Kristen is NBBJ’s Technology Futures Director, leading the firm’s Data & AI strategy across a 600-person global practice. She develops the organizational vision for Data & AI capability, guides the use case portfolio from concept through delivery, and advises firm leadership on technology risk, competitive positioning and investment decisions. As the primary bridge between technical teams and executive leadership, she translates emerging technology signals into actionable strategy, organizational change and long-range foresight that positions the firm ahead of industry shifts.
Beyond strategy, Kristen is deeply engaged in shaping how the architecture and design industry navigates the transition to AI-augmented practice. She serves on the AIA AI Task Force and plays an active role in the Innovation Design Consortium (IDC), where she collaborates with peer firms on shared research, governance and AI adoption strategy across AEC practice. A frequent speaker and contributor to the emerging discourse around AI in design, she served as Technical Chair for the ACADIA 2024 conference in Banff and regularly appears on panels at the intersection of technology, practice and the future of the built environment.
Kristen is also an avid educator, teaching courses on design technology, strategic foresight and design futures at institutions, including the University of Calgary. Through her teaching and industry engagement, she works to equip the next generation of designers and technologists with the frameworks to navigate an increasingly complex and AI-shaped built environment.
Kristen holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Victoria, a Master of Architecture from the University of Calgary, where she received the Student Gold Medal for highest distinction in scholarship at graduation, and a Master of Environmental Design with a focus on Robotic Fabrication and Circular Design.