KPF

Middle and high school students participating in STEAM programs organized by the Salvadori Center visited the KPF New York office on December 12 to learn about the architecture industry. KPF Principal Lauren Schmidt, an active Salvadori Center board member, assisted in organizing the visit for students from MS/HS 223 The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology. With talks from Greg Mell, Chandler Archbell, and Kavitha Mathew, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP, the group got a first-hand view inside a global architecture firm and exposure to the diverse career paths of KPF professionals. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3BErcjF Image credits: Salvadori Center, KPF #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #Outreach #STEAM

Aerial views of some of KPF’s most complex projects highlight the firm’s city-shaping impact across the globe. Defined by density, diverse programs, public green space, and connections to transportation, these planning projects elevate their urban context through performance-driven design. 1. The design of the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (Guangzhou) campus combines the school’s programmatic aspirations with the site’s natural beauty and environmental needs. Specialized facilities converge around central green spaces, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and a strong academic community. 2. Victoria Dockside is an energetic cultural district at the tip of Hong Kong’s Kowloon Peninsula, nurturing local artisanship while catering to international tourism. The landscaped roofs of K11 Musea, K11 Artus, and K11 Atelier provide havens of public green space programmed with retail and entertainment functions adjacent to the Rosewood Hong Kong tower. 3. The CPIC Xintiandi Commercial Center in Shanghai weaves together office space, retail, preserved historic buildings, public parks, and cultural facilities to achieve a new level of urban connectivity. The development is centered around a network of covered retail streets that preserves, modernizes, and commemorates the historic Dong Tai Lu ‘Antique Street’ that previously occupied the site. 4. The largest private real estate development in US history, Hudson Yards New York is built over the Long Island Rail Road rail yard and transforms a desolate industrial space into a vibrant neighborhood. The development organizes a mix of uses around 14 acres of public space and is anchored by KPF-designed 10 and 30 Hudson Yards, two high-rise office towers that have become icons of the New York skyline. Photo Credit: TAL, New World Group, Shui On Land, Aaron Fedor Read more about HKUST(GZ) here https://bit.ly/4gxHtGA, Victoria Dockside here https://bit.ly/406rmd1, CPIC Xintiandi Commercial Center here https://bit.ly/407J2Fa, and Hudson Yards here https://bit.ly/4gMMA5j. #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #MasterPlanning #AerialPhotography #GlobalDesign

Seeking to address the challenges posed by extreme heat and prolonged sun exposure in urban environments, KPF’s design, Computation, and Environmental Performance teams designed Track, a smart trellis system that continuously adapts throughout the day in response to weather data, sun angle analysis, and thermal intensity. Track works as a component for public realm design that makes cities suffering from extreme heat more livable while simultaneously fostering a high degree of exterior connectivity along city streets. As jeffrey kenoff, faia, KPF Design Principal and lead of the collaborative effort, remarks, Track ensures that “the circulation paths below evolve in real time, providing a shaded route at any given moment while allowing light to softly dapple along the edges.” Christina X B. of the KPF Environmental Performance team notes that “with growing concerns of extreme heat, designing year-round thermal comfort through passive strategies becomes even more crucial.” Conventional trellis systems are often static, offering limited utility by providing shade only during specific times of the day or certain seasons. For Track, “we analyzed the sun angle and intensity for every hour of the year to develop a temporal approach for comprehensively designing for outdoor comfort,” explains Luc Wilson, KPF Global Director of Design Technology. The ideal public space has enough shade to be comfortable, but enough light to be inviting. Striking that optimal balance was the central goal of Track. Madeleine Eggers, a member of the KPF Computation team, elaborates that “rather than kinetically tracking the sun position, the trellis is stationary. As the sun moves, local variations in the trellis cast shifting shadows that create transient shaded paths, offering a comfortable and ever-changing route throughout the day.” KPF’s mission of elevating cities through impactful design necessitates architectural thinking that addresses climate change beyond a building’s footprint. As Carlos Cerezo Davila, KPF Global Director of Sustainability, notes, “Track’s trellis helps create a bespoke urban microclimate that protects the site from extreme heat events while offering visitors a rich and diverse urban experience.” Read about Track here: https://bit.ly/4iMY8at Read more about KPF Computation: https://bit.ly/4gx9VIr Read more about KPF Environmental Performance: https://bit.ly/4fqow7j Team: Jeffrey Kenoff FAIA, Design Principal Carlos Cerezo Davila, Global Director of Sustainability Luc Wilson, Global Director of Design Technology Madeleine Eggers, KPF Computation Christina X. Brown, KPF Environmental Performance Hyunwoo Lee, Senior Designer

After a lively year of reaching project milestones, award wins, and progress toward our sustainability goals, KPF reflects on the achievements that have defined the firm’s work over the last 12 months. In 2024, KPF doubled down on its mission to elevate cities through impactful design, creating high performing, carefully crafted buildings that are unique to their physical, social, and environmental contexts. In New York City, 520 Fifth Avenue topped out and One Madison Avenue welcomed the IBM flagship office. The T. Rowe Price Headquarters (Baltimore), 64 University Place (New York City), and One Bangkok (Thailand) reached substantial completion, and Waterline, the first supertall in Texas, topped out in Austin, while Chapter London Bridge rose over London. Our work was recognized with an AIA National Architecture Award, a Singapore Good Design Award, two Architizer A+ Awards, and many other accolades. We also made strides toward our sustainability commitments, reporting project data to the AIA 2030 Commitment for the fifth year in a row and releasing our first-ever Sustainability and Climate Action Report. Read more about our year here: https://bit.ly/3ZU5jFo #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture

On December 14, Rebecca Cheng spoke about ways to nurture urban vibrancy at the Academic Conference on 3D Cities and Complex Architecture in Suzhou City, China. Rebecca’s presentation focused on the design processes of adaptive reuse and planning projects. She cited several projects, including Kerry Jinling Road and Yiwu Place, to illustrate how to preserve urban memories in the process of renewal and create historically contextual spaces that improve the modern city. She also introduced Canary Wharf as an example of a business district that incorporates abundant public spaces, highlighting how KPF’s 8 Canada Square and One North Quay are designed to strengthen the area’s diversity of uses. The 5th annual conference focused on the burgeoning sector of urban regeneration projects and their impact on the three-dimensional city and its architecture. The event was held by ECADI and the Specialized Committee on 3D Cities and Complex Architecture of the Architectural Society of China and celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the East China Suzhou Design Institute. Read more about the conference here: https://lnkd.in/eFXF4WTf Image credit: 华东建筑设计研究总院 ECADI #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #UrbanRenewal #SuzhouCity

Earlier this month, the TCC Hangzhou tower opened to the public. The mixed-use project’s ambitious sustainability goals and abundant greenery including rooftop terraces, public courtyards, and hanging gardens, reflects the values of its primary occupant Taiwan Cement Company, one of Asia’s most progressive environmental engineering companies. TCC Hangzhou blends ancient and modern elements to reference Hangzhou’s history as the origin of the silk road; the fluid curtain wall curves outward at the base to shelter a network of canals and intimate pathways. Looking over the Quintang river, the tower stands out along the skyline with a cascading glass façade that imitates a calligrapher’s stroke, further strengthening its contextual design. The opening ceremony featured speeches, gifts, and celebrations attended by Rebecca Cheng, Bruce Fisher, and Zhenceng Cui. Watch footage here: Read more here: https://bit.ly/41Ky2yY Credit: Hangzhou Century City #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #Context #SustainableDesign #SilkRoad

On December 5, KPF Senior Associate Principal Steven Smolyn, AIA joined lighting designer Eduardo Zepeda to lead a tour of One Vanderbilt with Open House New York. Known for its impressive height, civic experience, and festive spire lighting, One Vanderbilt has become a staple of the Manhattan skyline alongside the nearby Chrysler and Empire State Buildings. Tour attendees gained insider knowledge of the lighting and program layering techniques that make the commercial supertall stand out in the dense Midtown fabric. Crafted by Tillotson Design Associates, the lighting for One Vanderbilt serves to highlight the building’s exterior from podium to spire and transforms the tower into an energetic space that is usable 24/7 during all four seasons. Its direct transit connections, public realm contributions, and observation deck create dynamic zones at ground-level, below-grade, and 1,401 feet above the city. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3ZHpLJl Photo Credit: Ben Helmer #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #LightingDesign #OneVanderbilt #Manhattan #OHNY

Vote for 520 Fifth Avenue as 6sqft’s 2024 Building of the Year! Wrapping up a hot year for New York’s residential real estate market, 6sqft nominated 16 most notable projects, including KPF’s mixed-use supertall tower. Securing a spot on the list for the second year in a row, the honor reflects the building’s remarkable impact on its urban environment, shifting the programmatic distribution of the iconic retail avenue with a dense, mixed-use design. The 10th annual 6sqft Building of the Year competition is based on public voting with polls open through 5pm on Friday, December 20. Cast your vote here: https://lnkd.in/eFwxVMCu Credit: Binyan Studios #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #BuildingOfTheYear #MidtownManhattan #Supertall

Congratulations to KPF Architect Ka Chi Law, a winner in the A&D 40 Under 40 Awards, a prestigious annual list that recognizes the most talented architects and designers from across Asia Pacific. His selection for the list recognizes his architectural achievements and contributions to advocating for the Hong Kong cultural and design scene. Ka Chi has contributed to the design of global mixed-use neighborhoods by KPF, including 8 Canada Square, a proposed transformation of the former HSBC headquarters into a mixed-use destination in London’s Canary Wharf district, and Vanke Cloud Gradus, Shenzhen, a master plan comprising a network of workspaces, residential, multi-layered public spaces, and cultural venues. His contribution to the Hong Kong cultural scene is highlighted by his curatorial work on the FERRAGAMO “Bing Sutt” Truck Campaign. The collaboration with the Italian brand and Hong Kong Art Gallery Association is a reinterpretation of the local cold-drinking house culture through a mobile showroom featuring nostalgic designs and docking at prime city locations. See this year’s 40 Under 40 winners here: https://bit.ly/3BoHddE Credit: Kiasm | Architectural Visualization Studio ATCHAIN #KPF #KohnPedersenFox #40under40 #Architecture

KPF is pleased to announce its 2024 Sustainability and Climate Action Report. Since the firm’s founding in 1976, KPF has been dedicated to elevating cities through impactful design. As the climate crisis endangers our cities, architecture has a vital role to play in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions while creating buildings that are adapted to today’s needs and the demands of the future. We also believe that we have a responsibility to minimize the emissions that stem from our operations as a company. Our 2024 Sustainability and Climate Action Report offers a snapshot of everything we are doing to address both aspects of this global problem and provides a clear-eyed account of our progress toward our climate goals. The report details our commitments through The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and RIBA to design and deliver carbon-neutral buildings by 2030. Since 2019, our firm has analyzed and tracked the energy efficiency of our projects, reporting the results to the AIA 2030 Commitment each year. This year, we took a further step by joining the AIA Materials Pledge. As a firm, we have committed to science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets of at least 50% in scopes 1 and 2 and 27% in scope 3 by 2030 compared with a 2019 baseline year. This year, our targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, and a suite of internal policies, described in the report, is changing the way we operate to meet these commitments and align our business with what is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5° C. Our targets and the related carbon accounting were prepared in collaboration with Ramboll. To address both our projects and our practice, KPF has cultivated a community of expertise in climate-friendly design through specialist teams, sustainability training, and employee interest groups. Our people are industry leaders in the field of sustainable architecture, researchers working at the cutting edge of architectural technology, and advocates for more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities. As we look to 2025 and beyond, we know that addressing the climate crisis will require all of us—clients, technologists, policymakers, and community leaders as well as designers—to think creatively about how we can decarbonize our cities and our supply chains, build resilient communities, and envision new possibilities for a world transformed. Join us in this vital work! Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/49CI9HT #KohnPedersenFox #Architecture #Sustainability #ClimateAction