Episode 128: CO Architects, Leading the Way Through Change

How do you shape the next chapter of an established firm, while leading a “practice into perpetuity”?

Tune in for a conversation with Jenna Knudsen, Managing Principal at CO Architects, who we had the pleasure of connecting with at this year’s American Institute of Architects Conference on Architecture (A’23). In this episode, we learn about Jenna’s transition into the role of Managing Principal, the challenge of stepping into a new role during COVID, and how continual improvement shows up in the 160 person practice. 

“Practice into perpetuity. It means that the current partners are really the caretakers of the firm. The goal is to continue to care for this practice for the next generation of leaders. The culture is really about this idea of continual improvement, continually learning and really thinking about growing everyone in the practice.”  - Jenna Knudsen

To wrap up the episode, Jenna shares what career transition challenges taught her about herself, and explains why it’s so important that the future of the practice is more diverse. 

Tune in next week for a new episode in our Architecture, And series.

Guests:

Jenna Knudsen, the managing principal of CO Architects, has led award-winning, large-scale academic, laboratory and healthcare projects on university and healthcare campuses across the country. Her groundbreaking projects demonstrate innovation in design, sustainability and project delivery — including early use of BIM and integrated delivery, for which she has been nationally recognized. In addition to her leadership role in the wide adoption of BIM, she has continued to push for the use of tools such as computational design, virtual and augmented reality, and custom applications to advance the work. Within both the practice and the profession, Jenna has been a long-time advocate for equal representation, spearheading initiatives to support and encourage women in architecture. Jenna received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California and a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design at Columbia University.

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