Christine Brill, AIA - Principal

Christine Brill is a founding Principal of Studio for Spatial Practice, a firm specializing in public realm projects involving urban design, architecture, art and research. A design professional, educator and community activist, Christine views community participation and context-based research as important parts of the place-making process. She is committed to creatively engaging clients and community members with design and decision-making processes. Brill recognizes that the success of any planning effort rests upon the ability and commitment of local leadership to act upon plan elements. Prior to starting her own practice, Christine managed architecture, urban design and planning projects at Pfaffmann + Associates PC and Perkins Eastman Architects in Pittsburgh, and interned at Skidmore Owings + Merrill and Kliment + Halsband Architects in New York City. She also provides independent research and consulting services to the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh.

Christine is involved in numerous community-based activities in Pittsburgh. She is a certified Tree Tender and is leading a pro bono effort to design and develop a neighborhood “Tree Park” in Pittsburgh’s 10th Ward. In 2000, she co-founded the GroundZero Action Network, an arts and planning collective in Pittsburgh that facilitated the development of grassroots projects that fostered creativity, urban culture, connectivity and democracy. Christine is a member of the City of Pittsburgh’s Contextual Design Advisory Panel and the American Institute of Architects’ Pittsburgh chapter. In addition to professional practice, Christine is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Architecture where she teaches first-year, third-year and pre-college design studios. As a design instructor she emphasizes the creative integration of landscape, architecture and local context. Christine received a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Landscape Architecture at the Pennsylvania State University, focusing on Community and Urban Design.

Jonathan Kline - Principal

Jonathan Kline is a founding Principal of Studio for Spatial Practice, a Pittsburgh-based firm design firm specializing in projects that transform the public realm through architecture, urban design, landscape and art. With over ten years of professional urban design experience, Jonathan’s work utilizes graphic communication to understand and analyze complex urban situations, explore possible scenarios, propose creative design solutions and ultimately build clear narratives to communicate with broad audiences. His recent professional and academic projects have focused on creating innovative and sustainable urban environments by exploring new relationships between the urban and natural landscape. Prior to founding his own firm, Kline practiced with Urban Design Associates working on a wide range of projects including urban riverfront redevelopment and neighborhood master-planning in Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Charlotte, St Louis, Asheville, Bussy St. Georges, France, Cincinnati and New York City.

In addition to practice, Jonathan is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Architecture where he teaches graduate and undergraduate studios and elective courses. Kline leads Urban Laboratory community and urban design studios where students engage with communities to envision future possibilities for Pittsburgh neighborhoods. The Urban Lab introduces students to contemporary urban design practice, involving citizens, politicians and developers in collaborative, generative design processes. Since 2002 he has worked to redefine and develop the studio curriculum of the Urban Lab and he also teaches studios and seminars in the Master of Urban Design program. As a Research Fellow at Carnegie Mellon’s Remaking Cities Institute, Jonathan has worked on research projects to analyze and visualize the future of the Pittsburgh region. In 2004 he was an Associate Fellow at Carnegie Mellon’s STUDIO for Creative Inquiry acting as Planning Director for 3 Rivers 2nd Nature, an artist-led five-year interdisciplinary research project that measured and advocated for the health of Allegheny County rivers and streams. Jonathan also practices as a visual artist using paintings, installations and community-based projects to explore the collective potential of global networks and urban spaces. Jonathan received a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon and a Master of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting from the Pennsylvania State University.