Environmental Designer Kailey Kruse
+1(602)-741-0171
Tempe,Arizona(85281)
knkruse@asu.edu
Humans spend most of their lives in resurrected environments - spaces that, by choice or by fate, mold the minutiae of our daily lives. As an environmental designer, my design literacy is rooted in a commitment to define a form, function, and meaning of these spaces to enhance the standard and quality of a people, place, andtime.
The goal of my work is to transform both the physical and psychological landscapes we navigate, initiating a shift toward more sustainable ecosystems. Every environment is an opportunity to introduce and cultivate the vital components of a broader dialogue about anthropogenic systems, infrastructure, and art that fosters successful and happy communities. My work is not merely about creating spaces; it’s about reinforcing and redefining how we interact with our world, ensuring our environmentstodayfostersabettertomorrow.
EDUCATION
ArizonaStateUniversity
Barrett,HonorsUndergraduateCollege (August2020-Summer2024)
BachelorsofEnvironmentalDesign HerbergerInstituteforDesign&the Arts
Minor,Sustainability CollegeofGlobalFutures
Certificate,Biomimicry CollegeofGlobalFutures
InternationalDesignEducation Rome,Paris,London,Barcelona
ArizonaStateUniversity GraduateCollege (August2024-Summer2027)
MastersofArchitecture(MArch)
HerbergerInstituteforDesign&the Arts
ACHIEVEMENTS
TomaleeDoanLibAidforStudentSuccess Award
KatherineK HerbergerScholarAward
SustainabilityUndergraduateResearch ExperienceScholarAward
BarrettSummerDevelopmentProgram ScholarshipRecipient
NewAmericanUniversityScholarAward
HonorsProjectAwardRecipient
ASUDeansList(2020-2024)(3.94GPA)
GlobalEducationStudentSpotlight
EXPERIENCE
Naturespace3DDesign&Education Specialist
ArizonaStateUniversityMakerSpaceServices August,2024-Present
NaturespaceDesign&EducationStudent Worker
ArizonaStateUniversityMakerSpaceServices August,2022-July,2024
BiomimicryResearchOfficer
ArizonaStateUniversity May,2023-January2024
Human-NatureInteractions& ConservationPlanningforLandscape SustainabilityResearcher
ArizonaStateUniversity August,2022-May,2023
EventsandFundraisingSustainability Intern
ArizonaGreenChamberofCommerce January,2021-May,2021
UrbanPlanningExternship
GilbertCivicCenter May,2019-November,2019
RetailAssociateandStarbucksBarista Target Nov2018-Jul2020
PROJECTS
AIASDesignMentorship
NaturespaceDigitalization
ReflectionsofLifeMuseumInstallation
ASUNaturespaceDisplayCaseInstallations
Art&ArchitectureWorkshops
Bio-IntegratedDesignFramework
Socio-EconomicStudyofLondonArchitecture andUrbanDesign
EPICSCoralRestorationProject
ArtandFurnitureDesign
LandscapeSustainabilityResearch
SKILLS
AdobeCreativeCloud
MicrosoftOffice
Revit/AutoCad
Rhino
SketchupPro
Fusion360
V-Ray/Lumion
3DPrinting
GeospatialDataandMapping
ArcGISPro
Research&Analytics
ClimaticAnalysisandDesign
SustainableDesign
Energy-EfficientModeling
Naturespace Digital Reconstruction
Arizona State University- Online Resource Expansion Project
BuildingInformationRemodelofArizonaStateUniversity’sNaturespace
CreatingAnInclusiveSpaceThroughDigitalBuildingInformationModelsatArizonaState’sHaydenLibrary
SketchUp Pro - ArcGIS - InDesign - Illustrator - Polycam - Revit - Fusion 360 - Photoshop
Arizona State University’s Naturespace is an interactive natural history collection designed for hands-on exploration. Unlike traditional collections, it allows visitors to handle specimens ranging from seahorse skeletons to honeycombs encouraging academic, artistic, and professional inspiration. Equipped with microscopes and research tools,Naturespacefostersin-depthstudyandappreciation,makingitahubfordiscovery,learning,andapplication.
To enhance accessibility and extend Naturespace’s reach beyond its physical location, this project is actively leveraging digital twin technology, integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and geospatial tools to develop an immersive, datarich virtual representation of the space. This ongoing initiative aims to bridge the gap between physical and digital experiences, enabling users to explore, analyze, and interact with Naturespace in waysthattranscendtraditionalspatiallimitations.
Currently, with the majority of the space digitized, the project is in its final phase, focusing on the scanning and integration of natural artifacts. These elements are being optimized for virtual study, appreciation, and interactive educational experiences, reinforcing the project's commitment tospatialinnovationandecologicalengagement.
To achieve a high level of detail and accuracy within Arizona State’s project budget, this project is employing a hybrid modeling approach that utilizes a diverse suite of digital tools. ArcGIS is being used for geospatial mapping, enabling precise site analysis and spatial positioning within the broader campus context. SketchUp provides an intuitive platform for early-stage volumetric modeling and conceptual visualization, allowing for quick design iterations. Revit serves as another BIM platform, facilitating the creation of detailed architectural models, construction documentation, and analytical simulations to ensure design feasibility. To ensure realistic texturing and form accuracy, Polycam is actively utilized for 3D scanning of key objects and natural artifacts within the space. As the project continues to develop, Fusion 360 is being applied for parametric modeling, particularly in refining scans of natural artifacts and interactive elements with precision. This ongoing, iterative approach has been ensuring that the digital twin remains an accurate, adaptable, and immersive representationofNaturespace.
Upon completion, this digital twin will serve as a permanent, evolving resource, enhancing global accessibility, interdisciplinary research, and ecological education at Arizona State. The project is scheduled for completion in May 2025, with a goal of 750 natural artifacts digitized andoptimizedforuniversalonlineaccessibility.
Aurora Lime
Arizona State University- Educatinal Project
RehabilitativeHousingProjectInspiredbyArizona’sCanyons
AnUrbanFarmCommunityforRehabilitativeHousing
Rhino - Climate Studio - Weather Spark - Photoshop - Illustrator
AuroraLimeisdesignedasasupportivecommunityforindividualsontheirjourneytorecoveryfromsubstanceabuse.Groundedinprinciplesof therapeuticcommunities,recoveryhousing,andrecovery-orientedsystemsofcare,thishousingprojectseekstoaddresstheholisticwell-beingofitsresidents— physical,emotional,andsocial whilefosteringsustainabilityandresilience.
Inspired by the limestone canyon systems of Arizona, this project housing merges biophilic and biomorphic design principles to create a rehabilitative urban community. As a result, the development is modeled as a self-sustaining ecosystem that thoughtfully integrates privacy, community connection, and environmental stewardship with aquaponic agricultural systems, xeriscaping, and solar energy solutions. This housing project was designed to create an inclusive, restorative environment where individuals can regain a sense of stability and thrive in amongst the calming Limestone. This urban farm community not only supports personal growthandreintegration,butalsointroducesasustainableagriculturalmodelthatoffersitsurbanecosystemtheuniqueconditionsnecessarytosustainablydevelop.
Integrating Ecology, Privacy, and Sustainability in the Sonoran Desert
Situated in the hot-dry conditions of ASHRAE 2B, Aurora Lime integrates resilient design strategies to combat intense heat, minimal rainfall, and mild winters through passive cooling, xeriscaping, and water-efficient systems. The landscape design prioritizes privacy, climate adaptation, and ecological health, using strategic vegetation to regulate temperature, enhance biodiversity, and improve air quality. At the site’s core, agricultural zones and water basins are integrated within the interior layout, protecting vegetation while enhancing plant growth and mitigating extreme heat. By positioning agriculture adjacent to water basins, the design maximizes food production efficiency while minimizingwaterlossthroughefficientwatercycling
In tandem with these ecological strategies, the residential layout balances privacy and community, with units strategically spaced for seclusion while fostering engagement and the site's adaptability over time. Which is supported by the looped pedestrian pathways encourage organicmovementandsocialinteractionineliminatingdeadends.
ResidentialBuilding
LandscapingLayout
AgriculturalandBasinManagement
PedestrianPathways
The residential layout balances privacy and community, with units strategically spaced for seclusion while enabling engagement to benefit the unique programming of the site as it changes throughout time. Centered around agricultural and water basins, the design fosters a therapeutic, rehabilitative environment.
To meet diverse housing needs, the project includes three distinct unit variations, shaping a cohesive yet flexible living environment. These layouts define the overall structure of the development, ensuring a cohesive yet flexible living environment that adapts to individual and collectivewell-being.
Aurora Lime integrates privacy, community, and environmental consciousness through two unit types: Sun Core and Tera Core, fostering wellbeingandsustainability.
Sun Core is a breathable environment designed to foster healing and renewal throughnaturalintegration.Featuringan open layout, it prioritizes spatial efficiency by combining a shared bedspace with the amenity core while still balancing communal and private living. Corridors act as natural dividers, while the NurtureNook provides a central hub for social engagement and relaxation. A key feature of Sun Core is its incorporation of small interior courtyards framed by floor-to-ceiling windows and limestone slabs, allowing cascading sunlight to permeate the unit. To further enhance environmental connectivity, Sun Core places kitchens and bathrooms along exterior walls for natural light and ventilation, with programmable courtyards that also enhance thermal comfortandpassivecooling.
Sun Core Floor Plan
SharedBedspace(1A)
Tera Core Floor Plan
Tera Core offers a functional, enclosed layout, prioritizing privacy and efficiency. With fewer windows, it mimics canyon-like spaces, where indirect light and enclosed qualities create a sense of retreat and refuge, fostering psychological well-being by reducing stress and enhancing comfort through spatial warmth and enclosure. Strategically placed corridors ensure smooth circulation and minimal disruption betweenprivateandcommunalareas.
Like Sun Core, Tera Core features a Shared Amenity Core with views of agricultural landscapes, maintaining a subtle biophilic connection through warm, tranquil spaces. While Tera Core provides enclosure and refuge, Sun Core’s open, outward-facing design encourages healing through direct exposure to natural elements, with both units integrating biophilic principles to enhance mental and emotional well-being. Together, these units offer diverse living solutions, balancing openness and shelter, reinforcing sustainability, resilience, and holistic wellbeingineverydaylife.
Aurora Lime integrates biomorphic materials, passive cooling, and renewable energy with limestone, glass, and photovoltaic panels to create a self-sustaining, climate-responsive environment that prioritizes thermal comfort, privacy, and ecological integration for both human and environmental well-being.
Limestone, composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), regulates temperature, enriches soil, retains moisture, and mitigates the urban heat island effect. Windows feature low transparency and high light reflectance value (LRV) to optimize daylight, privacy, and heat reduction, while double-panel glazing and structural glass improve thermal performance and natural light exposure. Glass fins provide stability in open spaces. Solar panels maximize energy efficiencywhilehigh-LRVexteriorscreensanddouble-panelfacadesreducerelianceonmechanicalcooling.
The site also introduces a self-sustaining water ecosystem that integrates fishless aquaponics, xeriscaping, and multipurpose basins to maximize water reuse and resilience in arid conditions. The closed-loop aquaponic system circulates nutrient-rich water to sustain crops like leafy greens, herbs, cucumbers, strawberries, quinoa, and salt-tolerant plants while conserving water. Aqua beds enhance cooling, insulation, and microclimate stability. Multi-purpose basins function as reservoirs, thermal regulators, and habitat support, distributing water across graywater reuse systems and drought-tolerantlandscapes.
The landscape, inspired by Arizona’s desert-adaptive principles, features drought-tolerant plants and native grasses, with palo verdes, barrel cacti, and bermudagrass supporting soil stabilization and heat mitigation, while aquaponics sustainMexicanpalmtrees,whichhelpmanageexcesswateraspartofawater-intensiveplantsystem.
ArtiChitecture Pavilion
Arizona State University Naturespace- Display Design
ArchitecturalPavilionInspiredbytheArtichokeFlower
SustainableParkRenovation(EducationalProjectforArizonaStateUniversityLibrary)
Revit - Photoshop - Illustrator
ArtiChitecture is a conceptual renovation project for Florida’s Rivera Park inspired by Cynara Scolymus, to transform the site into a sustainable sacred, matrimonial space. Cynara Scolymus, also known as the artichoke flower, is commonly defined as the flower of hope, prosperity,andfuturesuccess.
The biophillic design of the pavilion emulates the artichoke’s distinctive structure, featuring a core reminiscent of its tender heart, encased by robust, overlapping layers that protect and define the space. This architectural interpretation of the artichoke represents a heart exposed by love, alluding to its significance as a sacred space dedicatedtomatrimonialceremonies.
At the Heart of the Flower A People’s Place in Time
The renovation of Florida's Rivera Park pavilion, inspired by the Cynara Scolymus, transforms the site into a sacred matrimonial space. Its architecture features a core reminiscent of the flower's tender heart, encased by robust, overlapping layers that metaphorically protect and symbolize the safeguarding of love. This design, which mirrors the artichoke's transition into a vibrant thistle, symbolizes the growth and beauty of relationships, aligning with the space ’ s themes of hope, prosperity, and new beginnings. Tailored to host weddings and connective celebrations, the pavilion creates a serene and intimate environment suited for both public and private events, enhancing the communal and emotional experience. Which is enhanced by the pavilion’s utilization of orange trees, reflective interior design,andrepurposedAlter.
The orange trees symbolize abundance, fertility, and enduring love, enriching the space with fragrance and representing the couple’s hopes for a prosperous union. Once they outgrow the pavilion, they are replanted in the landscape to support biodiversity The reflective interior enhances natural light, creating a luminous and open atmosphere that fosters transparency and communication in marriage. The altar, as the pavilion’s focal point, embodies commitment and sacred union, reinforcing the solemnity and spiritual depth of matrimonial vows.
Inspired
by
the Artichoke Flower
The structure of the pavilion resembles the facade of the artichoke flower, a perennial plant with tall flower stalks native to the Mediterranean, but are now cultivated across the globe. The structure’s floral influence is best detailed in the panels that decorate the exterior, which is composed of varied tightly overlapping,triangularsegments.Each segment has varied layers of angular curves that mimic the artichoke’s petals, which alludes to a blooming artichoke flower. The direct visual and structural mimicry of the flower’s natural form identifies this as a biomorphic facade, that integrates biophilic design elements that promote a connection to nature, enhance natural experiences, and support human well-being. The combination of aesthetic mimicry and functional, experiential enhancements create a space that is both beautiful and beneficial to its users. The pavilion, inspired by the structure of the artichoke flower, incorporates several biomorphic advantages, particularly in terms of structural optimization and enhancing user environmental interaction.
The Biomorphic Botanical Facade
Thepavilion’sfacadeofoverlappingtriangularsegmentsreflectstheartichoke’sphyllotaxis the spiral leaf arrangement. This geometric design enhances aesthetic appeal while strengthening structural integrity by distributing forces uniformly, reducing weaknesses, and maximizingstability.Theangular,layeredsegmentsregulatenaturallightandsupportcrossventilation, improving energy efficiency and creating a comfortable microclimate. Beyond functionality, the design embodies biophilic principles, fostering a symbolic connection to naturethatevokespositiveemotions,alleviatesstress,andenhancespsychologicalwell-being.
esigned for resilience and sustainability, the pavilion integrates innovative materials and technologies that enhance durability, energy efficiency, and environmental harmony in Florida’s challenging climate. The pavilion integrates locally sourced Danby Marble for its structural base, ensuring durability against Florida’s intense sun and flooding. Its thermal mass helps regulate indoor temperatures, while its resistance to weathering preserves aesthetic integrity. Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) solar cells, embedded in the facade, maximize solar energy conversion with minimal resource use, reducing cooling costs and the building’s carbon footprint. To enhance sustainability, Bahia Grass is incorporated into the marble facade, thriving in Florida’s climate with minimal irrigation while stabilizing soil and managing stormwater runoff. Waterresistant glass, extending halfway up the pavilion, blocks UV rays, controls heat gain, and preventsmoisturedamage,improvingindoorcomfort.
Arizona State University- Educational Project
EducationalDaycareCenter
Pre-PrimaryEducationDaycareFacility(EducationalProject)
Revit - Photoshop - Illustrator - InDesign
Blocks of Care is a sustainable daycare center, focused on enhancing the educational growth and maturity of children before their introduction into primary school. Designed for the up and coming suburb in Copenhagen, Nørrebro, this daycare is set up for the popular demographic of students and creatives that define the unique community in one of Denmark’s most famous cities.
The Structure’s Playful Facade
Reimagining Daycare Design Through the Playful Spirit of Lego
Inspired by the form and function of Lego blocks, the daycare center’s design fosters creativity and play through its modular, colorful facade and interactive spatial arrangement. The exterior resembles a playful assembly of large Lego pieces, with circular windows that reinterpret iconic Lego studs, enhancing both aesthetics and natural lighting. Composed of four interconnected two-story buildings surrounding an open courtyard, the structure mirrors Lego’s modularity, providing a secure, engaging communal space for social interaction and outdoor activities. Inside, the immersive design continues with a Lego-themed ceiling andintegratedgreenery,creatingadynamicenvironmentthatblendsimaginationwithtranquility.
The Psychological Benefits of Structural Design
The Lego-inspired facade and layout embody a playful yet functional design, integrating principles of developmental psychology and environmental design to foster creativity and emotional well-being. By incorporating child-friendly architectural elements, the structure nurtures a sense of belonging an essential component of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs while encouraging symbolic play, which enhances cognitiveflexibilityandproblem-solvingskills.
Rooted in the iconic form of Lego blocks, the design transforms familiar motifs into dynamic spaces that inspire creativity and engagement. The facade’s structural mimicry stimulates sensory curiosity, crucial for early childhood development, while its balance of visual interest and practicality aligns with experiential design principles, enhancingusersatisfactionandlearningoutcomes.
Matching Denmark’s Green Character
The building materiality and landscape character of the daycare center reinforce its Lego-inspired design while integrating sustainability and functionality. A cross-laminated timber (CLT) structural system provides a strong, low-carbon framework that enhances indoor environmental quality. Circular windows, mimicking Lego studs, are made from impactresistant acrylic or polycarbonate for safety and daylight optimization. Inside, rubber flooring with color zoning defines activity areas with a soft, slip-resistant surface, while acoustic felt or wood-wool panels, shaped like Lego bricks, manage noise and add a playful aesthetic.
The landscape design also fosters interactive, nature-integrated play. A central courtyard with permeable Lego-stud-like play surfaces is enriched with grass mounds, sensory gardens, and native wildflower patches to promote biodiversity. Modular wooden climbing structures and balance beams, inspired by stacked Lego forms, support physical development, while stackable seating and shade pavilions create adaptable outdoor learning spaces. By blending playful aesthetics with sustainable strategies, the daycare provides an engaging, safe, and ecologically responsible environment that nurtures creativity and environmental awareness.
