As Dezeen’s senior contributing editor, McKnight shapes global conversations about design’s role in addressing climate change, urbanization, and social equity. Her 15-year career spans:
“True architectural journalism documents both the steel beams and the social fabric they support.”
We’ve followed Jenna McKnight’s work for over a decade, observing how her reporting has become essential reading for architects and design enthusiasts seeking nuanced analysis of the built environment’s cultural impact. Her career trajectory reveals a journalist equally comfortable dissecting structural engineering breakthroughs as exploring design’s role in social equity.
McKnight’s 2024 deep dive into LOHA’s fire-resilient Malibu residence demonstrates her ability to weave technical analysis with human narrative. The piece meticulously documents the concrete home’s passive cooling systems and wildfire mitigation strategies while foregrounding the emotional weight of rebuilding after disaster. Her inclusion of construction timelines and material specifications provides architects with practical insights, while poignant interviews with residents ground the technical details in lived experience.
This 2020 investigation showcased McKnight’s knack for rapid-response journalism with lasting impact. She aggregated global design solutions for COVID-safe dining, from UV sterilization systems to modular partitions, while critiquing the socioeconomic implications of these adaptations. The article’s blend of technical diagrams and ethnographic observations became a reference point for public health officials and restaurateurs alike.
McKnight’s 2015 exclusive analysis of BIG’s tapered tower design broke down complex structural innovations while contextualizing the project within New York’s emotional rebuilding narrative. Her diagrams explaining the "structural crystal" facade system became industry reference material, while interviews with community stakeholders highlighted the tension between architectural ambition and collective memory.
McKnight consistently amplifies projects addressing social inequities through design. Her coverage of post-earthquake housing in Haiti and homeless shelters employing trauma-informed design principles demonstrates particular interest in architecture as a tool for social justice. Pitches should emphasize measurable community impact alongside technical specifications.
From carbon-sequestering concrete to mycelium-based insulation, McKnight’s reporting tracks material innovations with environmental implications. Successful pitches connect laboratory research to real-world applications, ideally with case studies of deployed technologies.
Her reappraisal of Mario Botta’s SFMOMA and documentation of indigenous building techniques in Burkina Faso reveal a sustained interest in architectural preservation. Pitches should balance historical context with contemporary adaptation strategies.
As a veteran Milan Furniture Fair and Venice Biennale correspondent, McKnight seeks stories that transcend national borders. Pitches should frame projects within international design movements while identifying local cultural specificities.
While McKnight occasionally covers high-profile residences like Trancas House 2.0, these pieces emphasize resilience and material innovation over luxury amenities. Pitches for speculative residential developments rarely gain traction unless tied to broader urban planning initiatives.
“Architecture’s digital storyteller-in-chief” – Surface Magazine Portfolio of American Influencers, 2017
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Architecture, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
