About KRN Architecture
KRN Architecture is a pre-design consulting practice. We help owners, institutions and organizations make sound decisions at the start of a capital project: whether to build, renovate or lease, what the project needs to include, and what it will realistically take.
Our work happens before a design team is hired. We define the need, document it and test it against real space, so the architects, engineers and estimators who follow start from clear requirements instead of open questions. The result is fewer surprises, less redesign, and budgets that hold.
Leadership
Karen Anderson, AIA, Founding Principal
Karen is a licensed architect with over 20 years of experience in capital project management, much of it on the owner’s side of the table. Her background spans institutional and academic settings, including Temple University’s Facilities and Campus Development, the engineering and consulting firms Jacobs Engineering and Tetra Tech, and engineering and construction management with the U.S. Air Force.
That experience shapes how KRN works. Karen has seen how decisions made in the first few months of a project drive its cost, schedule and success for years afterward, and she brings an owner’s perspective to every engagement.
Karen is LEED accredited, holds NCARB certification, and is licensed in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
How We Work
- Listen. We start with your leadership, users and stakeholders to understand goals, constraints and how people actually use space.
- Define. We document the program, scope, priorities and performance goals in plain language your organization can approve.
- Test. We check the plan against real sites and buildings with feasibility analysis, code review and preliminary layouts.
- Hand off. We deliver a clear package that supports your funding request, board approval or RFP, and briefs your design team.
What We Do
- Pre-Planning: feasibility studies, building and site assessments, code and zoning research, scope and budget alignment
- Programming: stakeholder engagement, space needs analysis, adjacencies and space standards
- Preliminary Layouts: test fits, blocking and stacking, concept floor plans
We work across higher education, institutional, municipal, corporate commercial, multifamily and historic building types, in renovation and adaptive reuse as well as new construction.
Philosophy
Purpose: To create environments that are good for the planet and good for people.
Mission: To give owners in the Mid-Atlantic region a clear, well-tested foundation for every capital project, so the places they build are resilient, sustainable and healthy, and serve the people who use them.
Core Values
- Environmental Stewardship
- Curiosity and Innovation
- Resilient Design
- Collaboration and Community
- Integrity and Empathy
- Empowerment and Accountability
Sustainability Starts Early
The cheapest time to make a project sustainable is before design begins. KRN sets energy, resource and wellness goals during programming, evaluates reuse of existing buildings before new construction, and writes those goals into the requirements your design team receives, so they are part of the project from day one rather than added later.