KSS Architects promotes Heinsen to partner

PRINCETON, NJ — KSS Architects has promoted Alicia Heinsen, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, to partner. A leader within the firm for almost two decades, Heinsen has guided the design and delivery of more than 10 million s/f of transformative work across the commercial, industrial, and workplace sectors.

Heinsen’s promotion reflects her tactful project leadership, exemplary drive, and intuitive appreciation for client and project needs. She is a practice builder whose leadership strengthens relationships and expands opportunities across markets. With boundless determination, she has helped grow KSS across key sectors, while championing mentorship and design excellence. Heinsen’s thoughtful approach to project delivery and people development embodies the firm’s core values of shared humanity and inspired vision.

Heinsen’s extensive portfolio includes some of the firm’s most prominent commercial and workplace projects, including the Arsenal Trade Center, a LEED Gold-certified industrial development in Parlin; leading a 50,000 s/f high-end interior fit-out for Russo Development’s new headquarters; and managing the firm’s first enterprise data center, targeting LEED platinum and proving that a high demand of power can also achieve a high sense of sustainability.

“Alicia embodies the values of ingenuity, empathy, joy, accountability, and teamwork, which define the spirit of KSS and its work,” said Scot Murdoch, AIA, NCARB, partner, KSS Architects. “Alicia is a team player to the core, and her passion for design is matched by her unwavering dedication to her clients, her colleagues, and the communities we serve. We are thrilled to welcome her as a partner.”

Over the past 17 years, Alicia has advanced within KSS, earning the trust of clients and colleagues alike. She leads large multidisciplinary teams and has driven major improvements to project delivery systems, resource planning, and firm-wide financial performance. Her ability to balance the technical and human sides of the business sets her apart.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited to become a Partner at KSS Architects,” said Heinsen. “Having started my journey here as an intern nearly two decades ago, this milestone is especially meaningful to me and reflects the extraordinary mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities the firm has provided throughout my career. KSS has always been a place that values growth, curiosity, and teamwork, and I’m proud to continue building on that legacy alongside such a talented team.”

Heinsen also volunteers as Executive Board Secretary of the ACE Mentor Program of New Jersey and formerly served as a team leader at Hightstown High School and Trenton Central High School, where she has mentored students considering careers in architecture, construction, and engineering. She currently sits on the organization’s fundraising committee, helping to support annual scholarships of up to $30,000.

In addition to her community involvement, Heinsen is a member of NAIOP Greater Philadelphia and CREW Greater Philadelphia and was named AIA New Jersey’s Intern Architect of the Year in 2015. She has also been honored among the NJBIZ Forty Under 40 Leaders in 2025 and as an ENR Top Young Professional in 2026. She holds a Bachelor of Design in Architecture, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida and is a registered architect in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.