Karen Marie Stonely

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT KAREN MARIE STONELY

Karen Marie Stonely, AIA LEED AP, co-founded SPAN, an integrated, multi-scale practice that blurs traditional boundaries between architecture, interiors, furniture and art and reveals how the built environment shapes human physiology by positioning experiential biophilic design as a disciplined framework for wellness extending its impact through mentorship and public engagement. This approach has guided a diverse body of work spanning residential, hospitality, and cultural environments.Stonely’s work advances biophilic design beyond stylistic reference to nature by positioning it as a rigorous framework for supporting human well-being. Through projects that prioritize daylight, sensory materiality, healthy materials, spatial proportion, and connections to landscape, her work explores how architecture can positively shape human physiological and psychological experience. Built works for the prolifically awarded and published structures for the August Moon Retreat in Maine, the Gotham Towers in New York City, The Hyatt in TimesSquare, and The SmileHouse Dental Spas demonstrate how all architectural typologies can foster environmental connection and wellness through experiential design. Podcasts such as HOTEL DESIGN: Design Pod Podcast: Capturing a Deeper Sense of Wellness and Interior Design Business Podcast: The Pursuit of Wellness, books and publications including Architectural Digest, The UK Financial Times, Interior Design Yearbook’s “The Nature of Things: The Case for Biophilic Design”, and WORTH magazine’s “4 Ways Architecture And Design Are Turning To Nature” are a few of the many examples that have highlighted this work within broader discussions of wellness in the built environment internationally, helping expand professional understanding of biophilic design as a meaningful architectural methodology.Stonely extends these ideas beyond practice through sustained leadership, mentorship, and public engagement. She served for a decade on the board of Open House New York including two terms as Vice President, supporting initiatives that broaden public access to architecture and interior design and encourage dialogue about the built environment. She has also served the profession as a juror for notable AIA design and scholarship awards and has engaged in mentorship throughout her career continuing to influence emerging architects while expanding public understanding of architecture’s role in supporting human well-being.