The architecture and interior design firm Spacesmith has announced the promotion of two emerging leaders whose work has helped shape the firm’s expanding national and international portfolio: Designer Jaclyn Lieck, a trusted project leader on complex workplace, embassy, and retail commissions who has been promoted to Senior Associate, as well as Gabrielle Kupfer, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, now elevated to Associate, who brings wide experience across retail, workplace, and diplomatic building projects.
These advancements reflect Spacesmith’s continued investment in exceptional project and design leadership from within as the women-owned firm leads a wide range of complex building and interiors projects across the United States and abroad. The firm’s active clients range from the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations Development Corp. to New York University and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as local institutions such as the Brooklyn STEAM Center and multinational design-led enterprises such as jewelry retailers Graff and Jessica McCormack. According to Spacesmith’s senior leadership team, the newly promoted professionals Jaclyn Lieck and Gabrielle Kupfer each play an increasingly important role across the firm’s diverse portfolio of work.
“Jaclyn and Gabrielle are passionate, talented practitioners whose approach blends creativity with a keen managerial sense,” says Spacesmith Principal Michel Franck, AIA, “We are delighted to elevate Jaclyn, who strengthens Spacesmith’s culture of collaboration while effectively guiding projects of increasing complexity and scale, while Gabrielle brings abilities to drive interdisciplinary collaboration to help advance end-user experience and operational performance. The two women reflect our leadership and pursuit of design excellence as we extend our reach across the country and around the globe.”
About the Professionals
Jaclyn Lieck, Senior Associate
Since joining Spacesmith in 2017, Jaclyn Lieck has emerged as a trusted design leader on complex workplace, embassy, and retail projects, where coordination across disciplines, geographies, and delivery models is essential. Known for a management style that is both relational and highly structured, she is frequently called upon to guide teams through projects with significant logistical, technical, and design complexity, often spanning international consultants and stakeholders across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Lieck plays a key leadership role within the firm as head of Spacesmith’s Building Science Committee, where she focuses on advancing efficiency standards and translating successful design and project
management strategies into scalable practices across the studio.
Her global experience includes interior design work for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Building Operations in Nairobi, Kenya; Lima, Peru; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Lagos, Nigeria. Most recently, she served as account lead and project manager for more than 15 locations for multinational jeweler Graff, overseeing the implementation of prefabricated building systems manufactured overseas into U.S. retail stores. Lieck’s retail work includes a large-scale adaptation of two adjacent New York City landmark buildings for a U.S. flagship. A Texas native, she holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jaclyn Lieck Gabrielle Kupfer
Image Courtesy of: Spacesmith
Gabrielle Kupfer, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate
Gabrielle Kupfer has been a valued member of the Spacesmith team since 2024, quickly establishing a reputation for technical expertise and strategic insight. With experience across retail, workplace, and diplomatic projects, she is recognized for fostering strong interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing projects that center end-user experience alongside operational performance.
Kupfer’s recent work includes serving as project manager for the Madison Avenue flagship of British fine jeweler Jessica McCormack, as well as leading initiatives for Graff and multiple foreign missions to the United Nations in New York City. In the corporate sector, she has played a key role in major workplace renovation and expansion projects for BlackRock and other global clients, guiding complex stakeholder processes while maintaining design clarity.
Within the firm, Kupfer leads Spacesmith’s Sustainability Committee, working closely with manufacturers and vendors to strengthen the studio’s sustainability-focused resource library and establish comprehensive material guidelines across project types. She is also an active advocate for women in architecture, contributing to the firm’s broader culture of mentorship and equity. Kupfer holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the California College of the Arts, a Master of Architecture from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, and a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from Pratt Institute.
Positioned for Growth,
Delivering World-Class Solutions
An internationally recognized architecture and design practice working across varied sectors including civic, education, culture, workplace, and retail, Spacesmith is known for bringing deep
expertise to complex institutional and entrepreneurial environments. The firm’s recent public sector milestones include the completion of a new embassy building for the U.S. Consulate in
Nogales, Mexico, as well as selection in a joint venture with Duvall Decker Architects to support the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. Spacesmith is also leading redevelopment efforts for UNICEF and the United Nations Development Corporation in New York City, and the firm is engaged in project work for leading mission-driven nonprofit organizations including SCO Family of Services, Part of the Solution, and New York Legal Assistance Group.
In the education sector, Spacesmith’s portfolio includes ongoing or recently completed projects for the University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the innovative Brooklyn STEAM Center high school enrichment organization. Spacesmith is also recognized for its ability to translate brand narratives into crafted, experiential environments for retailers of all scales, with projects including the Retail Design Institute Award-winning Madison Avenue flagship for boutique jeweler FoundRae, along with additional locations for the brand in Dallas, Miami, and Los Angeles.
About Spacesmith
Founded in 1998, Spacesmith is a women-owned architecture, planning, and interior design firm based in New York City. Just as the word “smith” means “to craft, forge or design,” the name Spacesmith reflects the firm’s commitment to the tradition of great craftsmanship, heightened service, design excellence, and context and the environment. With a diverse portfolio of mission-driven clients, Spacesmith has completed work for city, state, and federal agencies – including numerous embassies – schools, non profit institutions, and private sector clients in fashion, finance, and media. Spacesmith facilitates and catalyzes each client’s unique purpose. The 35-person firm is made up of a tight-knit group of professionals in the disciplines of architecture, interior design, project management, programming, master planning, sustainability, and wellness. The diversity of the firm’s teams and practice areas allows for knowledge sharing in a world that is constantly evolving.
