Lissette Mendez-Boyer is the Studio Design Leader for HKS Cities and Communities Practice in New York City. As a child, Lissette was awestruck by how light transformed the experience in her local church, the market, and landmark buildings. Her family encouraged her curiosity and creativity to create and build using household objects, and as she grew up, she imagined through her drawings how cities could change in the future. Lissette believes great design is thoughtful, functional, economical, sustainable/resilient, and aesthetically pleasing. Over her 25-year career, Lissette has worked on various disciplines and project types, including campus-wide visioning plans and master planning projects for educational and institutional clients. She has also worked on museums, libraries, preservation and restoration of historic structures, and mixed-use development projects. Her passion and interests are in projects that focus on sustainability, equity, and wellness. Lissette has a Master of Urban Design from Harvard University and her Bachelor of Architecture degree from City College of New York.