About

k. kennedy Whiters, AIA, Founder, Owner, and Principal of wrkSHäp kiloWatt, is a graduate of the dual Master of Architecture (MArch) / Master of Urban Planning (MUP) program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She graduated with honors and specialized in history and preservation in the School of Architecture and community development and social justice in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning. kennedy is passionate about the maintenance and stewardship of the built environment, access to quality and enjoyable design for all, and (un)redacting the facts of history to tell a full(er) story about the places we protect and preserve. Premed as an undergrad, she brings a perspective of healing and wellness to preservation and design.

kennedy has experience working on large and small historic buildings, both in the private and non-profit sectors, from schematic design to construction administration. In her career as an owner’s rep/capital project manager, clients, colleagues, and managers have praised kennedy for her enthusiasm and organizational skills, and for delivering enjoyable spaces, on time and under budget.

Since the age of 8, community engagement has been a key component of her life. A two-time AmeriCorps member, she has helped infants and pregnant mothers in the West Side of Chicago obtain quality healthcare and restored windows in West Virginia. Prior to moving to New York, she volunteered for eight years in the preservation community of Seattle, serving on Historic Seattle’s Preservation and Development Authority Council and 4Culture’s Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, which is King County’s cultural, grant-making agency.

kennedy is the founder of several historic preservation initiatives that support equitable practices in historic preservation: Black in Historic Preservation, Beyond Integrity in (X), and (un)Redact the Facts.

:: (un)Redact the Facts advocates for (un)redacted narratives and interpretations of historical sites,

:: Beyond Integrity in (X) advocates for landmarking processes that go beyond architectural integrity to cultural significance, and

:: Black in Historic Preservation highlights the contributions of Black people to historic preservation / heritage conservation.

Her preservation honors include a Mildred Colodny Scholarship from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2008, an Emerging Scholar Award from the Association for Preservation Technology International in 2011, and recognition by the Young Urban Preservationists of the Landmark Society of Western New York as one of eight “Women to Watch Today in Preservation and Design” in 2021.

To share and connect with like-minded people, kennedy has presented (un)Redact the Facts at conferences across the country: Dismantle Preservation, Invisible Architecture's Archival Noise at Towson University, California Preservation Conference, UK-based "The Illusionist" podcast about language, and Beyond Integrity in (X) Virtual Conference.

The following organizations have cited (un)Redact the Facts and her writing on racial equity: Landmarks Illinois; Education Week; Historic Seattle; Erica Avrami, Ph.D./Columbia University’s “Building a Foundation for Action: Anti-Racist Historic Preservation Resources”; Slavery & Abolition, A Journal of Slave and Post-Slave Studies’ “Slavery: Annual Bibliographical Supplement” (2021).

A published writer, social scientist vis-à-vis historic preservation, and independent researcher on redacted grammar and language in history communications, kennedy earned licenses to practice architecture in New York State and Washington State. She personally financed her education by working as a teaching assistant, summer intern, and fellow, and with federal and private student loans that totaled over $90,000 when she graduated.

kennedy is also the founder of studio kW Architecture, PLLC, a full-service New York-based architecture firm.