Laura Wheaton, AIA, LEED AP BD+C crafts inclusive design and decision-making processes that amplify community voices and explore ways the built environment can address the challenges of today and the future. She is a senior associate at Ayers Saint Gross, an interdisciplinary design firm, and project manages planning initiatives for flagship and regional public universities. An architect by trade, she has a deep understanding of design and creating place, while working within complex programmatic requirements or challenging existing conditions. Laura's broad understanding of the continuum of planning allows her to view issues through a variety of lenses to help build consensus. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech and was a 2024 recipient of the AIA Young Architects Award.