Kate MrawRID, Associate AIA, LEED AP BD+C, ALEP

Kate Mraw is a national leader in educational research, sustainable school design and the development of learning environments to support the whole student. She has led the programming and interior design efforts on many of LPA’s most innovative and award-winning projects, including the e3 Civic High School in downtown San Diego, the first high school in the country co-located in a public library; the historic preservation and renovation of Lanier High School in San Antonio, Texas; and the all-in-one K-12 Agnews campus on a 55-acre historic site in San Jose, California, one of the largest K-12 projects in the state.

Since joining LPA in 2004, Kate has formed relationships with educators, students and communities around the country, exploring the complexities of master planning and designing more effective and efficient campuses. She emphasizes a research-driven approach to school design, finding new ways to integrate behavioral science and sustainability with educators’ goals. In 2017, Mraw launched LPA’s Sustainability + Applied Research team, the firm’s in-house research group, which works with design teams and clients to enable evidence-based design options.

On every project, Mraw brings a passion for understanding more about the impact of environments on behavior and academic outcomes. Her experience covers a wide range of schools and campuses, with extensive work in master planning, early childhood learning, strategic planning, activating outdoor learning environments and career technology.

Mraw is a frequent speaker at industry events and published author, often focusing on community engagement, the latest educational research and designing around learners’ social, cultural and academic needs. She is an active member of in the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH), the Texas Association of School Administrators and the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE); she is an A4LE Accredited Learning Environment Planner. She is also a Board member of the A4LE Central Texas Chapter and serves on the University of Texas School of Architecture Advisory Council.