As Design Collective prepares for the retirement of firm president Fred Marino, the firm is pleased to announce the continuity of new and existing leadership guiding several of its key market sectors. This leadership continuum reflects the depth of talent across the firm and reinforces Design Collective’s resounding commitment to design excellence, client service, and long-term strategic growth.
Similarly, Sam has over 30 years of experience and Katarina has 20 years of experience working with Higher Education clients across the country. Their combined leadership in these markets ensure that our clients will continue to benefit from strategic guidance, technical depth, and a strong understanding of educational environments.
Marvin Kemp will continue to guide Design Collective’s Higher Education and K-12 market sectors. With more than 30 years of architectural experience, Marvin brings specialized expertise in classroom, laboratory planning and design, new construction, and complex renovations for academic, life science, and research environments. His clients—including the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Delaware, and Pennsylvania State University, as well as Baltimore City and Prince George’s County Public School Systems—rely on his leadership in programming, project management, construction documentation, and construction administration for diverse, multi-stakeholder projects.
Similarly, Katarina Carlin and Sam Rajamanickam will lead work across the firm’s Higher Education and Student Life Sectors. As leader of Design Collective’s Interiors practice, Katarina brings deep expertise in creating engaging, functional, and award-winning environments for academic institutions and workplace clients. Their recent projects include student housing, dining, and recreation facilities for the University of Idaho, Johns Hopkins University, Florida Polytechnic University, and Marquette University. Through their combined experience, averaging 26 years, they have refined their ability to engage students, student life, and residence life professionals, to better understand the impact of design on student behavior, wellness, learning, and growth, to align with each university’s vision, mission and student life goals.
Together, Marvin, Katarina and Sam will continue to advance Design Collective’s growth in these markets, while building on the strong foundation established under the firm’s overall leadership structure. Their experience, client relationships, and commitment to thoughtful design position the firm for continued success in the years ahead.
