From building “Barbie City” in her basement with her father’s electrical sales samples, to watching This Old House over Mr. Rogers, Kristen was destined to be an architect from a very early age. During her college years, Kristen studied architecture at the University of Michigan, and then received her Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. For the first decade of her career, she worked primarily at Brininstool + Lynch, a boutique architecture firm in Chicago, IL. Her projects included high-end custom homes, condo and office renovations as well as ground up high-rises.
In 2011, Kristen and her husband moved to Austin, Texas to create the design team for StoryBuilt, an urban infill development company. Their in-house architecture team went on to design over 50 communities ranging from 4-6 single-family homes to multi-acre city blocks with a variety of commercial and residential mixed-use buildings. Over these years, Kristen’s skill set transformed from understanding single-building projects, to becoming an expert at land planning, zoning and community design. She is equally passionate about arranging 100 homes around a central green belt as she is reconfiguring a kitchen layout to maximize storage and natural light. Figuring out the puzzle of residential design is Kristen’s happy place.
Outside of designing communities and enjoying time with her family, Kristen serves on the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning Alumni Council. She previously served on the advisory board for Camp Kesem, a national university-based organization that provides free summer camp for children whose lives have been affected by a parent with cancer. In addition, Kristen was involved in prematurity awareness and advocacy through the Hand to Hold organization where she served on the board from 2012 to 2014, as well as through volunteering at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. Kristen enjoys all things food related and spending time in Michigan with her family and dogs.
Kristen Padavic
Design Approach
Kristen believes that good residential design has the ability to improve the quality of life of everyone who experiences it, from homeowners to visitors to community members. She also believes that great design is possible at most budgets. While expensive materials and details can enhance a project, the fundamental elements of design are form, natural light, proportion and scale. The careful use of these tools to create space can result in a living experience that is joyful. Additionally, careful consideration of how space will be used, how users will circulate and the impact of the surrounding environment creates harmony, organization and security. Residential design should serve its purpose effectively, functionally and create joy and calm.