Jessica Hester is a Placemaker. Her experience as an architect allows her to shape the world we live in to elevate the quality of life for all members of the community. As an urban dweller, she is constantly questioning how people interact with their surroundings and understand the magical threshold between indoor and outdoor space. Her background in design research gives her the tools to filter product, environmental, and user research through the lense of experiential design.
Founder of Verdant Studio, LLC, Architecture and Interiors, Co-founder of Cevian Design Lab, LLC, Co-founder of the Rogers Experimental House and a former Rogers Public Art Commissioner, Jess is passionate about what makes a community an inviting and fun place to live, work, and play.
Verdant Studio, LLC, Rogers, AR, US, Owner, Architect
As the sole-owner of Verdant Studio, I wear many hats. I oversee marketing, sales, production, construction administration, finances, office management and customer service. It is important that all of the work we produce, whether large or small, be of the highest quality and meet the customer's needs and budget. I love the variety of my day as it keeps things interesting and constantly challenges me to be focussed and driven.
University of Arkansas Community Design Center, Fayetteville, AR, US, Project Architect
The University of Arkansas Community Design Center is a design and planning center within the University that delivers projects to communities and organizations nationwide. As the only licensed architect on staff, it was my job to oversee any projects that required architectural services. The work at the UACDC included projects such as the Greers Ferry Water Garden, and The Conway Urban Watershed Plan, Texarkana Perot Theatre Restoration and Art Park. This work has received multiple awards including an American Architecture Award, ASLA Central States Merit Award, World Architecture News Award for Urban Design, and others.
CEVIAN Design Lab, Rome, GA, Owner, Architect
As the managing partner of a rapidly growing architecture firm, I was responsible for keeping things running smoothly. The responsibilities often included managerial tasks with the team, finances, and operations, but I still oversaw many of the design projects.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US, Masters, Design Research
The Master of Science in Design Research (MSDR) is an advanced, post-professional degree in architecture offered by the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and the Rackham Graduate School. Each student's thesis began by randomly selecting an "Idea of the Year" curated by the New York Times. The student was to take this idea and extrapolate it into a collection of ideas and narratives throughout the program through research and hands-on design processes. Each student participated in several exhibitions, books, and critiques throughout their tenure.
The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, US, BArch, Architecture
The University of Oklahoma's Bachelor of Architecture is a 5-year degree. It is focused on creating license-tract architects that are prepared to go directly into the practice of professional architecture.
Green GOOD DESIGN Award (Conway), Award
GREEN GOOD DESIGN's goal is to bestow international recognition to those outstanding individuals, companies, organizations, governments, and institutions - together with their products, services, programs, ideas, and concepts-that have forwarded exceptional thinking and inspired greater progress toward a more healthier and more sustainable universe.
ASLA Central States Award (Conway), Honorable Mention
Participation in the awards program helps broaden professional boundaries, increases public awareness of the role of landscape architects, raises the standards of the discipline, and brings recognition to organizations and individuals who demonstrate superior skill in the practice and/or study of landscape architecture. A jury of qualified professionals from a separate ASLA Chapter will review each submittal and determine winners in each award category.
American Architecture Award (Texarkana), Award
Two decades as America's Most Prestigious Public Award for New American Architecture Today.
The American Architecture Awards give an important overview of the current aesthetic direction of today’s commercial, corporate, institutional, and residential work in the United States to the real estate, banking, business, and corporate community, as well as to the press and general public.
The program is one of the Museum’s most important public education outreach initiatives produced throughout the year―to both the Museum’s U.S. and international audience. The American Architecture Awards are dedicated to the recognition of excellence in architecture and urbanism in the United States.
American Architecture Award (Conway), Award
Two decades as America's Most Prestigious Public Award for New American Architecture Today.
The American Architecture Awards give an important overview of the current aesthetic direction of today’s commercial, corporate, institutional, and residential work in the United States to the real estate, banking, business, and corporate community, as well as to the press and general public.
The program is one of the Museum’s most important public education outreach initiatives produced throughout the year―to both the Museum’s U.S. and international audience. The American Architecture Awards are dedicated to the recognition of excellence in architecture and urbanism in the United States.
The program awards pays tribute to new developments in design and underscores the directions and understanding of current cutting-edge processes consistent with today’s design thinking.
2015 World Architecture News Award for Urban Design (Texarkana), Nomination
The world’s largest awards programme in international architecture.
The World Architecture News Awards WAN AWARDS is a truly unique international architectural awards programme. A total of 22 categories are represented throughout the year with areas as diverse as Adaptive Reuse, Transport, Performing Spaces and Waterfront Architecture are judged by our extensive panel of top international experts.
