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Kendra Locklear Ordia earned a Master of Interior Design from the School of Architecture at The University of Texas Austin where she focused on biophilic interior design guidelines for healthcare environments. Her undergraduate degree is in Interior Design from the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She is a registered interior designer in the State of Nebraska and Texas, holds an NCIDQ certification and is a LEED BD+C accredited professional.  Prior to UNL, Ordia held academic positions in the Interior Architecture and Product Design Department at Kansas State University as well as in the Interior Design Program at Texas State University. Her professional work at renowned firms like Perkins & Will, Gensler, and CallisonRTKL (now Arcadis) allowed exposure to projects ranging from large scale healthcare to workplace design with focuses on environmental and occupant wellbeing. 

Her research explores nature interiority through theory, narrative, and designed solutions for increased wellbeing, equity, and delight. Her writings have been featured in publications including Public Interiority: Exploring Interiors in the Public Realm, Interiors: Design/Architecture/Culture, and Streetnotes: Urban Habits.  Her creative, biophilic-inspired work has been exhibited at several national and international exhibitions including Public Interiority, DesignLAB Next Nest Exhibition and at Curtains: The Center for American Architecture and Design Symposium. 

In 2020, she was recognized as one of eight American Society of Interior Design (ASID) Ones to Watch scholars. In 2023 she was awarded the IDEC Teaching Excellence Award and in 2024 received the ASID Educator of the Year award. She serves on the ASID National Board of Directors, the IDCEC Board of Directors, and the Interior Design Educator Council (IDEC) Foundation board. 

 Areas of Interests & Research

As a designer and researcher, her endeavors explore the intersection of public interiority and nature expressed in the themes of biophilic design, health and well-being, environmental quality, and spatial ecologies. Specific areas of study and interest are:

• Spatial narratives in biophilic interior design
• Biophilia for the nature-deprived
• Inclusivity and nature-influenced spatial experiences
• Role of beauty, wonder, and play in the context of biophilic design
• Connection to Nature theories and Sense of Place
• Micro and material spatial ecologies