Chris Hurst, AIA, was recently named TowerPinkster’s new Principal of Design and Planning. Joining the firm’s growing regional Louisville office, Hurst brings nearly 30 years of expertise in vertical mixed-use, master planning, residential, and high-end hospitality design to the region.  

You’ve worked on several high-rise developments in large cities around the world. How can those lessons in vertical density be applied to smaller regions to create a more vibrant, walkable downtown?

Working internationally broadens your perspective on what cities can be and reframes how urban environments are understood. It reinforces that world-class cities are not defined by height alone, but by the deliberate organization of density, program, and public realm.

In high-density cities, vertical development operates as a stacking of uses—residential, hospitality, office, and retail—within a compact footprint. Its success lies less in scale and more in integration: active ground planes, layered programming, and continuous pedestrian connectivity that sustains 24-hour activities and revenue streams.

In smaller regions, these principles can be recalibrated to work on a smaller scale. The opportunity is to concentrate activity horizontally through compact, mixed-use districts that layer complementary programs within a walkable block structure, generating comparable urban intensity without vertical reliance.

Introducing mixed-use programs into the urban neighborhoods strengthens their economic performance by increasing land-use efficiency, extending hours of activity, and diversifying revenue streams. The overlap of uses generates consistent foot traffic, supports ground-floor activation, and enhances long-term land value — not to mention, someone is always home. The neighborhood always looks open for business. 

Structurally, this integration increases urban resilience by distributing demand across multiple program types rather than a single use class. Over time, it produces a more cohesive, economically robust, and continuously active neighborhood fabric.

Architecture is about more than buildings; it’s about people. What kind of legacy do you want to leave on the regional landscape here in Greater Louisville?

I don’t think in terms of personal legacy. I want to be part of something larger than myself and contribute to making Louisville a more memorable destination city. That means building on the city’s existing heritage and character through place-making and architecture that feels rooted, specific, and enduring.

The focus is on well-defined public spaces, active streets, and buildings that strengthen a cohesive sense of place — contributing to the overall experience rather than standing apart from it. Ultimately, it’s about helping shape a city that people remember for how it feels as a whole: authentic, engaging, and distinct.

We’ve just launched a new scholarship with the UofL Speed School. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to an engineering student sitting in those classrooms today? 

Stay curious beyond your discipline. The best engineers, architects, and developers understand how all the pieces connect — technology, construction, finance, sustainability, and human behavior.

Technical expertise will always matter, but the people who lead major projects are usually the ones who can communicate ideas clearly, collaborate across industries, and think creatively about solving problems. I would also encourage students to travel whenever possible. Experiencing different cities and cultures changes the way you think about design and infrastructure, and it gives you a deeper appreciation for what makes Louisville distinctive.

Post-2020, the definition of ‘mixed-use’ has shifted dramatically. What is the one element every developer should be thinking about to ensure their building stays relevant for the next 30 years? 

Flexibility.

The market is evolving too quickly for buildings to be overly rigid in how they function. The most successful long-term projects will be those designed as adaptable frameworks — capable of evolving over time, whether through the conversion of office to residential, shifts in retail formats, or the integration of technologies that are not yet fully defined.

Rather than designing for a fixed moment in time, developers should focus on creating resilient structures that can evolve alongside the city and the people who use them. Strong mixed-use development should also be deeply connected to the surrounding urban fabric, reinforcing rather than isolating itself from its context.

This is particularly important in a city like Louisville, where the historic districts and Olmsted-designed park system already establish a powerful sense of place. The opportunity is to design with that context in mind — extending and strengthening the existing urban fabric while ensuring buildings remain flexible, relevant, and valuable over the long term.

The Louisville region has an incredible inventory of historic and industrial buildings. Drawing on your large-scale urban experience, how do we breathe new life into these structures without losing what makes them special? 

The most successful projects do not blur old and new into a single language; they establish a clear and respectful dialogue between them. The historic structure remains the anchor — not as a static artifact, but as an active framework that continues to define proportion, material presence, and spatial experience.

Modern additions should not attempt to replicate or imitate that historic expression. Instead, they should be deliberately contemporary — precise, restrained, and clearly of their time — so the distinction between eras remains legible. The strength comes from contrast handled with discipline, not from visual mimicry.

When done well, new interventions complement the existing fabric by reinforcing its clarity: inserting lightness where the original is heavy, transparency where it is solid, and new program where it can extend the building’s utility without compromising its integrity. The result is not a seamless blend, but a composed relationship where each layer enhances the other.

In this way, adaptive reuse becomes an act of amplification rather than alteration — allowing historic buildings to remain dominant, while thoughtfully designed modern additions extend their relevance and reinforce a more layered, authentic urban character for Louisville.

Architects are usually ‘makers’ by nature. Do you have any creative hobbies or passion projects outside of the office? 

Outside of work, I enjoy architectural and landscape photography as a creative outlet. I also love hiking in national parks, especially routes that lead to grand vistas. For me, it’s not just about the destination — it’s the experience of the journey and how the landscape unfolds along the way.

Be honest: Chicago Deep Dish or Louisville Hot Brown? 

That’s a dangerous question.

I have to give Louisville a lot of credit for the Hot Brown, but after spending 26 years in Chicago, I’ve developed a real appreciation for great pizza. That said, in my opinion, Louisville’s Impellizzeri’s Pizza actually has Chicago deep dish beat. So in the end, Louisville comes out ahead.