Cara Rude
NCIDQ, ASID, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP
Principal Interior Design
Highlights
- Exploring design since 2002
- First WELL AP in Alaska
Publications & Authorship
- Author, Expand Experience
- Author, MCG Red List Free Campaign
- Founder & Author, UPCYCLE
Speaking & Facilitation
- Presenter, Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) — Redlist 101 (CEU)
- Ambassador & Lecturer, International Future Living Institute (ILFI)
Notable Projects
“Good design is more than beauty; it is the canvas for life’s experience, articulating what we have deemed valuable. I strive to design experiences that reconnect us to the ecosystem and each other.”
Cara grew up surrounded by the smell of sawdust and the excitement of seeing ideas take shape. The daughter of a carpenter, she learned early on how design can influence the way people experience the world. That spark grew into a lifelong passion for creating environments that support wellbeing, connection, and joy.
As a Principal at Explore Design and an Interior Designer, Cara is driven to expand experiences through thoughtful design. Her work champions circularity, sustainability, and health, embracing human experience through designs that create joy and celebrate a project’s connection to its ecosystem.
Outside the studio, Cara channels her creativity into painting, dancing, and exploring Alaska’s great outdoors with her family. Each adventure fuels her imagination and her belief that design, like life, is most powerful when it’s in harmony with nature.
Featured Project
Cara is especially proud of projects like KSD Aniak Auntie Marie Nicoli ES, Northern Pacific Airways Lounge, and the soon-to-be Soldotna Elementary School, each one a reflection of her belief in “Expanding the Experience” through design. These projects exemplify the process she developed in her Expand Experience Workshop, a collaborative framework that helps organizations define their mission, material language, and culture through design. For Cara, these spaces go beyond function; they embody shared purpose, telling each client’s story through texture, color, and form.
Insights & Inspirations
A collection of thoughts that drive the team at Explore Design.