Architecture has the ability to communicate a story long before a word is ever spoken. At Abel Design Group, design is about more than creating functional buildings. It is about shaping how people experience a space through structure, scale, materiality, and movement. For Senior Associate Justin Najjar-Keith, the most impactful environments are the ones where the built environment itself becomes part of the narrative, balancing performance and practicality with thoughtful, experience-driven design.
With experience spanning public sector, mixed-use, and hospitality, Justin brings a highly practical and detail-oriented perspective to his work. In this edition of Insights by Design, he shares how storytelling can emerge through materiality, structure, and user experience, and why thoughtful design is about creating spaces that feel intentional and adaptable even after the first impression.
Can you walk us through your career journey, including your experience across public, private, and mixed-use projects, and how that has shaped your approach to architecture?
Justin: I always knew I wanted to become an architect. Growing up, I was constantly sketching buildings, houses, and bridges, so the profession felt like a natural path from an early age. While I initially thought residential design would be my focus, my career ultimately led me through a much broader range of project types and experiences.
A significant portion of my early experience was rooted in the public sector, including military, aviation, higher education, and public safety projects. Those projects instilled a strong technical foundation and taught me the importance of precision, durability, sustainability, and coordination, especially within highly complex and rigorously reviewed project frameworks.
Over time, I transitioned more into private sector work and mixed-use environments before joining Abel Design Group almost four years ago. What I enjoy most now is the combination of technical problem-solving and experience-driven design, particularly within hospitality and restaurant environments where atmosphere, materiality, and user experience play such a major role in how people interact with a space.
What drives your approach to designing spaces that balance functionality, durability, and user experience?
Justin: I am a very function-driven designer. I really enjoy the space planning phase because every decision carries weifht, and every square foot needs to serve a clear purpose. My background in public sector work also taught me a tremendous amount about durability and long-term performance, especially working closely with facilities teams that focused heavily on maintenance, longevity, and how materials would actually hold up over time.
At the same time, user experience is equally important. You can choose the most beautiful material, but if it creates safety concerns, is difficult to maintain, or uncomfortable for people to interact with, then it ultimately affects how the space is perceived and used. The best projects successfully balance all three: functionality, performance, and how people feel within the environment.
In what ways does design as storytelling influence your approach to architecture, particularly within mixed-use and commercial environments?
Justin: I think storytelling shows up differently depending on the project and the client. In hospitality environments, especially, it is often less about telling a literal story and more about creating a feeling people remember after they leave the space.
Many clients may not specifically say “we want storytelling,” but they know the type of atmosphere or experience they want guests to have. They want people to remember how the space felt, whether that is through lighting, material choices, circulation, views, or even smaller moments throughout the experience.
Part of our role as designers is filtering through those priorities and identifying what matters most. Sometimes schedules and budgets limit how much you can do, so it becomes more about focusing on the strongest ideas that communicate the client’s identity and creating a memorable experience without overcomplicating the project.
From your perspective, how can architecture communicate purpose and identity through form, scale, and material expression?
Justin: I think architecture communicates identity through all of the subtle details people may not consciously notice right away. Materiality, texture, proportion, and scale all influence how someone emotionally responds to a space and help shape the overall experience of an environment.
I personally love it when the structure itself becomes part of the design language. If you can celebrate exposed concrete, timber, brick, or other structural materials honestly, it creates authenticity and allows the architecture itself to help tell the story. Scale plays a major role in that as well, because certain spaces naturally feel more welcoming, intimate, or dramatic depending on how they are proportioned and experienced.
What role do practicality and budget-conscious decision-making play in the success of a project?
Justin: Budget and practicality are part of every project conversation, so I always encourage teams to think ahead and anticipate where adjustments may need to happen. Sometimes a material itself may be affordable, but the installation method or detailing around it becomes too expensive or difficult to execute, which is why understanding constructability early is so important.
I think successful projects come from balancing realistic decision-making with protecting the overall design intent. Having backup ideas ready and thinking through alternative solutions early helps avoid situations where important design elements suddenly have to disappear late in the process.
How do material selection and structural decisions contribute to both the performance and overall narrative of a project?
Justin: Material selection impacts so much more than aesthetics. It affects acoustics, maintenance, durability, texture, and how people physically experience the space over time.
I also love when structural elements can become part of the overall architectural expression instead of something hidden behind finishes. Especially in adaptive reuse projects, existing materials and structure often become part of the story and help create a stronger connection between the architecture and interiors.
There are so many layers involved in material decisions, too. It is not just about selecting a flooring product, for example. You are thinking about what is underneath it, how it sounds when people walk on it, how it performs acoustically, and how it holds up over time. All of those pieces contribute to both the experience and the long-term success of the project.
How do you design environments that support a range of users while still maintaining strong day-to-day functionality?
Justin: A lot of it comes down to flexibility and thinking beyond the immediate program requirements. Especially in workplace and hospitality environments, spaces need to evolve and adapt over time as operations, teams, or user expectations change.
We spend a lot of time thinking about how spaces may be used differently in the future and how furniture, layouts, and operational flows can support that adaptability. In hospitality projects specifically, operations drive many of those decisions. You have to think through events, circulation, service needs, acoustics, lighting conditions, and how guests move through the space in different scenarios.
Ultimately, it is about designing environments that feel intuitive and flexible without losing functionality or clarity.
What role does collaboration with consultants, contractors, and project teams play in shaping both the design process and the final outcome?
Justin: Collaboration is one of the most important parts of the process, especially early on. The earlier consultants, contractors, and project teams are involved, the easier it becomes to coordinate systems, solve issues proactively, and maintain the integrity of the design. There are so many moments where architecture overlaps with structure, mechanical systems, code requirements, and construction realities, so strong communication is critical.
I think collaboration also creates trust across the entire project team. When communication is clear and consistent from the beginning, projects move more smoothly, problems are solved faster, and the overall outcome becomes stronger for both the client and the design team.
What does it take to maintain design intent through documentation and construction while navigating code, safety, and budget requirements?
Justin: A lot of it comes down to anticipating challenges early and thinking through details before they become problems later in the process. Code requirements, especially can completely affect design decisions if they are not considered from the beginning, so integrating those realities early helps preserve the overall vision rather than forcing compromises later.
QAQC and detailing are also incredibly important. The more clearly something is documented and coordinated, the more likely it is to be built the way it was intended. Even small execution issues can dramatically affect how a project is ultimately experienced, which is why those details matter so much throughout construction.
From your position, how do you guide teams toward thoughtful, practical solutions, and how do you see the future of architecture evolving in balancing performance, efficiency, and experience-driven design?
Justin: I always encourage teams to think beyond the initial concept and really consider how materials and details will come together in the built environment. It is not enough for something to simply look good in a rendering or sketch. You have to think through how it will actually be constructed, how it will perform, and how people will interact with it every day.
It comes down to helping teams stay one step ahead and anticipate problems before they happen. That mindset leads to stronger coordination, better detailing, and ultimately a better experience for both the client and the user.
Looking ahead, I think people will always continue searching for meaningful and memorable experiences within architecture. Technology and AI will absolutely continue shaping the profession, but I still believe architecture requires a human perspective and emotional understanding that cannot be fully replaced. At the end of the day, architecture is still about people and how spaces make them feel.