NEW YORK CITY, New York — May 18, 2022 — Global architecture, planning and design firm, CRTKL, has announced the appointment of Robin Osler and John Naranjo as Principal and Associate Principal, respectively. The pair are part of the firm’s broader strategy to expand its design influence beyond architecture as we know it and bolster its multi-disciplinary team with complementary services and creatives.
“From the climate crisis to urbanization, the issues we face are growing in complexity, and our industry must evolve in kind. The need now is for a greater, more diverse perspective. For CRTKL, that diversity of perspective is achieved by strategic recruiting, tapping into creative thinkers from varied backgrounds who look at things differently than a traditional architect might,” says Kim Heartwell, CEO at CRTKL.
Such is the case with Robin Osler, whose career began as an editorial fashion model. Know for gracing the runways of Paris and Milan, Robin’s appreciation for craftsmanship and unique look set her apart at an early age. From features in Elle Magazine to Elle Décor, her journey to architecture was somewhat different.
“I always had an eye for detail. While fashion had caught it initially, the years I spent living and working in Europe turned my sights more toward architecture and awoke this gene in me that I suppose existed all along,” says Robin Osler, now Principal at CRTKL.
Born into a family of architects, it is little wonder Robin found herself in the profession. Her great-uncle, George Elmslie, was a prolific Prairie School architect of the early 20th century. Her grandfather, Emil Lorch, founded the architecture school at the University of Michigan (and whose work inspired Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple, among other works). Her father, David Osler, was a well-known farm boy turned architect in the Midwest; her uncle, Roger Bailey, founded the architecture school at the University of Utah and was a mentor to Charles Moore, often referred to as the father of postmodernism.
The legacy continues with Robin, who completed her master’s degree in architecture at Yale University, establishing her own practice and finding a niche between art, architecture, and fashion. Her portfolio is an eclectic mix of modeling studios, galleries, boutique residences and major retail fit-outs, including Anthropologie.
“I am a lover of fashion and shopping. I have spent my life on the brand and the consumer sides, which, when coupled with my architectural knowledge, puts me in the unique position to interpret and translate this experience into physical retail environments and think differently about the role of the store,” says Robin.
“It is rare to see a firm of CRTKL’s scale with such an artistic and dynamic approach to design. The emphasis here is on creating an experience, evoking a feeling, knowing and caring for the people who will inherit them – all aspects of the process more commonly associated with an advertising or branding agency,” says Robin.
“The analysis and abstract thinking built into the front end of CRTKL’s design process really excites me. A brief is not what’s shown at face value. By leveraging a team that draws intelligence from in-house academics, researchers, futurists, mixed, augmented and virtual reality specialists, anthropologists, and more—we ask questions about long-term social and environmental impact; we drive to the purpose of a project and reverse engineer a solution. This is what the architecture firm of the future looks like.”
Robin and John will work alongside CRTKL’s existing leadership team to grow the firm’s creative thinking and identify opportunities for cross-collaboration with its clients and like-minded cultural institutions. As a continuation of her role as an adjunct professor at City College of New York (CUNY), Robin will also bolster CRTKL’s internal mentorship program.
Robin Osler is a Principal in the New York office of CRTKL and a critical design voice for the global retail practice. She is an award-winning and widely published architect with a diverse range of project experience and strong management capability, having led her own firm for over 20 years. Her impressive roster of clients includes Anthropologie, L’Oreal, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Luxottica. Robin received her BS in Architecture from the University of Virginia and her Master’s degree in Architecture from Yale University. Robin has held teaching positions at numerous institutions of higher learning and has served on juries and panels throughout the US. She holds a New York architectural license and is certified by NCARB. Osler serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board and the Design Excellence Committee for the University of Virginia Architecture School.
John Naranjo has been practicing creative design for more than 34 years. His body of work includes creative concepts in commercial interior retail and hospitality. John has worked for several design firms throughout his career and has collaborated in developing key strategies, design, artistic direction and branding. With a specialty in Latin American and Asian markets, John’s objective as a retail design leader is to understand local cultures and protocols in order to establish key strategies that meet clients’ goals. John creates innovative concepts that strive to offer freshness of vision and aesthetics. A member of Florida International University Advisory Board’s Interior Architecture Department, John is passionate about establishing new ideas inspired by creative energy as well as materials crafted and shaped by technological processes. He’s a Florida International University Advisory Board Member – Interior Architecture Department International Interior Design Association, and Participating Retail design program/advisor-mentor and juror for student thesis since 2000.
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About CRTKL
CRTKL is a global architecture, planning, and design practice, that began over seven decades ago and has evolved into a cultural agency to advance positive outcomes in our communities. Focusing on People, Planet, Positive Design allows us to realize a climate-positive and equitable future; dedicated to inspiring experiences, human wellbeing, and socially responsible outcomes through research-empowered and data-driven design.