Amina Helstern

NCIDQ, LEED AP ID+C, Fitwel Ambassador
Associate Principal, Chicago

Amina’s career has been shaped by her passion for design, photography, and the natural environment. This confluence of interests led her to study architecture, and allowed her to work on Interior Design, Architecture, Urban Design, and Branded Environments projects with an eye towards sustainability.

As a Senior Regenerative Design Advisor for the Chicago Studio, she is a resource for all projects in the office. She oversees high-performance energy and carbon analysis, material research, health and well-being initiatives, and resilience factors on a wide range of projects.

A member of the Living Design Leadership Council, Amina works with other experts in design, sustainability, and technical execution to refine the strategic direction for the firm and, by extension, the industry. She has developed numerous tools and resources for project teams and clients to track quantitative and qualitative metrics, resulting in more positive environmental outcomes on the ground.

Thrive Englewood
Chicago, Illinois
Confidential Financial Services Client
Chicago, Illinois
Healthy Affordable Housing: The Toolkit

Amina is passionate about a research-informed practice. Her work housing and passion for well-being led her to her research work which culminated in the development of Healthy Affordable Housing: The Toolkit, a nearly 150-page resource that can help improve the health and well-being of residents through holistic design strategies.

Confidential Financial Services Client
Charlotte, North Carolina
PRECEDE

Recently, she completed work on PRECEDE (“Public Repository to Engage Community & Enhance Design Equity”) which will help designers integrate and translate public health data into design decisions. Amina is deeply connected to the firm’s research ecosystem and she connects designers with researchers to apply this expertise to advance their projects. 

Outside of the office Amina enjoys traveling and spending time with her two rescue dogs Panda and Dolly.

Amina's Featured Work

American Express Sunrise Corporate Center
Work
American Express Sunrise Corporate Center
Sunrise, Florida
Designing Our Chicago Studio
Work
Designing Our Chicago Studio
Chicago, Illinois