CO Architects has promoted Jennifer “Jenna” Knudsen, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, to Managing Principal—the youngest architect and first woman to hold the position at the 35-year-old architecture and interiors firm.
Knudsen, who started at the Los Angeles firm in 1998 as a project designer, has led the firm’s hiring and growth during the past five years and was instrumental in its early adoption of BIM technology and collaborative project delivery models.
Jenna Knudson
“CO Architects’ succession plan calls for changing leadership to ensure the firm’s longevity and diversity,” says Knudsen. “My goals are to continue and enlarge on our core principles of distinguished design, wide-ranging opportunity, and creative collaboration.”
CO Architects has designed buildings for the Los Angeles Unified School District and university systems in California, Arizona, Oregon, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Nevada.
Knudsen was a founder and continues to co-lead the Women of CO initiative that champions the professional development and leadership of the firm’s female employees. The group has focused on promoting more women to senior positions, expanding staffing roles, mentoring, and supporting work-life integration and employee well-being.
