“Bringing a project from cradle to grave is akin to having a child. When I’m on the job site, I think ‘Wow, that came from my brain and now I’m looking at it.’ It’s an amazing process.”

Meet the Team | Terina

 Terina Owen fell in love with architecture as a child. She was raised on the job site, accompanying her father, a general contractor, to various projects throughout her childhood. This experience inspired her to study architecture at Washington State University, and after exploring other academic interests in community college and not finding the same passion or fulfillment, after spending time as a laborer during college, her decision to practice on the design side was solidified.

Terina is a technically savvy designer, having developed a specialty in building envelope design, and detailing and an understanding the practical side of design. She loves the continual learning that architectural practice offers with each day bringing different challenges that require critical thinking and ingenuity to solve. Finding new ways to be creative keeps her engaged, and her role at KMB architects allows her the freedom to move between studios, where she draws inspiration from her colleagues and applies her deep expertise as a technical designer in detailing to benefit a variety of projects.

“Architecture is about the honesty of the material. I like the beams and structure to be expressed to reveal the honest communication of what’s holding that building up.”

Operating from the belief that sharing knowledge is a key facet of the human experience, Terina relishes her mentorship role at the firm. Terina credits her deep understanding of detailing and building enclosure to all the time she has spent on job sites, being exposed to the construction of a wide variety of project types built with a full range of materials, including her favorite past project, the Museum of Glass. Terina maintains a massive catalog of details and Revit files that she’s created over her 20-year career, and she shares these with her teammates as a means to pass on knowledge and insights.   

Terina fosters creativity and adventure outside of work, finding inspiration in nature. Accompanied by Lucile (her trusty camera), Terina photographs hiking and backpacking trips, finding beauty in the flora and fauna around her. At home, Terina is excited that her 15-year vision for a backyard art studio — the She Shed — finally came to life, giving her a sanctuary to create mixed-media art, write poetry, and draw. When things get too quiet at home, Terina jumps on her Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 for that soul-satisfying rumble, trekking to many of the Nation’s iconic destinations, like the Grand Canyon and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.