Ken Ricci, FAIA has joined NELSON Worldwide as Vice President, Business Development Leader of the Civic & Justice practice. A multi-faceted professional with a commitment to humanity as the foundation for design decisions, Ken will expand the firm’s footprint in the justice field, prioritizing civic good.

Throughout his career, Ken has led system-changing initiatives, helped shape public policy, published forward-thinking thought leadership pieces, and created award-winning buildings intended to uplift. He challenges himself and his teams to think holistically, ask hard questions about architecture’s role in the justice system, and re-examine established paradigms to achieve solutions that defy expectations.

Ken’s senior thesis from Pratt Institute School of Architecture, which focused on the design of a new youth facility on Rikers Island, served as the catalyst for his life’s work within the justice system, based on a firm belief that justice design should have a social dimension. Ken was elevated to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows based on his career devoted to improving environments for the incarcerated, and has served as faculty for the National Institute of Corrections’ Planning of New Institutions (PONI) academy for over ten years.