Kristina Held

President at HELD Architecture

Speaker

Kristina Held, AIA, is President and Owner of HELD Architecture, PC, a Charlotte-based boutique practice specializing in high-performance multifamily, adaptive reuse, urban infill, and placemaking across North and South Carolina.

Trained in Europe and at UNC Charlotte, Kristina has practiced in the Charlotte market for more than 25 years, guiding projects through zoning, historic districts, and the codes that shape middle-market development. Under her leadership the firm delivered Charlotte’s first pre-certified Passive House residential project and continues to advise owners and developers on buildings that perform — lower energy and maintenance costs, stronger indoor comfort, and amenities and shared spaces residents actually use.

HELD’s work treats design as an operating strategy: envelope, systems, acoustics, and placemaking that support resident retention, neighborhood identity, and NOI in a competitive middle-market product. She collaborates regularly with local developers, engineers, and Phius practitioners.

In 2026 HELD received the Industry Stewardship Award at the Crowns of Enterprise Awards, and Kristina was named Most Admired CEO by CREW Charlotte.