Laura Lesniewski
FAIA LEED AP WELL APPrincipal, Architecture
Laura combines a rare blend of attributes that lends a spirit of collaboration and stewardship to her work. She enjoys the exploration and discovery of the unique characteristics of each project and is dedicated to pursuing the highest levels of sustainability to build truly thriving and resilient communities. Early in her career, Laura led the design team efforts on the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City, a prime example of a public/private partnership that features the first  on-site biological wastewater treatment system in the State of Missouri, and she was project manager for the Lewis and Clark State Office Building, the first state office building in the U.S. that achieved LEED Platinum. Laura was team leader for the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (first LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge certified building) and co-led the design team for a zero-carbon community redevelopment in Montreal, Quebec and a zero-carbon rural development in upstate New York.
For the past decade, she has managed projects with the U.S. Department of State as part of their Overseas Buildings Operations emphasizing design excellence and eco-diplomacy in Asia, South America, Africa, and Europe. Laura has also engaged with several disaster recovery efforts across the country as part of the BNIM planning team. And she continues to work with not-for-profit and faith communities to support great design where funds may be particularly limited.
Laura is a proud member of AIA Kansas City, served three years on the national Strategic Council, and is currently an At-Large Director on the AIA National Board. And she is currently the Board President of Westside Housing Organization in Kansas City, which provides healthy, energy-efficient, and equitable housing.
Select Experience
- Blunt Hall College of Natural and Applied SciencesMissouri State UniversitySpringfield, Missouri
- Omega Center for Sustainable LivingRhinebeck, New York
- Asilong Christian High SchoolWest Pokot County, Kenya
- Girl Scouts Camp TongawoodTonganoxie, Kansas
- David and Lucile Packard Foundation Sustainability MatrixLos Altos, California
- Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery CenterKansas City, Missouri
- Shouson Hills Residential Compound - Hong Kong, SAR
- Jacob's Well Addition and RenovationKansas City, Missouri
Education
Master of Architecture
University of California - Berkeley
Bachelor of Art and Design
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Registrations
Registered Architect: MO
LEED Professional
WELL Professional
Media
News
- Laura Lesniewski Presents on Metropolis Forums Webinar: Sustainability During the Slowdown
- Laura Lesniewski becomes WELL Accredited Professional
- Laura Lesniewski moderates the Keynote Panel at AIA Conference on Architecture 2021: Selling Sustainability to Your Clients
- Bloomberg's CityLab features BNIM's ESOP
- For She's a Jolly Good Fellow