A story in Oculus Magazine, the AIA New York’s quarterly publication, discussed KPF’s collaborative design culture with President and Design Principal James von Klemperer.
KPF’s dedication to elevating cities through impactful design relies upon a flexible, cooperative, and multi-faceted design approach that benefits from contributions from all members of the firm, regardless of position. “KPF de-emphasizes administrative regulation itself as an effective way to delineate culture. All firm partners, including President James von Klemperer, spend significant time designing. That’s half his workload,” writes Zach Mortice for Oculus.
Jamie elaborates on ways that KPF partners maintain an open learning environment, explaining that at their weekly lunch meetings, “Everybody has to get up and sing for their lunch, and say what they have been working on. It’s kind of like an old-fashioned atelier: show your work.” The article also identifies elements of KPF’s open studio layout that cultivate this culture, writing “Collaboration beyond hierarchy is also important and, as such, principals’ offices at KPF don’t have doors and aren’t secluded, including [Jamie’s] own.”
Alongside KPF, the piece highlights a selection of architecture firms of varying sizes and specialties, including Bernheimer Architecture, Garnett DePasquale, and Civilian. The essay details the shift from “output-driven, top-down” management styles to more equitable and collaborative office cultures, identifying COVID as a catalyst for the change along with unionization efforts and a new industry-wide focus on mission-driven work.
Read the full article here.