KPF is a global organization that operates as a single firm, headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, London, Berlin, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, and Seoul.
KPF fosters a spirit of professional growth throughout the firm, beginning with a mentorship program that connects young designers to senior staff outside of day-to-day project teams. Appreciating the value of homegrown talent, KPF has always ensured that there is room for advancement within the firm.
In fact, the firm boasts the distinction of having a leadership group that has grown mostly from within, with several current principals who started off at the firm as interns. With our flexible, collaborative work environment, one can quickly earn new responsibilities.
Avoiding the “studio structure” typical of large firms, KPF encourages designers and architects to move freely throughout the firm, giving them the opportunity to work with multiple principals on a variety of building types, and experience projects from concept to completion.
We cultivate well-rounded architects who are capable of tackling any type of project with the utmost attention to design and technical excellence. The diversity in location of our projects is also reflected in our staff, with employees hailing from over 40 countries.
KPF organizes daily programming to encourage knowledge sharing across all teams and levels. Lunchtime Learning Sessions offer opportunities to learn from peers and develop technical expertise, while Evening Sessions allow project teams to share case studies in a casual, happy hour environment.
Helping its young designers on the path toward professional licensure, KPF offers exam assistance, reimbursement of fees, and in-house resources to ensure designers are exposed to an array of experience areas and tasks.
KPF gives back to the community with a variety of volunteer programs, including the ACE Mentor Program of America. Each year, a global “KPF Build” team travels to a community in need with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program, giving architects a hands-on opportunity to apply design skills and create a positive impact.
Many staff play in recreational sports leagues, including the softball team, which counts among its former players our co-founders Gene Kohn and Bill Pedersen.
In London, the firm’s dedicated cyclists participate in a monthly “Bike to Breakfast” ride, the weekly Run Club provides an architectural tour at pace around some of the city’s most iconic sights, and an annual ping pong tournament allows for some friendly competition.
Each spring, London and New York runners participate in the JP Morgan Chase Run, with t-shirts designed and chosen via office-wide competition, while members of the Shanghai and Hong Kong offices participate in an annual vertical marathon, which sometimes takes place in a KPF-designed building.
Various staff-initiated groups create dialogue about issues within the field of architecture. KPF+ is dedicated to enabling women to achieve their full potential at work, and to advancing gender equity in leadership, while another group, KPF Pride, works to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in ways that inform design thinking. Founded in 2020, KPF Public seeks to address issues of racial and social inequality and combat inequities within the profession and the built environment.
Informal monthly happy hours celebrate themes including Halloween, Fourth of July, and the Lunar New Year.
Full-time eligible employees at KPF receive competitive health benefits, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, long term care insurance, 12 weeks of paid parental leave in the US, and statutory parental leaves in our global offices.
KPF’s Global Well-being program fosters a community of support, while raising awareness about overall wellness and the resources available to KPF employees. In London, events and workshops focus on employee physical and mental well-being. Initiatives hosted at the New York office include medical specialist visits multiple times per year to offer annual physicals, dermatology consultations, massage therapy, acupuncture, and more.
Members of KPF’s Green Design, Resilience, and Wellness (GRoW) group monitor air quality sensors in the office and share their analysis to inform office remodeling efforts to increase comfort and well-being.
Employees have a variety of fitness discount options, including reduced rates at the biggest gyms, such as Equinox and Crunch, Classpass, yearly Citibike memberships, the UK Ride to Work Cycle Scheme, and more.
KPF offers internship positions of varying durations to highly talented students from accredited design programs and universities. KPF interns join project teams under the supervision of senior architects and have the opportunity to create a meaningful impact on the firm’s active projects, working alongside highly motivated designers on some of the most remarkable opportunities around the world. An integral part of the firm’s 700+ staff members, interns often return to full-time positions at KPF after graduation and build meaningful careers across multiple global offices.
