A true visionary and natural-born creative, Erin has mastered the ability to catch a client’s excitement for their project and bring ideas to life. Anyone who has met her knows the passion she exudes for design, but those of us who work alongside Erin get to see how that passion is applied to elevating how people experience the spaces around them. Whether working with workplace, hospitality or higher education clients, it is evident that for her, everything is about people. Her enthusiasm is contagious to clients and coworkers alike.

Loves: Fleetwood Mac

Jacob is a firm-leader in historic renovation projects, including his own 1885 historic home. While with Helix, he has used his wealth and depth of knowledge to renovate nearly 1 million SF of space in Kansas City. True to his people-person reputation, Jacob has earned being a trusted partner for some of Kansas City’s most prominent developers and contractors. He’s known around the office for his ever-evolving software knowledge and his ceaseless dad jokes.

Loves: Scotch

A New Orleans native, Ellen is already investing in the growing Kansas City architecture market. Her love for math and art led to a career in architecture, but she’s really hooked on the problem solving aspects of design. Oh, and iced coffee.

Loves: Yoga

Katie studied as a civil engineer but quickly realized she is less interested in making sure buildings stand up than she is in creating spaces that are inspiring to those that inhabit them. Her constant pursuit of creating environmentally conscious buildings is guided by a favorite quote, “What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place?” Katie reads fiction and classic novels in her spare time, enjoys traveling and is currently trying her hand at knitting.

Loves: Sweater weather and her puppy, Matilda

Known around the office as a construction documents and detailing guru, Taylore particularly enjoys collaborating with contractors and consultants to deliver projects as designed. A Kansas City native, Taylore remembers driving through downtown Kansas City as a child and observing the empty but fantastic buildings awaiting a new life. She’s thrilled to be a part of our downtown revitalization and fulfill her childhood dream of helping to save these buildings.

Loves: Air conditioning

Known around the office for his social ease and enviable taste, Steven is a designer with an impeccable eye and a love for local projects. He envisions design as an opportunity to improve people’s lives through the spaces they inhabit. 

Loves: Wine

Mike is the kind of architect who wears many hats, even if we haven’t seen him in one yet. His design process is driven by research, which creates intuitive solutions and ensures that every move remains honest to the core idea. When not brainstorming ways to contribute to Kansas City’s unique and authentic culture, Mike enjoys the four Cs: cars, cocktails, cooking, and cycling. He even makes time for a fifth C every day: reading a Calvin and Hobbes comic. And don’t worry, we’re getting him a Helix hat to wear around the office.

Loves: Collecting booze and vinyl

Walking the line between art and architecture in college, Matt switched majors several times before ultimately settling on architecture when he noticed his paintings taking on more and more linear forms. With his love for project delivery and writing specs (yes, really), it’s no wonder that Matt’s extensive experience results in impeccably executed project drawings. When he’s not living his motto — “work hard to create places where people want to be” — you can find Matt tending to his garden or rescuing animals, or you can go cheer him on in his competitive steel-tip dart league.

Loves: Kombucha

Erin’s decision to study design was based on the gut instinct that molding space and designing human experiences would be gratifying. We think it ended up working out pretty well, considering her exceptional talent in all aspects of the design process. After a full day of diving into the details of her latest project, Erin loves taking advantage of what Kansas City has to offer, especially when she finds the perfect piece of vintage furniture for her booth at the antique mall — just pay no attention to the growing collection in her basement.

Loves: Her cat, Kevin

Jeremy’s lifelong love of drawing and the arts has resulted in considerable experience as a project architect, working on complex, visionary projects around the nation. His affection for Kansas City brought him to Helix, where he can practice in the city he loves. Jeremy has a keen ability to refine the shared vision between client and designer, which makes him an asset to our projects. He also has a growing bourbon collection, which makes him an asset to our weekly happy hour.

Loves: Live music

Travis is a true maker at heart and followed his lifetime love for math and art into a career in architecture. He has since realized that a good architect must also be a historian, sociologist, and ecologist. He is excited by Helix’s contributions to the growth of Kansas City and shares our love for watching KC bloom. By day he tells stories through renderings and award-winning diagrams; by night he enjoys concocting new recipes and trying his hand at a new art media.

Loves: Rosemary and cats

For Megan, design is a family affair. After visiting her older brother at Kansas State University while he studied landscape architecture, Megan loved seeing the school and his studio. She followed in his footsteps — and her own intuition — and studied interior architecture. Megan started her career working on national, large-scale projects, but her love of her hometown brought her to Helix, where she’s ready to harness her experience as an adaptable designer to make an impact on the local community. Outside the office, Megan can be found at one of her favorite downtown coffee shops, the farmers market, or tending to her garden.

Loves: House plants and throw blankets

Kyle balances pragmatism and thoughtfulness to create projects that shape our city. A true urban dweller, he has spent time living and working in New York City and Washington D.C., and now calls Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood home. Kyle‘s design process starts with a pen in hand, iterating on ideas until the best design emerges. He can also make an alarmingly good cup of coffee, which we plan to take advantage of in exchange for his one true weakness: a slice of cheesecake.

Loves: Bicycling

Tim’s journey is like a famous country song — he’s been everywhere, man. Born in the deserts of California, raised in suburban Detroit, educated in rural Alabama and now living in urban Kansas City, Tim has breathed the mountain air and crossed the desert’s bare. And, with studies in theater, architecture, and interior design, his education is just as diverse and fascinating. On the weekends you can find him working as a sous chef to his husband’s home cooking or cozying up with a good cup of coffee.

Loves: Fantasy Football

Whether working with developers or revitalizing a historic gem in the heart of the city, Liz uses her broad background (in and out of architecture) as a basis for a diverse array of projects. For Liz, designing is storytelling. She believes the narrative of the buildings she works on should be compelling, yet simple enough to stand on their own. A perfect fit for growing Kansas City, she’s been urban-focused since her youth, when she could often be found designing little cities for her brother’s matchbox car collection.

Loves: Jeopardy + weekend home projects

Hailing from Iowa, Erin has dreamed of becoming an architect since she was 13 years old — even if her path initially led her to study business marketing. Her design dream now being realized, she is eager to create buildings devised for community impact. Erin thrives on visuals, whether she’s hitting the ground running with design concepts, perusing her personal collection of inspirational imagery, or creating renderings that bring a project to life. Much like Erin’s current drink of choice — KC Wine Co.’s wine slushy — she is youthful and refined.

Loves: National Parks

Helix’s people-centered and innovative design approach resonates with Kate, but she gets really excited about how architecture and design can transcend people’s differences. Although she secretly loves the idea of becoming a pastry chef, she was destined to be an interior designer — just like her mom and sister. Kate’s distinctive and refined style has turned vintage-wares shopping into a favorite weekend hobby.

Loves: Spicy food

Alexis, who returned to Kansas City after twelve years in NYC, brings an innate sense of creativity to her projects. Her mother, an artist, taught her the joy of creating, which inspired Alexis to ultimately pursue a career in design, a profession that uniquely entwines both the practical and whimsical sides of her personality. Alexis believes that architecture is the art of problem solving. She begins her design process by asking questions and seeking out solutions through analysis, deduction and creativity. She begins her weekend mornings with a good mimosa and seeking out her next art project. 

Loves: Sewing

New to Kansas City, Drew joins Helix as an experienced architect with a love for learning and organization. From a young age, he recognized his creative abilities, eventually finding that design was the perfect mix of problem solving and creativity. He believes architecture is an opportunity to connect people together, providing a space for them to meet, learn and grow. Drew enjoys travel, off-roading, hiking, camping and the great outdoors (must be the Eagle Scout in him).

Loves: Collecting concert posters

An almost-journalist, Carly claims her career in marketing chose her. Lucky for us! In her role as Director of Marketing & Business Development, she tells compelling stories of Helix’s contributions to the architecture & design community, propelling our firm forward. She’s also a left-handed, total concert junkie who was named after Carly Simon. Carly is constantly inspired by the architects and designers she works alongside. We have to say: the feeling is mutual.

Loves: Hazy IPAs

Nina is the first friendly face you’ll see when you walk in the front door and first voice you’ll hear on the phone. Her great attitude paired with the ability to coordinate Helix’s inner workings makes her a crucial part of the team. We suspect Nina has the best shoe collection in town.

Loves: Eating and not gaining any weight

Paul’s penchant for numbers makes him one of the few left-brained people in the office. Don’t let that fool you though. He can schmooze with the best of them. Paul also has a knack for growing a bountiful harvest of produce and aggravating the library copier.

Loves: Courgette cake