Bethany Henry

Originally, Bethany wanted to be a teacher, and then she wanted to be a nurse because she wanted to help others physically. Well into her college experience, she had a life-changing moment and realized the environment we surround ourselves in plays a monumental role in the lives of individuals. Space is influenced by positive and negative spatial designs and is predisposed by the individuals who designed them. She decided to pursue a building design career to gain the knowledge and ability to impact the spatial environment positively and help improve people’s lives.

This led to Bethany seeking dual undergraduate degrees in interior design and gerontology. Gerontology is the study of aging, and what better way to design for the interior environment than by pursuing both? At the completion of her undergraduate degrees, Bethany still felt an area of the built environment missing when she interned for a downtown revitalization project focusing on ADA accessibility in historic buildings. This profound experience led her to pursue her master’s in architecture, with an emphasis in historic preservation.

Bethany is in our Historic Preservation studio and has worked on dozens of projects, including historic preservation, healthcare, higher education, corporate, and federal projects. Working with many project disciplines has further solidified her passion for historic preservation.

Some of her notable project experiences include the Topeka City Hall/Topeka Municipal Building, which has a rich history that has lasted for almost a century. She loves to discover history as she encounters layers of interior work done over the years. Another project is Lincoln City Hall, where she has seen how a historic preservation project in a small town has rewarded her personally and has impacted an entire community.