2019 Women in Building Services: Pamela Lucas Rew, KSS Architects

Name: Pamela Lucas Rew, FAIA

Title: Partner

Company Name: KSS Architects           

How many years have you been in your current field? 35

List up to three CRE organizations that you are currently a member of: 

• SCUP, 
• Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, 
• Arts and Business Council

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months?
As a steward of campus architecture, I view each project as a continuum, leading a rich process of conversation and imagining, using drawing, observing and a shared descriptive vocabulary to build the common language necessary to work with a variety of users. Therefore, I believe my most notable project is the Barbara Walters Campus Center at Sarah Lawrence College. It weaves together the college’s intellectual, cultural, and social threads, acting as a platform for sharing and showcasing Sarah Lawrence’s community achievements and uniqueness. The design approach honors the layered, natural landscape that so seamlessly characterizes the Sarah Lawrence experience.

What trend(s) do you predict to dominate your industry in 2019?
Increasing project complexity will continue exponentially in 2019 as a direct result of non-traditional funding sources, complex stakeholder relationships, and intersecting programs and building uses. Taking a meta view, we see society’s desire for connection driving this change.Connectivity compels consumer demand for immediacy, requiring localized global distribution and centralized urban centers on more complex sites. Connectivity sparks innovation at the intersections of disciplines where interactive collisions can serendipitously occur and fosters engagement amongst a diverse population. Building community, fostering collaboration, and facilitating human connection occurs at varying levels whether in elementary schools, higher education, workplace or industry.

Which of your philanthropic endeavors are you most proud of?
I am committed to giving back to my community, supporting organizations and issues close to my heart, and embracing what is local to enrich resources and opportunities. After Hurricane Sandy battered the coastal community I cherish, I have dedicated my spare time support the restoration of municipal facilities, homes and businesses devastated by the hurricane. I have ben helping to define new architectural design guidelines which reflect the essence of the community and are crucial for its survival. The dedication of a new Town Hall is just weeks away, the project has created a foundation for several of the next generations, a multi-use town resource and a source of pride and accomplishment after devastating loss. 

What does it mean to you to be a team player? 
To be a team player means to empower others through a collaborative effort. As a product of the educational system in the 70-80’s, we were taught to do it ourselves, but I have learned throughout my career that the process of teamwork can create something better and something more powerful. I have been instrumental in developing the charette process in our firm to facilitate and institutionalize a collaborative process and approach to design that yields a more creative and innovative architectural solution. Through this collaborative design process, we continue to improve the quality of work and value to our clients.