Rachel Villalta

Program-Driven Environments for the Future

Rachel’s approach to the design of program-driven buildings such as health-care and educational facilities focuses on user experience and the human scale. In Detroit, Rachel led the design of the University of Michigan Center for Innovation, a centerpiece of a development that offers programs that focus on artificial intelligence, data science, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, and financial technology. Her work on the Ann McIlrath Drake Executive Center at the
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management pioneers a next-generation educational facility that integrates high-tech, hybrid learning environments with amenities and guestrooms to provide a residency experience for students and visiting professionals. The building’s complex program is strategically designed to adapt and stand the test of time as the institution’s needs continue to evolve.

Detroit Center for Innovation

Detroit, MI, U.S.A.

Ann McIlrath Drake Executive Center at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

Evanston, IL, U.S.A.

Large Scale, Human Focused

Rachel’s work on transformative urban projects around the world is rooted in a humanistic approach to design. Her efforts on One Vanderbilt, a landmark office tower in Manhattan, helped shape a project whose contextual massing and façade have been embraced by New Yorkers as an essential feature of the skyline. The building’s human-centric lobby, meanwhile, creates new accessible pathways to transit links at nearby Grand Central and has become a popular and welcoming public space decorated with public art. The Infinity Tower, in São Paulo, takes a different approach to contextual design, utilizing an indoor-outdoor lobby defined by reflecting pools and landscaped areas to create a quiet transition from the world’s fourth most populous city.

One Vanderbilt

New York, NY, U.S.A.

Infinity Tower

São Paulo, Brazil

Chengdu Tianfu Supertall

Chengdu, China

Industry Leadership

Rachel serves as a mentor to young KPF architects through the KPF Young Designers Forum and mentorship programs. She has also served on the Alumni Board of her alma mater, the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University.