Perspectives.
Insights.
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The people of KGD bring a wide diversity of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to every project. Genuine collaboration with communities, clients, and partners comes naturally.
Our unique perspectives spark unique questions. And unique answers.
AIA, NCARB
Chris Gordon is a founding principal and co-President of KGD. He is sought after as a resource and leader in housing design. He is passionate about answering the urgent call for creating housing in urban communities. His comprehensive approach and leadership, from concept through operations, shape high-performance buildings, elevating places, transforming lives, and creating homes for people.
He has spoken on Urban Land Institute and housing association panels sharing his expertise in affordable housing nationally. He also served on a county task force that designed standards for the new Form Based Code overlay along a three-mile corridor at Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia.
For more than 25 years, Chris has been building with his partners a collaborative practice committed to design excellence, resulting in innovative projects informed by sustainable design principles and making a difference in the lives of their users.
Outside the architectural studio, Chris has a myriad of interests – from photography to golfing, but his millwork shop seems to be his favorite place for a pastime.
FAIA, NCARB, LEED® AP, AICP, CCCA, CCS
Manoj Dalaya, FAIA is a founding principal of KGD and Co-President, as well as an artist at heart. He leads the creation of complex projects that foster connections between people and their environment, enhancing a sense of relationship to – and membership in – a meaningful community. Across national borders, industries, interest groups, and design styles, Manoj's projects are not only resource efficient, but they also enhance the well-being and productivity of those who live and work in and around the built environment.
His approach is rooted in the belief that while logic and planning can serve as the foundation for collaboration in the design process, artistic intention is essential for delivering a distinctive project. Manoj's leadership inspires clients worldwide to embrace resiliency, innovation, and artistry in projects that range from master plans for mixed use developments and corporate campuses, new office and multifamily residential buildings, adaptive reuse, and corporate interiors projects.
Among numerous awards for individual projects throughout his career, he was also recognized in 2018 by AIA Virginia with the Distinguished Achievement Award. In addition to his leadership as Principal at KGD Architecture, Manoj served as the President of the AIA Northern Virginia Chapter in 2021 and served in leadership roles with the Chapter as Design Awards Chair and member of the Board. Presently, Manoj serves on the Rosslyn Urban Design Committee of Arlington, Virginia, and the Development Process Advisory Committee of Fairfax County, Virginia, and is currently a member of AIA Documents Committee.
He lends his architectural and real estate expertise to several Washington, DC, metropolitan area urban development committees and to architecture and real estate students at local universities.
AIA
An inquisitive and forward-looking approach is key to Ben Kishimoto’s leadership and the firm's people-oriented design process. As a founding principal of the firm, Ben served as president from its founding in 1995 until 2016, and now stays committed with leadership and growth of the firm working with Co-Presidents Chris Gordon and Manoj Dalaya. His dedication to excellence in architecture is reflected in his ongoing involvement in educational, public service and professional organizations.
Ben offers more than four decades of design and management experience. His wealth of knowledge extends from masterplanning to architecture and interiors for a variety of building types, including mixed-use developments, corporate headquarters, hotel, and retail design, as well as academic buildings.
A graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Ben is a globetrotter, an epicure, a fan of the Beatles, and an aesthete. Ben knows where to find the best food in town and loves sharing his passions for high cuisine with others.
Associate AIA
Henry Mahns is a design principal with expertise in residential, institutional, and corporate projects. He has almost 30 years of design, planning and management experience, and his work at KGD spans more than 20 years with numerous award-winning projects. Significant projects include the Transurban Operation Center that received a Northern Virginia AIA Juror’s Citation Award, and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation Headquarters in Dulles, Virginia that was recognized by the Signatures of Loudoun Awards.
Henry prides himself on remaining involved in projects from inception through final delivery. He is skilled in both concept design and construction detailing to provide the necessary leadership through the entire architectural process. Henry is also an excellent listener and weaves the client’s goals with design excellence and technical knowledge to guide bespoke solutions for every project.
Drawing and painting have always been a passion of his, and he views architecture as the perfect blend of art and function. When not working, Henry enjoys coaching his kids in basketball and soccer, and playing an occasional round of golf. Henry received a Master of Architecture degree from Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia.
AIA, NCARB, LEED® AP
Tom Donaghy, a KGD Principal and firm shareholder, is driven by creating legacies for the community and future generations. Tom brings an exceptional ability to foster an engaging design dialogue among project stakeholders. When asked what kind of projects he likes to be working on the most, his response is the complex ones which require major problem solving. He thrives on working with clients on large urban mixed-use, hospitality, as well as energy and infrastructure projects. All of his projects strive to achieve both a sense of place and a quality of space, as he sees these elements most notably affecting the lives of people who live, work and play there.
Noteworthy examples of success from this design approach include several hotels, including the Kimpton Claret in Denver, slated to open in 2024, and Elizabeth Square which won the national NAIOP Niche Development Design Competition for Senior Living (its latest delivered assets being The Leggett completed on time in 2023 and the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center which opened in early 2024.
Whether debating design ideas or making his favorite beef jerky, he takes his time and cares about the process – no matter how long it takes, until it’s fully baked. He also loves enthralling himself into a rock and jazz fusion on a Saturday night playing his favorite guitar.
RA, NCARB
Bunthit (Eddy) Rajtboriraks, KGD's first hire in 1998, now heads the Bangkok office of KGD Architecture. Eddy received his education and architectural license in the United States. Eddy returned to Thailand to open KGD Architecture’s branch office in 2011. Presently, he oversees the International Studio of KGD. In addition to leading area markets and local projects, Eddy continues to be an important part of the KGD's larger firm operations as a licensed architect, member of our Quality Assurance/Quality Control program, part of the Firm’s Standards Committee, and a leader of KGD’s IT Team.
AIA, NCARB, CDT, CSI, CCCA
Alex Shifflett joined KGD after graduating from Virginia Tech. She has been a key member of the firm for more than years. Her more recent promotion to Senior Project Manager is in recognition of her success leading the Elizabeth Square project since 2014 and its three-phased, high-rise development in the heart of Silver Spring. Alex has proven to be a skillful project manager on this complex project, which involves many different government agencies, private developers, local community organizations, and specialty consultants.
Known for exceptional communication skills, which work hand-in-hand with her determination and perseverance to fully understand and meet client expectations, she has worked with developers, non-profit, and private sector clients on projects ranging from speculative office buildings to multifamily residential, including JBG Smith’s prominent residential tower in National Landing, Virginia.
Beyond Alex’s direct professional responsibilities, she leads multiple company initiatives contributing to building our company's culture of excellence and team collaboration. When not building staffing charts, Alex uses her precision and organizational skills to bake or work in the garden. Sidebar fun fact... she remembers each KGD team member's favorite cookie type!
Associate AIA
Larry Henderson is KGD’s Director of Workplace Interiors, as well as an Associate Principal. A graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Larry found himself gravitating more towards interior materials and methods, detail development, and space planning, rather than base building architecture. Since a young age, Larry’s design gene has been prominent. As a comics creator in his adolescence, Larry has always believed that developing a meaningful story was as equally important as the beautiful imagery that supports it. He brought this belief with him into his professional career.
The body of work encompasses a diverse range of project types for various client verticals, including but not limited to, Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, the armed forces of the United States, museum and cultural institutions, and U.S. embassies. Most notably, Larry oversaw the renovation of 800,000 SF within AstraZeneca's Gaithersburg, Maryland campus for which his design lens gave shape and form to storytelling of the company's mission and achievements. The spaces Larry designs are a direct reflection of end users' vision, business drivers, and the story they want to tell their marketplace.
Larry is also a melomane. You can spot his family over the weekend listening to a live musical performance en plein air. In the privacy of his home, he introduces his young sons to the original vinyl records he's collected from the 1920s and 30s.
AIA, LEED® AP BD+C
Aileen Horn's hospitality projects span from North Carolina to New Jersey and as far west as Colorado. An architect with three decades of experience, she has worked with and pushed the limits of brand standards and prototypes in designing hotels for Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt, Intercontinental and Choice franchisees. Aileen is a strong advocate for resilient hotel design. She was instrumental in the LEED® Gold certification of the Fairfield Inn and Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor – the first for the Fairfield Inn brand and the first hotel in Baltimore to achieve the certification. Owners and developers appreciate Aileen’s thoughtful project approach from initiation and feasibility, through the entitlement process, design, construction and occupancy.
A believer that all stakeholders benefit when a hotel is well integrated into the community and local culture, Aileen is active in Urban Land Institute (ULI) and is a member of ULI Washington's Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) committee. She is also active in ULI Washington's Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI). Aileen is a keen artist. When inspiration visits, she retreats to her home studio to create beautiful paintings on silk.
AIA, LEED® AP
Stephen Zuber is a Director of KGD’s Science & Technology and Education studios. He thrives on solving challenges of designing high-performing, flexible facilities capable of adapting to the evolving research and learning landscapes. He works across disciplines to design projects that enhance each client’s mission and attract top talent.
With more than 20 years of industry experience inclusive of tenures with highly reputable firms, Steve's joining KGD enriched our team with the invaluable knowledge in corporate, commercial, science/tech, mixed-use, higher education, K-12, programming, and masterplanning projects.
Throughout his career, he has collaborated with and led successful design teams for numerous award-winning projects. He continues developing the firm’s design culture by spearheading the research initiatives and mentoring younger design staff.
Steve's most used phrase is, “I have an idea!” and he surely knows how to implement those.
NCIDQ
Tina Delia, Director of Lifestyle Interiors, has more than 15 years of experience fueled by a vision to create unforgettable design experiences. With a BA in Psychology, Juris Doctor in Law, and Master of Science in Interior Architecture + Design, Tina is no stranger to the ideas of growth and change. Tina strives to develop an understanding of her clients and the spaces that are to be transformed for them.
Her past projects have instilled a level of unparalleled dedication Tina brings to excellence and insistence on forward-thinking design. She takes inspiration from nature, art, and sculpture, and constantly draws upon her living experiences in Rome and travel experiences throughout the world. It's not just about creating beautiful spaces for Tina. It’s about touching the lives of people who live, work and walk through those spaces.
RA, LEED® AP
Kevin Pennington, an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, brings passion for great architecture and strong leadership to all his work in science and technology, residential and healthcare sectors. His technical knowledge of commercial and residential developments spans across all phases of a project, and his passionate and energetic attitude is an inspiration to the younger staff.
Kevin never stops seeking opportunities where his extensive experience and expertise can be applied to create inspiring built environments for our clients. Most notably, Kevin served as Senior Architect on the highly secure headquarters for Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) at Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia, and as Project Manager on the multi-phased development Elizabeth Square in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Jacobi Gastile is an essential part of all major KGD projects as Building Information Modeling (BIM) Manager, overseeing the establishment of standards and actively following progress and changes to the software and BIM community. For example, Jacobi oversaw the modeling for a highly secure 400,000 SF corporate campus, an endeavor that required a dozen linked models created by multiple disciplines from structure to MEP to security.
Jacobi’s aptitude for software and organization identified him as a natural leader to integrate this emerging technology into our day-to-day practice. This led to Jacobi being formally elevated to Senior Associate at KGD for his contributions. Additionally, his efforts for our IT initiatives and environment are essential to the office’s day-to-day functionality.
AIA, LEED® Green Associate
In a decade with KGD, Leah Kleinman has succeeded as designer and project architect in preserving design integrity on a wide range of project types and scales – from interior design on large FFRDCs, including The Aerospace Corporation East campus and the 401-unit urban infill project known as TROVE along the Columbia Pike corridor of Arlington.
Leah also leads the Education Committee at KGD by constantly engaging young professionals within the firm and providing them with valuable learning programs. In her spare time, Leah practices Pilates or retreats into her ceramics studio. She also thinks knitting is her way to meditate.
MSA
Peg McDonald runs KGD's financial, accounting functions, and payroll services. She stands by the motto: “Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves." She also manages the firm’s benefits and assures compliance of our policies and procedures.
Her professional strengths and meticulousness to details also drive Peg's personal interests. In her leisure, she enjoys making cards and scrapbooks, calligraphy, and drawings. She's also taken classes for stained glass.
AIA
Marium Rahman joined the KGD team as a project designer shortly after completing her Master in Architecture from Virginia Tech. During her time at KGD, Marium has quickly honed her design skills and advanced from working on conceptual designs to developing comprehensive design plans of complex projects. Most notably, Marium has worked on a conceptual design for the global headquarters of the biotech company Novavax. The conceptual design was the recipient of an AIA Northern Virginia Design Award in 2021. Marium is particularly proud of her involvement in the design of the new headquarters for the Institute of Defense Analyses (IDA) at Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia. The building incorporates anti-terrorism force protection standards while set in a mixed-use environment. The experience Marium gained from working on these two large-scale projects enriched her with the thorough understanding of the intricacies of science and technology campuses along with those of secured campuses.
A voracious reader and a fan of the Harry Potter series, Marium has a talent to apply her magic wand to the designs with which she is challenged.
Since joining the firm over five years ago, Nia Furr has learned quickly to navigate through the residential and multifamily markets of the DMV area. For example, she led the construction administration on The Fortitude at Delta Towers multifamily project in Washington, DC, while working simultaneously as designer on the Westminster Church Living project as well as Phase II of the Elizabeth Square development.
She is also using her skills to develop inventive designs with focus ranging on the smallest interior details to the exterior facade design. Nia, a graduate of Howard University, was a participant of the “Design Like a Girl” program with District Architecture Center (DAC), mentoring young female architects through navigation of the intricacies of architecture and engineering.
Personally, Nia enjoys going to museums, random pop-ups, and music festivals in and around the District. She's also a firm believer that planning trips and the anticipation of each journey might be as exhilarating as the destination itself.
AIA, LEED® AP BD+C
Iffat Afsana enjoys the challenge of deciphering and solving complex design issues and is passionate about the art of building. Originally from Bangladesh, Iffat received her Bachelor of Architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology before moving to the United States to pursue a Master of Science in Architecture from Louisiana State University. Afsana brings more than 20 years of experience working in many project roles for various building types, including education, transportation, public, mission critical, hospitality and residential, and interior renovation projects.
Afsana is also a talented photographer with a keen eye for details and colors, taking exquisite photos with her professional camera and Google Pixel alike.
AIA
Yuan (Ryan) Ma, a creative project designer and licensed architect, has always enjoyed exploring complicated design issues with innovative and practical solutions, particularly working on multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, and health care projects. With his persistent pursuit of details, underpinned by his Revit proficiency, Ryan is fully engaged in project development from conceptual design through production phase. His strengths lie in generating key concepts for the project plus organizing the spatial program and circulation pattern starting at the masterplan stage through finalization of interior layouts. Ryan is particularly skilled in visualizing design schemes by means of digital modeling, renderings, and presentation graphics.
Ryan’s profession is also his passion. Outside the studio, he enjoys creating and admiring visual arts, and doesn’t miss an opportunity to explore new places.
Bruno Leiva is an emerging leader at KGD, having joined the firm over six years ago with prior construction administration experience. His real-world construction knowledge contributes to his highly detailed designs. Bruno’s market sector experience includes projects for religious institutions, K-12 schools, multifamily residential developments, both market-rate and affordable. He has also been extensively involved in the hospitality project for the Bingham Hotel & Residences in Arlington, Virginia.
Being as passionate about architecture as he is, Bruno spends his spare time advancing the architect’s profession through his involvement with LA IDEA DC which is aimed at integrating Latin American design professionals into the architecture field and engaging the broader community.
AIA, NCARB, PMP
Patrick McGowan brings to KGD more than 15 years of design experience. He has successfully completed hospitality, commercial, and multifamily residential projects. The reach of his work spans throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and as far west as Phoenix, Arizona. A graduate from UC Berkeley, with a Master's degree from Yale University, Patrick has a deep experience of working on projects of varying scales and disciplines including commercial, institutional and residential projects.
A native of San Diego, Patrick enjoys the outdoors with surfing, cycling, golfing, and running are his favorite pastimes.
AIA
With over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, Chau Nguyen brings a wealth of knowledge across various sectors, from single-family homes to commercial properties like offices, retail spaces, hotels, and multifamily developments. His expertise lies in design, building code analysis, and construction detailing.
Outside of work, Chau maintains a passion for architecture, evident in the various Japanese gardens with fishponds and patios he has designed in several of his previous residences. His hobbies also include writing music and playing table tennis.
MBA, LEED® AP O+M
Shane Trexler has a depth of experience in sustainable design and engineering that has led him to advise private entities, governments, and military leadership on the implementation of their energy conservation plans. Shane has also designed, developed, and integrated renewable energy technologies across private, commercial, and government projects.
Additionally, he has authored and presented at sustainability conferences in the United States and abroad. He currently serves as Secretary of the Engineers Without Borders Washington DC Professional Chapter where he helps lead a team of more than 300 engineers on three separate infrastructure projects that span three continents.
At KGD, Shane is instrumental in facilitating the certification of projects under LEED and other rating systems. He also supports fulfilling the requirements for local green building codes and is skillful at analyzing current Building Energy Performance Standards to help with compliance of existing assets to meet these standards.
Estrella Amador has been responsible for the development of a multitude of conceptual designs during her more than years years of affiliation with KGD. She understands the importance of a collaborative process and works closely with clients and consultants to respond to each project’s unique challenges, maintaining maintain design intent from concept through construction. Estrella also places great value on contextual architecture in the development of façades and elevations for her multifamily residential projects, which include among others The Fortitude at Delta Towers in Washington, DC, an affordable senior housing building; Centro Arlington, a national award-winning mixed-use design that anchors redevelopment on Columbia Pike and provides both housing and public green space to its residents; and Columbia Hills, the first new housing development approved by Arlington County under the new Neighborhood Form Based Code and winner of the ULI Excellence in Affordable Housing Award. Additionally, Estrella has been a designer on the Office Building of the Future, winner of an AIA Northern Virginia Award of Merit.
Estrella lives with her young family in Seville, Spain, and she graduated with a Master of Architecture from the University of Seville before coming to the United States where she started working with KGD. She devotes all of her free time to travel with her family and the outdoors. She is also an avid bike rider.
*Estrella is an independent contractor for KGD.
Nina Sakic has always been passionate about conveying the design by means of architectural visualization. Led by her passion throughout the years, Nina has been involved in a wide array of interior projects at KGD, whereby she has proved herself as a motivated and passionate 3D renderer with great ability to develop high quality visualizations. Plus, she has a knack for quickly understanding a project's mission, vision, and values.
In her free time, Nina likes to play tennis and go for long walks with her family and their two dogs. She also enjoys exploring different places and cuisine, and usually spends the weekends traveling with her family and friends.
*Nina is an independent contractor for KGD.
AIA
As a licensed architect, Karen Toomasian is experienced in the multifamily housing and higher education sectors of our practice. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Master in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. It's also worth noting that Karen has worked with archaeologists at the ancient Greek city of Notion, presently Turkey. When she isn't designing, Karen can be found at the pottery studio or outside running, hiking, or camping.
Gene Hay is originally from Brooklyn, New York and moved to the DC area from Florida in 2010. He graduated from Andrews University with both his Bachelor and Master in Architecture degrees. Gene is an architectural designer with more than 15 years of experience, with the past five of those years focused towards multifamily residential and mixed-use design. In the early days of his professional career, Gene designed golf course clubhouses, urban community/recreation centers, and small commercial interiors, while also helping lead projects through schematic and design development, construction documents, to construction administration. Gene is skilled in the latest versions of REVIT, AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, and Adobe Photoshop.
Most importantly, Gene is passionate for community outreach, STEAM-related programming for youth, the New York Yankees, Giants, Knicks and Arsenal FC. During his time outside of the office, Gene is an avid reader, writer, and runner, and in his words, "a struggling guitar player" albeit we believe his much better than he claims.
CDT
Brian Haas, who has been with KGD for more than a decade, is valued for his technical proficiency. He routinely performs Construction Contract Administration duties including field observations, quality control, and building conflict resolution. His experience allows him to assist with production work, research and drawings that pertain to appropriate project milestones. Brian has worked to develop KGD's Quality Control and Office Standards to encourage an efficient office working environment and is on KGD's Standards Committee. As an experienced studio veteran, Brian always makes an effort to encourage and motivate young colleagues to pursue their personal and professional goals.
Rachel Martinka joined KGD having graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech. She is currently gaining experience by working on a wide range of KGD design projects that includes those in the multifamily and education market sectors. Her previous experience includes various restaurants and housing renovations namely in the District and Virginia. Rachel is passionate about working collaboratively to move designs forward and create physical manifestations of concepts within the design process. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing soccer, and listening to music.
AIA
A licensed architect in Washington DC, Hannah joined KGD with extensive experience in multifamily residential, as well as commercial, retail, and hospitality interior projects. She has also focused research on utilizing architecture to enhance educational environments and has taught art and architecture to elementary school students in a variety of settings. Hannah brings a keen eye for design exploration, technical solutions, and creative problem solving. Her ability to communicate clearly and listen actively allows her to effectively coordinate with clients, consultants, and colleagues.
Hannah is also passionate about designing spaces for learning and community activity. She previously participated in AIA DC’s Architecture in the Schools Program, as well as AIA NY’s ACE Mentorship Program.
Hannah is a graduate of Syracuse University and was a 2023 Scholar in AIA DC’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program. She is currently serving on its Advisory Committee.
Hana Jastaniah is a graduate from Marymount University with her Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in interior design and graphic design, respectively. With more than six years of experience in workplace interiors and hospitality, Hana has worked on medium- to large-scale multifamily housing, hotels, and boutique hotels. She contributes numerous skillsets in research, branding, conceptual design, and wayfinding focused design. This translates to her effective contribution for project programming and test fits to bring forward visually appealing functional spaces that communicate with each client and end user. Her architectural and technical background includes addressing custom furniture, custom millwork, custom area rugs and carpet, as well as documentation production from schematic design to final construction documents.
When not working, Hana enjoys outdoor walks, laughing, hanging out with friends and family, and shopping. Hana also possesses the unique power to hunt for shoes even if they’re sold on a different continent.
Pooja Manishankar has had a fascination for the construction and architecture world since she was young, inspired by her father and grandfather who both worked in the construction field. She pursued a Bachelor of Architecture in Chennai, India, after which she worked as a Junior Architect for almost two years on various interior projects in India. Her experiences ignited her passion for interior design, leading her to pursue a Master in Interior Architecture from Philadelphia University.
Pooja's focus is primarily on designing and working on interior spaces that prioritize user experience. She has been with KGD since 2019, working on various interior commercial office and hospitality projects. During her tenure at KGD, Pooja has continuously improved her software and knowledge skillsets and has always been enthusiastic about learning and exploring new things.
Apart from her passion for interiors, Pooja also loves to travel to new places and try out different cuisines.
Thai Registration Architect
Patcharin (Fern) Wongsing has extensive experience in producing construction documents for commercial buildings. Her area of expertise lies in working with diverse building envelope systems such as masonry, aluminum/glass curtainwalls, and architectural precast concrete envelope systems. Fern possesses excellent problem-solving skills in technical detail drawings and the design of building envelope systems, and she utilizes 3D models to resolve complex details. In addition to her technical skills, she is also proficient in SketchUp modeling.
When Fern isn't in the office, she enjoys spending her weekends at the beach where she loves to read and swim. She also loves standup paddle boarding and kayaking!
Basil Harb is a graduate of Cornell University, having received his Bachelor of Architecture in 2022. Basil's thesis explored the role of design in the realm of cultural infrastructure and public space as it relates to social cohesion and reconciliation efforts. This is research extends from his personal interests in art, exhibition culture, and public history. Similarly, his work reflects an appreciation for research, narrative, and the representation of design intent. Basil was raised in the United Arab Emirates, and as a relative newcomer to the DMV area, Basil enjoys exploring all the museums our region has to offer.
Ava Helm graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University School of Architecture. At KGD, she is building her experience base by working on a wide range of design projects in the science and technology, education, and multifamily sectors. Ava loves working alongside the other creative designers at KGD and will often be found around the office gleaning professional pointers and learning from her peers. When she’s not in the office, Ava enjoys learning about and experiencing different local coffee shops, checking out local farmers markets, walking in area parks and neighborhoods, and playing with her puppy.
Ridhi Sawhney is a proficient graduate from Virginia Tech where she completed her Bachelor in Architecture with a Minor in Industrial Design. She is currently enhancing her professional experience by working on KGD's various multifamily residential projects. Having grown up in Dubai, Ridhi has been fascinated by the diverse development of the city and wishes to contribute to the architectural world. She is a hardworking architect always striving to spice up her work with splashes of creativity. When not at her design desk, she enjoys music and spends her spare time collaging and cooking.
Anbar Oreizi, an Iranian Lebanese American, received her Bachelor in Architecture and Environmental Design from Morgan State University and Master in Architecture from Cornell University. An emerging project designer, her varying interests are centered around equality, human justice, and diversity. In both her professional and personal life, Anbar aims to achieve change for the better by constantly asking questions and proposing alternative approaches to established methods. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends and four cats, caring for her plants, managing her travel plans, organizing volunteer events, and capturing precious moments with her film camera.
Samantha Lee graduated from Syracuse University where she completed her Bachelor of Architecture with a Minor in Project Management. Her thesis explored the role of architecture through the lens of social and cultural infrastructures in a population with abnormal density. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Samantha has always been interested in the intersection of the built environment with human experience. At KGD, Samantha continues to explore her goals and ambition as an architectural designer through her projects. Outside of the studio, Samantha enjoys painting, checking out art museums, and listening to a diverse genre of music.
Inspired by her father, who is an architect in India, Poorva Choudhary would often visit sites with her father and admire how spaces grow and change over time. It helped her develop a passion for designing spaces to grow and enhance communities, fulfilling their needs not just for the present but also for the future.
Through her graduate thesis, Poorva explored the idea of financing and designing affordable housing while enhancing the transportation network in the city of Los Angeles and is now building her knowledge further, working on various affordable and multifamily housing projects for KGD.
Poorva graduated with a Bachelor in Architectural Studies from University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign and her master's degree from University of Southern California. Poorva plans to gain extensive knowledge about the variety of spaces in which people occupy and live and has a personal goal to continue working with her father in the future to enhance the level and experience of architecture in India.
Terry Mayo attended Morgan State University, a Historically Black College and University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Environmental Design. He then pursued further studies at Washington University in St Louis, earning a Master of Architecture degree. With a diverse skillset that encompasses architecture, historic preservation, and 3D fabrication, Terry developed a keen interest in the future of architectural technology during his graduate studies. Specifically, Terry was interested in the ability of architecture to respond, change, and adapt based on environmental issues and human needs.
While pursuing his studies at Washington University, Terry had the opportunity to study abroad in Copenhagen Denmark, where he surveyed public life and urban infrastructure. He is deeply passionate about the development of robotics integration within architecture. In 2019, Terry completed an internship with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, working alongside the National Parks Service in Wyoming.
Aside from his work in architecture, Terry is also a professional photographer.
MBA
Arlene Swaby has over 20 years of experience as a marketing and business development professional that includes strategic planning, marketing plans and campaigns, client capture planning, event management, project management, proposal management, digital marketing, social media, brand awareness, and inbound/outbound marketing. Arlene applies a hands-on approach, thorough research, and a sharp eye for design and detail to every activity or project she leads. Her background includes work with management consulting agencies, nonprofits, real estate, and the AEC industry.
As KGD’s Client Development Manager, Arlene helps to identify, develop, and maintain positive business relationships with new and existing clientele.
Christine Brown directly assists the KGD Finance & HR Manager, managing both the firm's accounts payable and accounts receivables. She also makes certain that the administrative needs of the office are fulfilled on a daily basis with everyone in the studio knowing that when you want to get something done quickly and well, ask Christine. She is always on top of it!
When not tending to KGD's account and daily business operations, Christine enjoys traveling, visiting museums, and exploring the local restaurant scene. She is also always up for the next murder mystery series marathon.
Alexandria (Alley) Caston is the Accounting Assistant and Office Administrator at KGD. After three years as the Administrative Assistant at KGD, Alley went on to pursue opportunities for growth and received her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Trinity Washington University before circling back to KGD. Always looking for the next challenge, she uses her educational background of organizations to directly support the staff and studio teams of KGD.
Aside from her role at KGD, Alley wears many other hats including mom, all-star cheerleading coach, and crafter. She also enjoys reading, attending plays, and binge-watching cooking shows.
