Alicia Heinsen
Becker Raab
Ben Poulin
Beth Emig
Jason Chmura
Jessica Mangin
Kyle Rendall
Matthew McChesney
Mayva Donnon
Merilee Meacock
Michael Shatken
Petar Mattioni
Scot Murdoch
KSS Architects, a national design firm focused on architecture, interior design, and planning, is pleased to announce the promotion of Ryan Bruce, Alicia Heinsen, and Mounir Tawadrous to Senior Associate. Recognized and respected as leaders and mentors, Ryan, Alicia, and Mounir have each made tremendous impact on the firm from how we work, to the quality of our design, to the strength of our client relationships, and the vitality of our company culture.
Ryan Bruce has over 20 years of commercial office, retail, and residential experience. In his time at KSS, his breadth of experience has added another layer of expertise to our work that often involves mixed uses. With projects located across the country and ranging in size from 25,000 to 2.5 million square feet, Ryan has developed a broad knowledge of design and construction at every scale. His experience in all phases of design and construction allow him to understand how an early concept decision will affect construction and ultimately the life of the building.
KSS Partner Matthew McChesney says “Since the day Ryan arrived at KSS, he has made a huge impact. His technical knowledge, and ability to impart that to the teams he works with, have demonstrated that Ryan is not only a great resource for the firm, but an amazing mentor to those around him. His humble and supportive demeanor makes working alongside him a pleasure. Ryan is an integral component of the growth and future of KSS and I am thrilled to see him elevated to Senior Associate.”
Alicia Heinsen has a passion for art and architecture that spans commitment to her work and to her community, and is grounded in good design. Alicia’s tactful project leadership, unceasing drive, and intuitive anticipation of project and client needs has resulted not only in exemplary projects and strong client relationships, but also in the development of staff members for whom she is an outstanding mentor. Her work with long-time client Trammell Crow has resulted in six million square feet designed and delivered with another two million square feet currently in design. As co-leader of KSS’s Stewardship Practice Group and a LEED Accredited Professional, Alicia has spearheaded architectural sustainability efforts as LEED Administer for renowned clients including Coca-Cola, Forsgate Industrial Partners, and The Hampshire Companies.
KSS Partner Mayva Donnon, says “Alicia has had great impact on our firm in her 12 years at KSS. She has the rare gift of radical candor—the ability to be honest and kind at the same time—which has earned her the respect of clients, of her peers, and of leadership. Alicia is solutions oriented; she balances a very complex workload of multiple projects and teams, keeps everything running smoothly, and delivers at a high level. Her elevation to Senior Associate is well deserved.”
Mounir Tawadrous draws from his background spanning mixed-use, education, corporate, and planning work, nationally and internationally, to bring a diverse perspective to each project. Equally adept at client and consultant coordination, he understands what it takes to see a project through to successful completion, on time and on budget. Whether new construction, renovation, or historic preservation, Mounir has handled every facet of the design process for a wide range of clients. In addition, Mounir gives back to the architectural design community, serving frequently as an adjunct design studio critic at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) College of Architecture and Design. Mounir also dedicates his time to pursuing evidence-based design strategies with tools like Sefaira and ElumTools to better support KSS as a leader in comprehensive, thoughtful architectural design.
KSS Partner Scot Murdoch says “In addition to his incredible humility, Mounir is also one of the most knowledgeable, passionate, and driven people I have had the pleasure of working with. Mounir takes great care in his work, working tirelessly to achieve great design all while empowering young architects to achieve more and elevating senior staff. His promotion to Senior Associate is representative of his impact to the firm, and I am thrilled to see his contributions recognized in this way.”