Lesley's journey to architecture started young—with a grid notebook and her father's landscape plans spread across the kitchen table. He'd bring home architecture books from work, and she'd spend hours sketching house plans she wanted to design someday. That childhood fascination became a clear career path, one she's been following ever since.

Today, Lesley brings a dual perspective to Place Foundry's Architecture & Design Studio, holding degrees in both architecture and urban planning that allow her to think about buildings and the built environment simultaneously. Before joining the team in 2023, she worked as a planning intern focused on downtown revitalization and ordinance compliance, then spent time at an architecture firm specializing in adaptive reuse, where she honed her skills in 3D modeling, renderings, and interior space design.

Lesley thrives on the full lifecycle of design—from initial concept sketches to watching a finished building welcome its first visitors. Her recent work on Lino's Riverside showcases this holistic approach, where architecture and urban planning converge to create spaces people genuinely want to experience. Collaborating with Place Foundry's strategists and architectural team, she brings her dual expertise to bear on projects that strengthen both individual buildings and the communities around them.

Outside the studio, Lesley feeds her creativity through travel, especially to Mexico, exploring how different cultures shape their built environments. She lives by advice that clearly guided her career choice: do what you love so it never feels like a job. Her dream? To teleport instantly between architectural wonders around the world, grid notebook always in hand, gathering inspiration from every corner of the globe.