Kristin Ianus

Kristin was first drawn to architecture while studying to be an artist. As she pursued painting and printmaking, she found herself equally inspired by the buildings around her, designed by renowned architect Ricardo Legorreta. That early experience with the power of architecture led her to pursue a career where she could balance creativity with making a tangible difference in people’s lives. While studying architecture, Kristin found her place in a practice that brings together art, creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration.

At Dekker, Kristin has focused her career on K–12 education design. Schools are an important part of community life, and she is passionate about creating learning environments that respond to the needs of students, educators, administrators, and the broader community. She especially enjoys solving the whole problem. For Kristin, strong design brings together architectural expression, function, strategy, and an understanding of what matters most to the people a building serves. That means shaping spaces that are thoughtful and inspiring while also helping clients navigate funding, state processes, and the many decisions required to bring a project to life. It is this combination of design, problem-solving, and relationships that continues to excite her about the work.

As a Principal, Kristin helps lead Dekker’s K–12 practice with a client-first approach to the complexities of education design. She guides teams in identifying the big idea behind a project and carrying that idea through the many technical and practical decisions that follow. Comfortable moving between the details and the larger picture, Kristin helps teams connect the pieces, stay focused on project goals, and deliver on the commitments made to clients and communities.

Outside of work, Kristin enjoys walking outdoors, playing tennis and traveling to her son’s hockey tournaments – whether or not that technically counts as a hobby.