20 Questions with Kelsey Oesmann, AIA
3 min read Kelsey Oesmann, AIA, is the Senior Manager, Design & Development at Urban Housing Solutions in Nashville, TN. She is on the Metro Affordable Housing Task Force and has spoken at many Civic Design Center events as an affordable housing advocate. Kelsey is a registered architect, former Civic Design Center Research Fellow, founder and creator of the Game of Rent, and author of publication, Affordable Housing 101.
Civic Design Center is celebrating our 20 Year Anniversary with 20 Questions from some fellow advocates and idols.
“I sort of operate in a place of constant tension between being a developer and also a community advocate. It can sometimes feel impossible, but I think ultimately allows me to respond to see the needs and desires of multiple stakeholders and help build consensus.”
What city or town do you call home?
Nashville is home now, although I grew up in New Jersey and will always claim that as my home state.
What is your favorite place to live in other than the one you currently live in?
Chicago. I interned there for a summer in college and it totally changed the way I thought about cities. I loved being able to walk to work, hop on the L to visit friends, or go for a run along the riverfront and explore different parks, street festivals, and civic spaces.
What is one place you would like to visit that you have never been to?
Scandinavia.
What is your favorite public resource in your home or favorite city or town?
Nashville’s greenway network.
What is your favorite place you can easily access via public transit?
Public Square Park - especially for Live on the Green.
What was your childhood dream job?
Secret Agent.
Could you have imagined being in the profession you are today?
Not exactly, but I always knew I wanted to do something involving creative problem solving. For me, that’s what architecture and design are really all about. I didn’t expect that I would end up working so deeply in housing, but looking back it’s not surprising. I have always valued the idea of “home” and looked for ways to use my skills to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
If you had to tell a 7th grader, what does it take to do what you do?
Optimism, passion, and patience. Passion gets you up in the morning, patience keeps you going when you hit a roadblock, and optimism reminds you that things can get better and the hard work is worth doing. Anyone can learn technical skills, but finding something you’re passionate about and really digging into it is even more important.
What would you tell a 7th grader that you would have loved to know?
Making mistakes is not a bad thing! In school I was very concerned with having the “right” answers and getting good grades. While these things were important and helped me get where I wanted to go, my fear of messing up, disappointing people, or not being good at something kept me from trying new things and getting outside of my comfort zone.
If you could have had a different career what would you have done, or what might you do next?
I love language and I think the words we use are really important, so I think I would be happy as an editor of some sort. In the future, I could see myself getting more involved in policy work, in order to unlock and scale up solutions that we see working well on the ground - especially in housing.
Urban Housing Solutions Dedicated Senior Housing in North Nashville
What is the impact you have made on your community that you are most proud of?
Last year Urban Housing Solutions opened our first dedicated senior housing building, providing 55 apartments for very low-income older adults in North Nashville. It was the first project I really got to work on from conceptual design and funding applications through construction and leasing, and there were a lot of innovative elements and strategies we were able to integrate to support the health and well-being of our residents. Getting to meet some of the new residents and hear how the building was impacting their lives was incredible, and I’m so proud of what our team was able to accomplish there.
What is unique about your perspective?
My role is not a traditional one for an architect. I sort of operate in a place of constant tension between being a developer and also a community advocate. It can sometimes feel impossible, but I think ultimately allows me to respond to see the needs and desires of multiple stakeholders and help build consensus. I also think that my path to working in housing showed me how complicated the issue is and why it can be so difficult for the general public to have an impact - that’s why I spend so much time and energy on communication, education, and advocacy.
What has been your favorite speaking engagement?
In 2018 I was invited to speak at AIA Chattanooga’s monthly chapter meeting and an evening event the day before. I had never been to Chattanooga before so I was really excited to visit and meet folks in the design community there. I was also paired with one of my professional heroes, so it was both inspiring and encouraging to share the stage with someone I really admire. I also really enjoyed getting to present and play The Game of Rent with the Barnes Housing Trust Fund Commission and community members in 2019.
What is the first word you think of when you hear…
Community? Connection
Equity? Power
Design? Solutions
What is your favorite...
Element in a park or public space? I love the melting bird sculpture (“Reflection” by Lawrence Argent) in Shelby Park - I used to go running there frequently and on a hot day that’s exactly how I felt!
Street? Riverside Drive in East Nashville.
Mode of transportation? Biking
What makes you feel safe when walking along at night alone?
Adequate lighting and sidewalks
Kelsey and her new pup, Greg, at Christmastime
Do you have a pet?
I do! We adopted a quarantine pup last year - his name is Greg and he’s the cutest. We’re still working on his leash manners, but he loves the dog park and exploring our neighborhood.
What was the best thing you have taken away from the pandemic?
The importance of boundaries, in all sorts of ways: being intentional about “logging off” at the end of the work-from-home day, limiting screen time and social media consumption, and saying “no” more often for my physical and mental health.
What do you think is going to be the most powerful change from 2020 to 2021?
Increased public accountability. I think more people have seen the power of their voice and organizing, and I hope that our elected leaders know that we are still watching, and will continue to push for the things we need and want in our communities.
What brings you hope?
I feel really old saying this, but young people give me so much hope. Their passion, commitment, and engagement are inspiring and so far beyond where I feel like I was as a kid or teenager.
Read the Takeaways from Kelsey’s session at Annual Luncheon 2020: Leading Change in Affordability through Transportation and Housing Advocacy.