Lauren Harness Program Director

Lauren Harness, AIA, is Director of the Kansas City Design Center. A licensed architect, she brings a decade of professional experience, with projects ranging from higher education at Ennead Architects to intergenerational housing at MASS Design Group. In addition to her work at the Kansas City Design Center, Lauren serves as a Pre-Developement Manager at FOCAL Design Studio. Her work focuses on expanding access to design and engaging in the pre-development phases of the built environment, where early decisions about policy and public investment shape capital projects. Her teaching and scholarship emphasize participatory design. She holds a Master of Architecture with a minor in Regional and Community Planning from Kansas State University and serves on the boards of Historic West Bottoms and Riverfront Heritage Trails.