Jennie Gwin

AIA
Partner
“As contemporary designers working with historic buildings, it is our responsibility to reveal the layers of the past, while making buildings more functional, inclusive, and sustainable.”

A Partner in BBB's Washington DC office, Jennie Gwin has over 20 years of experience in historic preservation and adaptive reuse, with particular expertise in federal government and historic rehabilitation tax credit projects.

As a designer, Jennie celebrates the physical features that speak to historic craftsmanship and design, while pushing the limits of a building’s functionality, energy performance, and opportunities for more equitable and inclusive storytelling. Her expertise uniquely combines planning and teasing out programmatic needs, with the in-depth technical preservation knowledge needed to ensure the longevity of historic buildings. She also works closely with clients to usher projects through regulatory approval processes and find the financial solutions, such as historic tax credits, that make them possible.

Jennie has enjoyed long-term relationships with clients including the National Park Service, Architect of the Capitol, US State Department, Smithsonian Institution, National Gallery of Art, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Peebles Corporation, and Amtrak. She is a board member of Docomomo_DC, serves on the AIA National Historic Resources HABS Knowledge Committee, and was formerly a commissioner on the Arlington County Historic Landmark Review Board. Dedicated to preparing the next generation of architects, Jennie teaches the Project Management ARE Course in the AIA Northern Virginia ARE prep series. She has presented at conferences including Urban Land Institute, Docomomo_US, and the Association for Preservation Technology International, and has guest lectured at the University of Pennsylvania and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Jennie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural History and Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia, a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She joined BBB in 2014.