Sarah Sutherlin, LEED AP, AIA

Sarah Sutherlin is a highly accom­plished Trans­porta­tion Archi­tec­ture Discipline Leader at CDM Smith. With her impressive credentials, including being a LEED AP, AIA, and a licensed architect in Wisconsin and Illinois, Sarah brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She chose to join CDM Smith because of “the opportunity to contribute to impactful infra­struc­ture projects that improve access to transit, the condition of our built environment, and quality of life for the greater public.”

Sarah's passion for observing how people interact with built infra­struc­ture and the natural world, and the power these spaces have in shaping people's health and happiness, inspires her work. She thrives on working with inter­dis­ci­pli­nary teams of architects, engineers, planners, contractors, clients, and communities to develop solutions and build consensus. “Guiding this creative inter­dis­ci­pli­nary problem-solving process to produce elegant solutions is genuinely rewarding," she says.

One of Sarah's proudest projects is the recently opened SunRunner, a bus rapid transit project in Pinellas County, Florida. As the lead architect, Sarah was responsible for configuring each station and developing custom shelters and infor­ma­tional kiosks. The project has been widely popular, with vibrant stations featuring public art that integrates into the urban fabric. Sarah tackled technical challenges such as designing for user comfort and material durability in the coastal environment and mitigating impacts on sea turtle habitats.

With her exceptional skills, dedication to inter­dis­ci­pli­nary collab­o­ra­tion, and track record of successful projects, Sarah Sutherlin is a valuable asset to CDM Smith and the trans­porta­tion archi­tec­ture community. Her passion for creating impactful infra­struc­ture and enhancing the built environment demon­strates her unwavering commitment to improving transit access and quality of life for communities.