91视频

Kannikar Petersen

Architect and partner

AKAAN Architecture & Design

Kannikar Petersen left Thailand to attend architecture school in Houston, Texas, where she met her husband, Al. After successful careers in Bangkok and Philadelphia, the couple moved to Al鈥檚 hometown, St. Helens, in 2005 and opened a small firm.

They immediately made their mark by transforming a dilapidated downtown street front into contemporary office space. Petersen and her husband are both Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certified and used that expertise for the renovation work, installing energy-efficient electrical and lighting systems; low-CFC mechanicals; and double-glazed low-e glass panels. The result was a happy landlord and an instant attraction in a previously long-vacant space.

Beyond her profession as an architect in partnership with her husband, Petersen has been tremendously active in her adopted hometown for the decade she鈥檚 been there.

鈥淲hen we first came to Oregon, the economy was tough and work was slow, so I decided to do something good for the community,鈥� Petersen said. 鈥淚 like pretty places and my husband said St. Helens hadn鈥檛 changed in years, so we tried to do something.鈥�

For Petersen, doing something started with volunteering on several beautification projects. Her community involvement has since grown to encouraging the population of the little town to use art to make their community look better and to draw more visitors.

While serving on the board of the St. Helens Arts and Cultural Commission, Petersen conceived the idea of the St Helens Sculpture Project to beautify the streets along U.S. Route 30 鈥� which runs through the city — with artwork. She spearheaded a successful $50,000 fundraising campaign that navigated the slings and arrows of public agencies and bureaucratic hurdles to produce a series of sculptures by Oregon artist Suzanne Lee that now grace the highway near downtown St. Helens.

Petersen also conceived a project to replace a series of light-pole-mounted banners that had worn out over the years. She designed the banners to highlight local landmarks and features 鈥� including the Columbia County Courthouse, the Lewis and Clark Bridge and a sternwheeler. The banners now grace the Route 30 corridor from Scappoose to Clatskanie. Another project spearheaded by Petersen will eventually feature 60 aluminum banners designed by a local artist and engineered so that the banners move with the wind. Five of those banners have already been installed, with two more planned for placement this year.

鈥淲hen people are exposed to public art, they become more involved (and) more interested in their community,鈥� Petersen said. 鈥淭hey become proud of where they live.鈥�