Jerri Smith

Jerri’s expertise, gained over 40 years of experience as a designer, spans through every phase of a project, following the belief that no project is too big and no detail is too small to address. Since joining KPF in 1981, her focus on materiality and detail, efficient planning, and user experience has led to the rich and welcoming palettes—both exterior and interior—of multiple projects. Jerri has developed a particular proficiency in the design of institutional and corporate facilities and has worked on several of the firm’s most celebrated projects.

A leading figure in many of the firm’s academic works, Jerri’s designs serve the stakeholders on campus as well as the surrounding environment, fostering a future that benefits everyone. Jerri led the design effort of the HKUST(GZ) Athletic Center, a multi-purpose facility including a gymnasium, a pool, and a stadium that accommodates the campus’ 10,000 students. She directed the design team for Arizona State University’s McCord Hall, a building deeply responsive to the local context and severe climate. Her design and planning team on the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan transformed the school over the course of 14 years in multiple phases.

Prior to her career as a designer, Jerri developed an understanding of the impact of urban context and master planning through her time as a social worker and community advocate. She has taught design classes at multiple universities, including her alma mater Cornell University. At KPF, she is an active member of the Traveling Fellowship program, KPF Public, and the firm’s in-house mentoring program.