KSS Welcomes New Hires; Q1 + Q2 2022

In the first half of 2022, KSS is pleased to have welcomed 11 new members to our architecture and interior design teams in all three offices. Read on to learn more about the newest KSSers!

Elizabeth Anderson, Architectural Designer

Elizabeth previously interned with KSS for two summers and since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a Master of Architecture has now joined the firm full-time. She is passionate about architecture’s ability to affect change at a local and global scale. Elizabeth has lived in several different countries, cultures, and communities, and is drawn to architecture as a means to bridge her passion for design and desire to create a physical and tangible impact on the communities that have affected her life. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys cooking, volunteering, being active outdoors, and being creative with different art mediums such as painting and photography.

Nick Clody, Architectural Designer

Nick is a passionate designer and problem-solver with varied experience in education, healthcare, housing, and workplace. He has worked across scales from tenant fitouts to master planning, zoning research and diagrams to facade design. Nick’s love of buildings and art led him to architecture; he enjoys that while the field is creative, it has many constraints that require innovative problem-solving, allowing him to balance his creative and logical sides. Outside of work, Nick enjoys cooking, reading, biking, basketball, art, history, philosophy, and learning new things, especially in the realm of technology. 

Samantha Garcia, Architectural Designer

Samantha views architecture through the lens of urban design, understanding the value in a project’s interconnection with its surrounding community. Throughout her childhood, Samantha’s interest in arts and crafts translated into an interest in the built environment, leading her to pursue an undergraduate degree in architecture and a master’s in urban design. Samantha brings experience in single-family housing and healthcare design and is also a member of the Historic Preservation Commission in Dover, NJ. Outside of work, you can find Samantha traveling, watching tv, and improving her skills in crochet and other hands-on projects such as macrame and gardening. 

Taylor Felty, Architectural Designer

Taylor has long been drawn to the field of architecture, beginning in her childhood drawing houses and building towns from blocks. She is excited by the industry, especially how much it changes and sees the continual evolution of technology, materials, and building practices as an opportunity to keep learning long after she has graduated. Taylor hopes to work on educational buildings and is intrigued by how space can influence the quality and experience of students’ learning. In addition to pursuing her Master of Architecture at Jefferson University, she enjoys spending time outside in nature, especially running and walking on Kelly Drive in Philadelphia. In her free time, you can find her playing soccer, golfing, hiking, and going to the beach. 

Sydney Hughes, Architectural Designer

Sydney has been drawn to architecture for as long as she can remember, though she became truly passionate when she realized the positive impact design can have on our everyday experience. She is excited by the opportunity to work at different scales and taking inspiration from existing context to influence design. Outside of work, her interests include cooking, trying new restaurants, and playing sports of all kinds. She also enjoys trying new hobbies and finds the gratification of trying a new skill, working at it, and being successful is similar to the feeling of approaching design at the initial phase and turning a concept into a built reality. 

Devyn O’Neill, Senior Interior Designer

Devyn began her career working in high-end events in New York City and since then has gained experience in hospitality, retail, and workplace design, along with adaptive reuse, firms both large and small. She has significant experience on a range of project types including casinos and hotels, bars and restaurants, distilleries, multifamily amenity spaces, and workplace offices. Growing up around her contractor dad and architect uncle, Devyn has long enjoyed envisioning what interiors can be. Now as an experienced designer, Devyn appreciates how space can be transformative, shaping a user’s experience through architectural volumes, materials, textures, lighting, sound, and more. In her free time, Devyn loves to travel the world to experience different architecture, design, landscape, and culture. She also enjoys checking out vintage stores and thrift shops for unique finds, scoping out the nearest microbrewery, and hiking with her husband John, baby boy Owen, and two Australian shepherd rescue pups, Harris and Skye.

Kenneth Miraski, Senior Project Architect

Ken has practiced architecture in New York City for more than 10 years with a focus on residential, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse projects. His hands-on knowledge of the city’s delicate and complex built environment has informed his ability to produce high-caliber documentation and manage client expectations. Ken enjoys the thrill of seeing projects come to life during construction, especially after the time invested in documentation and design. Outside of work, you can find Ken exploring the tri-state area on his bike or diving into a good book. His favorite topics include history (especially the history of building demolition), social science, and biographies. 

Katie Tobey, Architectural Designer

Katie is well-versed in multifamily and student housing structures and has significant technical experience in BIM. Having worked on market-rate housing and public-private partnership projects, Katie is familiar with fast-track design-build project delivery methods and has experience in all phases of design. Katie believes that design informs everything we do, even subconsciously. She is interested in equitable design and how, as designers, we can engage different communities and cultures to create more socially equitable, user-driven spaces. Outside of work, Katie has slowly but surely been learning to sew which, like architecture, allows her to express creativity. She also enjoys graphic design, listening to music, doing puzzles, and spending time with friends, family, and her dog, Olive. 

Lee Washesky, Senior Project Architect QA/QC

Over his 30-year career, Lee has gained broad experience as a lead designer, project manager, project architect, and construction administrator, and now as an instructor at The Pennsylvania State University where he teaches undergraduate architecture students. He has worked on projects at all scales from single-family residential to master plans for universities across markets including educational, commercial, corporate, cultural, and residential. As an architect, Lee is motivated by the constant change and optimism to improve lives and increase awareness of our environment. He has sketched every day consecutively for nearly 10 years and is currently working on portraits of notable people in architecture in the art world. Lee enjoys road cycling and has completed several century charity rides and spending time with and his Jack Russel Terrier, Java.  

Lucia Yanik, Architectural Intern

Lucia is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Drexel University where she is enrolled in the 2+4 program. She finds that the challenge of working and going to school at the same time allows her to continuously grow as she gains academic understanding and professional exposure. Prior to KSS, Lucia gained experience in high-end residential and hopes to work on institutional, medical, and community-oriented projects. Outside of work, Lucia loves enjoys tennis, photography (both film and digital), and visiting art museums.

Najah Yasin, Architectural Designer

Najah has experience in commercial and retail architecture involving design, Revit modeling, and construction documents. She values and hopes to work on humanitarian architecture and spaces created for community and is interested in new building technology and sustainability. A licensed real estate agent in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Najah enjoys buying and renovating investment properties in addition to helping others find a home. Najah likes to spend her free time traveling, exploring other cultures, and spending time with family and friends.