Katherine Hillbrand, AIA, Principal

Katherine Hillbrand specializes in handcrafted timbered buildings that embody the spirit of each specific circumstance and place. She is also known to incorporate off-the-shelf, common materials in unusual and whimsical compositions. Her work includes both large and small projects that reveal a poetic juxtaposition of familiar elements and modern solutions. Her approach to sustainable architecture encourages environmental stewardship through design and culminates in well-crafted buildings that fit comfortably into the landscape.

Katherine joined SALA Architects, Inc. in 1986 and became a Principal in 1995. She received both a Bachelor of Arts in 1965 and a Master of Architecture in 1986 from the University of Minnesota. She is a registered architect and certified interior designer in Minnesota. She has been published both regionally and in national publications.

Teaching & Speaking

• University of Minnesota Extension, Lecturer, 1996-1997
• Science Museum of Minnesota, Lecturer, 1993
• Timber Framers Guild of North America Conference, Invited Lecturer, 1989

Awards

• Heath Lake Home, AIA Minnesota/StarTribune Home of the Month Award, 2006
• Wikstrom Residence, AIA Minnesota/StarTribune Home of the Month Award, 2006
• Hoke Residence, AIA Minnesota/StarTribune Home of the Month Award, 2003
• Timber Framer's Guild of North America/Habitat for Humanity House, Hanover, Pennsylvania, awarded and built, 1989
• AIA Henry Adams Award for top-ranked architecture students, 1986
• MSAIA Award, Graduate Design I, 1985
• Minnesota Pre-Cast Concrete Association, First Prize, Graduate Design I, 1985
• MSAIA Award, Grade II Design, 1984
• Minnesota Pre-Cast Concrete Association, Honorable Mention, 1984

Publications:

• "Get Away Homes," Fine Home Buiiding, Winter/Spring 2006
• Rustic Revisited: Innovative Design for Cabin, Camp, and Lodge by Ann S. O'Leary and Andrew Wellman, Watson-Guptill, 2006
• The Getaway Home: Discovering Your Home Away from Home by Dale Mulfinger, Taunton Press, 2004
• "Norwegian Wood," Architecure Minnesota, May/June 2003

Video:

• Before and After, HGTV, Episode 406

Memberships

• Timber Framer's Guild of North America