About Our Team | Emboss Design

We intentionally design beautiful spaces & experiences with playful purpose and expert proficiency that boldly stand out from the mundane to create a positive impression on the future for people and communities.

We started Emboss in 1980 to do meaningful work that was valuable to our community. We believe that good design has the power to transform people’s lives. That is why we design beautiful, humane, neuro-informed, budget-conscious and environmentally sensitive spaces.

Our team strives to create solutions that are bespoke to our clients, inspired by their vision for the world and alive with energy and care. We believe architecture has the power to influence human behavior, evoke emotion, and honor the specific nuances of each client’s vision while embodying a reverence for place.

We are a small but mighty architecture firm that focuses on commercial projects with the bulk of our work in the airport and the educational sectors. We combine expertise and technical performance with a modern, fresh sensibility.

We combine expertise and technical performance with a modern, fresh sensibility.

We’re located in Newport, Kentucky, but work on projects across the United States.

Past and Current Clients

DBL Law
Kenton County Public Schools
Braxton Brewery
City of Cold Spring
Hofbrauhaus
Rhinestahl
Hampton Inn
Kenton County Airport Board

Areas of Expertise

Architectural Design and Documentation
Commercial Building Design
Custom Home Design
Commercial Renovations
Residential Remodels
Tenant fit-outs
Facade Remodels
Historic Preservation Tax Credit Projects
Master Planning
Landscape Design
Pay App Review
Construction Administration
Interior Design
Branding and Branded Interiors
Videography & Storytelling
Development Consulting

We design through the lens of elevating the mental state of those that will inhabit our spaces. We believe that great design understands and, more importantly, empathizes with the people our clients, and ultimately our buildings, are serving. Empathy is a critical resource we find lacking amongst our architecture contemporaries and we are determined to use our design mastery to create solutions that break free from the mundane and bring impossible-to-ignore beauty and positive experiences into the daily routine of all people. We believe, at its best, design can change the world.

We design through the lens of those that will inhabit our spaces.

Our impact extends far above the tops of our homes and buildings. We provide a novel approach to architecture that is unique to us. Our singular vision of being the boldest and most playful studio result in perfect expressions of our methodology.

We strive to authentically amplify the lives of everyone who interacts with our work. These experiences describe our culture, attitude, and approach to every project and are embedded within the foundation of Emboss.

Our Team

Owner, CEO

Director of Design

Emma Adkisson

Project Manager

Senior Architect

Jim Kaiser

Senior Project Manager

Mark Perry

Project Architect

Senior Project Manager

Ralph Cooper

Project Architect

Project Manager

Mike Benkert

Project Designer

Hope Forgus

Filmmaker, Photographer & Videographer

Trask McFarland

Don't Just Take Our Word For It

Hear From Our Clients

"We designed an energy efficient building with new high performance design elements and we did it in a very cost-effective manner. They folded it into a very unique design that is cheaper per sq. ft. than similar buildings. "

"EMBOSS took a blank space and we were able to take more advantage of the situation than just paint. There was some thought and creativity. The space influences our mood and what customers see and they came up with ways for us to do that. I wouldn’t want to work with another architect that wouldn’t do the same thing. "

"When you are dealing in this industry, it’s a relationship issue. I got good cooperation and responsiveness, good solutions to problems. It makes for a very enjoyable experience. "

"You need an architect to stand by you throughout construction problems. There is always something to fight with a contractor about and you need to hold them accountable. You need someone who will stand beside you and EMBOSS does. "

"I appreciate their ability to embrace innovation and push the envelope. Some firms stay within their zone and don’t take decision risks. We would not be where we are today without taking design risks. "

"I have a lot of comfort in going in there and speaking honestly and openly and solving problems together. There is peace in knowing we are going to make the best decision given the circumstance. "

"They have the experience, particularly in the work that I do with the special needs population and with funders who have particular report and design requirements. They have the depth of experience to work with everyone involved, is really part of the team, and is responsive and listens to what I need. "

"One of EMBOSS’s greatest strengths is understanding their client’s needs and making themselves available for whatever the client needs such as follow up information, reports, overseeing contractors’ work, responding to different deadlines. They meet every deadline without exception and are very communicative. "

We intentionally design beautiful spaces & experiences with playful purpose and expert proficiency that boldly stand out from the mundane to create a positive impression on the future for people and communities.

Past and Current Clients

Areas of Expertise

We design through the lens of those that will inhabit our spaces.

Our impact extends far above the tops of our homes and buildings. We provide a novel approach to architecture that is unique to us. Our singular vision of being the boldest and most playful studio result in perfect expressions of our methodology.