Kimberly Tuttle, AIA

Much more than an architect, Kimberly Tuttle, AIA, is a mentor and advocate for students, deeply passionate about uncovering new opportunities for the next generations of design leaders. Eager to share her knowledge widely, Tuttle strives to empower students as they enter their careers through mentorship, intern opportunities, and career programming that provides critical support to the profession’s emerging talent.

Following her graduate studies at Norwich University in 2006, Tuttle spent the first decade of her career along Maine’s Penobscot Bay sharpening her skills on high-end residential projects and small restaurants for Maple Street Design Studio. Simultaneously, she began her service to the profession, joining AIA Maine’s Board of Directors as associate director and IDP coordinator. That work revealed her passion for shaping the tools emerging professionals need to succeed in their careers.

In 2014, shortly after obtaining licensure, Tuttle moved to Washington, DC, to serve as NCARB’s outreach manager for experience and education, traveling across the country to speak with students and emerging professionals about the path to licensure. Two director positions with AIAS followed in which Tuttle worked with national partners to create engaging programs such as THRIVE: A Career Prep Program, #AskAnArchitect, and Pipe Dream: A Tiny House Competition.  

Today, Tuttle has transitioned into a similar role for Gensler, where she is an associate tasked with overseeing the firm’s emerging talent program. She was instrumental in the launch of Gensler’s first firm-wide internship program, the Gensler Summer Fellowship, which gathered 42 students of diverse backgrounds from across the country for a research-focused and data-driven 10-week intensive program. The fellowship is run out of the firm’s research institute with a particular focus on social and climate justice.

Working alongside a close colleague, Tuttle launched the Gensler Student Design Charrette in 2021. The program provides funding to architecture programs at historically black colleges and universities as well as student mentorship. Additionally, Tuttle’s vision for the firm’s diversity scholarship resulted in the Gensler Rising Black Designers Scholarship and Design Challenge launched in response to the events of June 2020. With the support of the UK Diversity in Design Bursary, Tuttle was able to increase the annual scholarship awards from $40,000 to just shy of $200,000 in support of minority students.

Outside of Gensler, Tuttle is an assistant professor at the University of the District of Columbia, where she advises students and the school’s AIAS chapter and oversees an annual career fair. Her courses have expanded to include critical issues, architectural history, and professional ethics and practice.

Tuttle has had an unwavering commitment to students her entire career shows no signs of relenting. Her work supports a wide range of diverse and disadvantaged students, and she has made a significant difference in their lives.