KPF

Underlining KPF’s dedication to precise and contextual architecture, a feature by architecture critic Justin Davidson for New York Magazine praises the adaptive reuse of One Madison Avenue for its modern, flexible, and “understated” design. The article highlights the adaptive reuse project as the latest iteration in the evolution of Manhattan office architecture. KPF’s renewal scheme for One Madison Avenue retains an existing 1950s building and adds a new tower above. The design required delicately inserting a new concrete core to the base building that rises to support the new tower, while a steel truss supports the new tower and transfers its weight to megacolumns strategically placed in the original structure. “All that deft engineering yielded a stack of admirably open interiors, uncluttered by columns, luxuriantly ventilated to post-COVID standards, and readily adaptable to whatever notions of contemporary office culture a tenant might bring,” says Davidson. KPF’s design intervention carefully considers the complex’s iconic clock tower, added by Napoleon LeBrun in 1909, by stepping away from the street and deferring to the monument in height and materiality. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4116THw Image Credit: Max Touhey Client: SL Green Realty Corp. Restaurant and Rooftop Amenity Interiors: Rockwell Group Lobby and Commons Interiors: Vocon #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #AdaptiveReuse #ManhattanHistory #MadisonAvenue

Last week, KPF’s Environmental Performance team (KPFep) traveled to Philadelphia to attend the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the premier conference on sustainability in the built environment. This year’s theme, “Built to Scale,” complemented KPF’s own sustainable design ethos—as a firm, we are dedicated to elevating cities through impactful design, and the work of our Environmental Performance team is all about finding ways to achieve more environmentally friendly buildings that meet the scale of the climate crisis. This year’s conference saw an increased emphasis on Passive House as a sensible solution to save operational energy and cost, as well as a continued emphasis on tackling embodied carbon, especially from difficult-to-quantify sources including construction and MEP systems. Across the conference’s many sessions, keynotes, and networking conversations, there was a sense of optimism about the future of sustainable design and a growing understanding that carbon cannot be the only lens through which architects view sustainability—human health, community impact, and ecosystems are vital considerations as well. On Friday, KPF’s Global Sustainability Director, Carlos Cerezo Davila, had the opportunity to join the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) on a panel to discuss how KPF’s residential tower, Heron, supported the Water Street development in Tampa, Florida, in becoming the first place to achieve the WELL Community Standard. ?? KPF Remy Mermelstein, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, Quoc Dang, Erin Heidelberger, Christina X B., Ethan Tucker #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #AEC #SustainableDesign #Greenbuild

Three KPF projects were recognised in the American Architecture Awards program organised by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum for Architecture and Design. A winner in the Corporate Office Building category, 320 Granville offers AAA office space, and an enhanced public realm located adjacent to the Central Waterfront district of Vancouver. 660 Fifth Avenue, the retrofit of an outdated office building in Midtown Manhattan, received an honorary mention in the same category. Winner in the Multi-Family Housing category, Scope Langsuan is a luxury residential tower located in the center of one of Bangkok’s most desirable and rapidly evolving neighbourhoods. From a new construction office tower to an efficient retrofit and high-rise residential building, the projects recognized by the American Architecture Awards each highlight a unique approach to KPF’s mission of elevating cities through impactful design, with particular attention to performance, context, and craft. Read more: https://bit.ly/3ZeMAVT #KohnPedersenFox #KPF #AmericanArchitectureAwards #Office #Residential ??: Ema Peter Photography, Raimund Koch, Owen Raggett

“Five key moves to turbo-charge decarbonisation,” were identified at a roundtable hosted by the RIBA Journal and Autodesk, which was attended by Elias Anka, Senior Environmental Specialist. The application of evidence-based solutions is core to KPF’s mission to create impactful designs that elevate cities. “Technology and simulation are the way forward to make better-informed decisions about decarbonisation,” Elias explained. Roundtable participants agreed on the benefits of software tools to guide more sustainable decision-making early in the design process. “We have to try to tap into engines and platforms that produce outputs quickly,” Elias said, highlighting that the lag between sending designs to consultants to be modelled and receiving results can delay the design process. For KPF, it is the large scale and impact of our work that shape our approach to sustainability. We leverage the expertise of our in-house Environmental Performance team and external consultants to design sustainable, resilient, and healthy structures and spaces. The event was chaired by RIBA Journal deputy editor jan-carlos kucharek. Elias was joined by Golnaz Ighany from BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd), Marta Bouchard from Autodesk, Smith Mordak from the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Claire Brady from Useful Projects, Jan-Carlos Kucharek from RIBA Journal, Simon Sturgis from Targeting Zero, Tomas Miller from Miller Howard Workshop, and writer Denise Chevin MBE Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4fNdiu8 #KohnPedersenFox #KPF #Decarbonisation ??: Alexia Glasgow-Alexandra

In today’s CBS Mornings special, Jay Leno tours KPF’s Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, highlighting the prestigious collection of vintage cars that has attracted visitors for 30 years. Founded in 1994 by Rob E. Petersen of Hot Rod Magazine, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has attracted car lovers and Hollywood tourists alike for 30 years. The museum holds “one of the largest and most prestigious automotive collections in the world,” says Evans. “McQueen’s ’56 Jaguar is now worth around 30 million dollars, the crown jewel in a collection of over 400 classics.” “Wrapped in ribbons of steel, the museum itself is a work of art” says CBS, highlighting the KPF-designed fa?ade. Made of “angel hair” stainless steel, the offset silver veneer is inspired by the vehicular form and references the way that the body of a car is mounted to its frame. The design exemplifies KPF’s dedication to contextual architecture, echoing the mid-century architectural language of Los Angeles, an arresting space-age style that is contemporary with many of the Petersen’s prized automobiles. Watch the full CBS special here: https://lnkd.in/e7PvwXuJ #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #LosAngeles #PetersenAutomotiveMuseum #JayLeno #CBSMornings

Join KPF tech leads Martin Wilding and Elias Anka at this year’s London Build Expo. Martin, BIM Manager at KPF’s London office, will join the panel “Top Tech Trends 2024: Hear from the Actual Users.” Martin, along with other industry experts, will discuss ways in which KPF supports its most complex projects across all phases through the integration of computational design and contemporary data-driven workflows. Elias, Lead Environmental Specialist, will join a panel of industry experts addressing the question, “Can Technological Solutions Alone Drive Us Towards Net Zero?” He will discuss how KPF leverages the expertise of its in-house Environmental Performance team alongside external consultants to create sustainable, resilient, and healthy structures. Learn more and register to attend here: https://bit.ly/4fpPn4d #KohnPedersenFox #KPF #TechnologyTrends #NetZero #LondonBuildExpo

The recently released "AIA Materials Pledge By the Numbers" report features data reported by KPF alongside 91 other leading architecture and design firms. Earlier this year, KPF signed the pledge, committing to specifying building materials with consideration for human health, social health and equity, ecosystem health, climate health, and a circular economy. KPF understands the critical impact building materials have on human health and ecosystems, we also know that without transparency, it’s impossible to improve. In addition to reporting data on material specification to The American Institute of Architects (AIA) annually, we share our expectations of data transparency with material vendors and seek out building materials with certifications for our material library with the aim of specifying products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for major product categories. We are also working to implement dedicated materials training for our architectural staff to ensure informed specification. The AIA Materials Pledge complements other commitments KPF has made to develop the capacity to design and deliver net-zero buildings by 2030 (AIA and RIBA 2030) and reduce the carbon emissions of our firm’s operations by 50% by 2030 (the Science Based Targets initiative). #buildingmaterials #embodiedcarbon #sustainablearchitecture #circulareconomy #AIAMaterialsPledge Read more: https://bit.ly/3UPh3r0

520 Fifth Avenue “draw[s] on the architectural history of iconic neighborhood buildings,” says Commercial Observer, “…stylistically differentiat[ing] itself from its neighbors.” The new mixed-use tower is a demonstration of KPF’s commitment to the city, elevating the Midtown Manhattan business district by accommodating a new age of office work, boutique residences, and a members club inside a historically evocative fa?ade. The stacked program of the tower encourages occupants to interact casually and invites pedestrians to engage storefronts at street level. “We have this really unique ability to design what is truly, like the first purpose-built, post-COVID building,” says Josh Rabina, CEO of Rabina. Read more here:

KPF attendees of the 2024 National Organization of Minority Architects conference led a seminar on nycoba | NOMA (NY Coalition of Black Architects|National Organization of Minority Architects - NY)'s Onsite Program, a site tour of T. Rowe Price Headquarters, and a volunteer information session. Read more here:

T. Rowe Price Headquarters, a transformational redevelopment located on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, has won the National Organization of Minority Architects Phil Freelon Award. “Through humanization in scale, site porosity, and use," says KPF Design Principal jeffrey kenoff, faia, "the T. Rowe Price HQ not only seeks to revitalize the harbor front but set a new standard for extending the city’s urban fabric.” Read more here: