222 East Society

ABOUT | THE SOCIETY…

222 East Society is a design practice specializing in design management, interiors + strategy. We have extensive experience working with a wide range of budget and project sizes tailored to the needs of the client across multiple project types both in North America and abroad. At 222 East Society, we understand that the design process begins and ends with our clients and always strive to exceed their hopes and expectations. We value making the design process transparent and transformative while also embracing a collaborative spirit working with the industry’s highest caliber technicians, fabricators and artisans. 222 East Society’s approach is both fresh and engaging, providing refined and sophisticated solutions with a focus on enhancing environments by creating comfortable, modern and ethereal spaces.

BIO |

Kelly D. Powell, AIA, LEED AP, FAAR | Founder of 222 East Society

Born in Detroit, MI

Kelly D. Powell is an architect whose career has been a unique exchange between practice, client representation and academia. Professionally, she has held key leadership positions within design firms such as Davis Brody Bond, IA Interior Architects, and Perkins + Will in addition to working directly on behalf of major global corporations such as the Hudson’s Bay Company and CBRE/American Express.  Projects have spanned across North America, the Middle East and Africa; ranging from global headquarters to the interior planning of educational, institutional, and civic buildings— winning numerous awards alongside the innovative teams.  

Academically, she has taught at the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Architecture and The Georgia Institute of Technology within its Paris, France program. For her early academic research, she was awarded the highly prestigious Rome Prize in Architecture from the American Academy in Rome; being the first African-American to win the architecture fellowship in the institution’s 125 year history. Prior to that, Kelly served as the Resident Design Fellow within the University of Detroit-Mercy’s Detroit Collaborative Design Center.  

Kelly received her architectural degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor were she was recently an Alumni Board member of its Taubman College. She is a member of NCARB and is licensed in the states of Michigan, New Jersey and New York and is a former President of the New York Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects—nycoba|NOMA.  Under her leadership, the J. Max Bond, Jr. Lecture was instituted and is now an annual event sponsored by the organization in partnership with the New York Center for Architecture/ NYC AIA. Kelly also served as the President of the century-year-old Society of Fellows/American Academy in Rome from 2016—2022 while also sitting on the American Academy’s Board of Trustees.