Kessie Estil, Associate AIA, CNU-A
In 2026, Kessie Estil, Associate AIA, CNU-A, will begin a new chapter as a Board Member for the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) Atlanta Chapter—an organization dedicated to creating walkable, people-centered places. Her journey to the board reflects the initiative and passion that has shaped her career. After years of involvement with CNU in Florida, she reached out to the Atlanta chapter president, shared her experience and enthusiasm for traditional neighborhood design, interviewed, and was elected to serve. In this role, she will help plan events, lead design charrettes, and support the chapter’s mission to bring traditional urbanism back into modern community-building.
Her approach to planning centers around one belief: design should begin and end with people. She focuses on the spaces between buildings, the quality of the public realm, and how individuals interact with their environment. This mindset connects directly with CNU’s emphasis on traditional neighborhoods—walkable main streets, human-scaled architecture, and places designed for connection. She often notes that historic towns around the world share a common thread: they were built before cars dominated design. People walked more, interacted more, and experienced a higher quality of life. That is the kind of place-making she strives to help communities rediscover.
Her worldview was shaped across cultures and continents. Growing up in Haiti, she was deeply influenced by her parents, whom she credits as her greatest cheerleaders. After the 2010 earthquake, she moved to the United States with a renewed sense of purpose—to help create safer, stronger, more resilient communities. This experience is woven into her design philosophy, motivating her to focus on structures and places that stand the test of time and foster human well-being.
What truly sets her apart is her rare combination of architectural training and urban planning expertise. Few architects bring a planner’s lens to their work, and few planners bring an architect’s eye for design, constructibility, and detail. She brings both, seamlessly. In architectural contexts, she prioritizes the public realm—how people move, gather, and experience a space—something many architects overlook. In planning contexts, she grounds designs in technical feasibility, helping ensure that guidelines and concepts can actually be built. This dual fluency shapes all her work and elevates her ability to bridge vision with implementation.
She is AICP certified and actively pursuing AIA licensure, having completed thousands of AXP hours and working through six exams. For her, becoming a licensed architect is about more than credentials—it’s about having the technical and legal authority to sign and seal documents, and the professional recognition that comes with the title “architect,” which in the U.S. can only be used by those who are licensed.
Her portfolio spans creative placemaking, transportation, comprehensive planning, and community-centered design. As Project Manager for the City of Punta Gorda Comprehensive Plan 2045, she helped lead a long-range vision that earned the APA Florida Award of Merit for Best Comprehensive Plan. The plan has been praised for its clarity, community-centered approach, and commitment to excellence.
One of her favorite projects is the Henry County Creative Bus Stop Placemaking Plan in Georgia, where she merged architecture and planning at a highly human scale. Working with the County and the cities of McDonough and Stockbridge, she helped develop bus shelter concepts rooted in local identity: traditional architectural forms for McDonough, modern elements for Henry County, and musical-history-inspired metalwork for Stockbridge. The goal was simple yet powerful—to make public transit more inviting and to turn everyday spaces into places of pride and storytelling.
She also cherishes her work on the Commodore Trail in Miami-Dade County, a project that invited stakeholders to ride along the trail, envisioning how mobility, and community connection could transform the corridor. One segment has already been implemented, demonstrating the project’s tangible momentum.
Beyond her professional work, she brings a creator’s spirit to her personal life. She gardens, dreams of one day growing her own orchard, and fills her home with a thriving collection of pothos. She enjoys crocheting, creating art, and cultivating beauty in the everyday—interests that resonate with the creativity, care, and intentionality she brings to her planning and design work.
As she steps into her leadership role with CNU Atlanta, continues her path toward architectural licensure, and champions walkable, community-focused design across the Southeast, her vision remains clear: to build places that prioritize people, celebrate culture, and uplift the communities they serve. She represents a new generation of designers—rooted in tradition, shaped by resilience, and committed to creating cities where everyone can thrive.