Trent Tesch

Trent Tesch is a Design Principal whose work spans the globe and represents a creative balance of program, context, technology, and craft. His interest lies in solving the distinct challenges posed by each project through collaboration and applying those lessons to future endeavors.

Ranging in scale from boutique residential buildings and human-scaled office towers to mixed-use developments and large airport terminals, Trent’s designs consistently focus on context and place. He believes that every building should have a relationship with its surroundings, in dialogue with its context through either thoughtful contrast or assimilation, rather than mimicry. For the AIA National award-winning One Jackson Square in New York, for example, Trent leveraged a number of significant site constraints, including strict zoning requirements and existing sub-grade infrastructure, to create an expressive residential building that mediates the varied scales of its historic neighborhood.

Also central to his design philosophy is the exploration of ways in which the built environment can positively influence our well-being through scale, materiality, and a connection to nature. 55 Hudson Yards exemplifies this approach with a strong façade expression, multiple indoor/outdoor experiences, and a precise lobby with dimensional natural materials. Though significantly larger in scale, Changi Terminal 5 is equally intimate. The highly complex project presents a crafted experience for passengers, modulating interior space to break down the terminal’s size and incorporating uplifting botanic elements such as daylight and greenery.

Trent began his career at KPF in 1996, and became a Principal in 2009. He is a registered architect in the state of New York and an active member of the AIA.