Leah Nicole Johnson
Interior Designer
Perkins Eastman
perkinseastman.com

Global architecture firm Perkins Eastman is known for its motto, “human by design,” which promotes design with a positive impact on people’s lives and the environment.

It’s a philosophy embraced by interior designer Leah Nicole Johnson, who just celebrated her one-year anniversary at the firm’s Pittsburgh location.

“I work to uphold the standards and upstanding legacy of PE, while integrating new perspectives and advocacy for underrepresented groups,” she says. “Perkins Eastman has allowed me to focus and strengthen my career in design while challenging myself and pushing others to look at how we advocate and represent for the future designers/architects in the work we create and the environment we nurture.”

As a young designer, Johnson, who graduated from Chatham University in 2022, says she is working to contribute to the company’s diversity, mentorship and overall growth.

“Working closely with my colleagues and sharing my perspectives with leadership to enhance the wellbeing of this firm and create a welcoming space for outreach are my aspirations for growth here at Perkins Eastman,” she says.

In her time outside the firm, Johnson is an activist and supporter of rights for women and for black, indigenous and people of color — both in and out of the design field — as well as for minorities working in architecture and design.

A proud advocate of the arts, Johnson is a board member for the Indigenous Curatorial Collective. She’s also an allied member of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design, the YWCA Pittsburgh and the National Organization for Minority Architects Pittsburgh chapter.

She also is a proponent of advocating for yourself, noting she has experienced setbacks because she didn’t want to make waves in social settings by expressing her opinions. Gaining comfort and confidence in herself as she navigates her career was key to helping her advance past her inner hesitancy, she says.

“Missing out on opportunities because of how I think people view me, or how I internally struggle with my own identity, has created setbacks, but has also changed me into the woman I am today,” she says. “Developing that confidence and determination in the workplace as a woman is a must to tackle adversities — and [to] advocate for yourself.”

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