepole.
Photos by WorKac
Licking Riverside Residence – Covington, Kentucky
A 2-story addition and garage were designed to complement the Italianate home on a challenging small lot in the historic neighborhood of Licking Riverside. The neighborhood’s character is echoed in small details like paneling, arches, and a planted window box above the garage door. The owners plan to install a spiral staircase and wrought iron driveway gate soon.
Photos by WorKac
We will be posting more projects by WorK Architecture + Design in the upcoming weeks and months, so keep an eye out for more of their incredible work! Every Friday we will be posting a new Featured Company, so join us again next week!
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