Darina Zlateva

Since joining KPF in 2012, Darina has been instrumental in forming and executing the design vision of some of KPF’s flagship projects. Darina has led the design team on One Vanderbilt for a number of years, seeing this core New York City project from concept through completion. Her interest in exterior walls, organic architecture, detailing, craft, urban design, and civic spaces influence her practice.

As a designer, Darina draws from her diverse academic background in computer science to reimagine the visual plane in myriad aesthetic and mathematical dimensions. As one of KPF’s resident exterior wall experts, Darina is interested in how geometry relates to a building’s interior. Her fluency in how architectural materials respond to changing light and climatological conditions stands out among her peers. As Senior Designer on One Vanderbilt, she led a research collaborative in terracotta with the fabricator, Boston Valley.

Prior to KPF, Darina worked with innovative studios like Morphosis and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. From these experiences she adds valuable insight to KPF’s forward-thinking design program.

An active member of her architectural community, Darina has taught as an Adjunct Professor at both RISD and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In her tenure at KPF she founded the Young Designers’ Forum and has led Evening Sessions on various topics relevant to architecture.