Sarrah is the Founder and Principal Engineer of Agencie, where she leads the company’s engineering team. Agencie is a design practice that integrates architecture and engineering into a single solution. Agencie’s award-winning portfolio includes over 1,000 buildings across sectors, including Aviation, Civic, Hospitality and Residential. As the lead of an MBE and WBE practice, Sarrah has been fortunate to collaborate with extraordinary partners. Her most recent collaboration is on John F. Kennedy International Airport’s $9.5B New Terminal One (NTO), the largest infrastructure project in the U.S. Previously, Sarrah was the Founder and Lead Engineer of Urban Umbrella, the innovative scaffolding company. She pioneered the design of the Urban Umbrella, which was the first alternative to the standard New York City sidewalk shed in over 50 years. Prior to founding Agencie and Urban Umbrella, Sarrah worked for Buro Happold on geometrically complex grid shells. She also engineered the expansive glass roofs at the United States Institute for Peace and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. An active thought leader, her work has been featured in various publications, including the New York Times, Globe and Mail, and NBC. A lifelong teacher, she has lectured at Yale University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Columbia University. www.agenciegroup.com
1 How did your interest in civil engineering begin, and what led you to form Agencie?
Sarrah Khan: Before I even knew what civil engineering was, I knew I liked to solve problems. I’ve enjoyed tinkering and figuring things out since I was a child. Civil engineering is all about ingenuity—creating solutions to challenges to make places work better. That could be spanning a bridge across a river, transporting water through the desert, or finding ways to improve cities. Agencie (founded in 2007) came from my desire to combine the ingenuity of civil engineering with the beauty of design. Agencie means to “have the ability and power to control outcome”. By unifying engineering and architecture, Agencie delivers creativity with the technical ingenuity to truly transform buildings and spaces.
2 Can you share some functional highlights that will make NTO accessible for all travelers, including those with disabilities?
Sarrah Khan: At Agencie, we see sidewalks differently. We see their potential to uplift spaces. By flipping the narrative of gritty, dark, wet sidewalks and taxi lines on its head, we instead created stylish and dynamic spaces. These light-filled areas are now welcoming and accessible. They integrate structure, signage, and light in a graceful and inviting way that engages and supports all travelers.
3 Tell us about your role in reconstructing the $9.5 billion project at NTO.
Sarrah Khan: We’re proud to play a role in the incredible redevelopment at JFK Airport. This is our hometown, and the New Terminal One project we’re currently working on is the largest single infrastructure project in the United States. The building’s signature Headhouse space creates an unmistakable experience in transitioning from the outside deep into the interior. The skylight and facades play a significant role, with exposed structural steel and details setting the scene. Agencie was responsible for engineering the secondary steel for the skylights here and the facades and structures at the Clerestories, Canopies, Lounges, and Food Court.
4 Is there a specific project at NTO that you felt most inspired by?
Sarrah Khan: Working on the canopies at JFK Airport feels like a continuation of my design of the Urban Umbrella. This reimagines traditional sidewalk scaffolding, transforming it from dreary and intrusive structures into light, stylish spaces. Of course, they’re also engineered to offer the necessary protection and meet required regulations. I’m inspired by banal, urban spaces! I see the opportunity to create beautiful, enduring landmarks in their place.
5 With women making up only 17% of civil engineers, what advice can you offer young women considering a career in this field?
Sarrah Khan: Original thinking is what is required in this career. Having a different perspective is a strength. So firstly, I’d tell a young female engineer to believe in herself and her ideas. When it comes to finding the right place to build your career, seek out the environments that are genuinely inclusive. Those businesses are out there, so find them and grow in a supportive environment where your input is welcomed and encouraged.
Agencie, was fortunate to benefit from the Port Authority’s MWBE program. Along with NTO, they actively sought to support the advancement of woman-owned firms and facilitated a meaningful engineering role for us in this large, impactful project. So I have to say, never stop seeking opportunities.
