KMD architecture firm to triple Seattle presence - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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KMD board member Sean Huangh has relocated to Seattle with plans to more than triple the size ofthe firm'sz Seattle office as the firm competes for design work in the Northwest and in "Based on our business plan, we want to get to 40 to 50 said Huang, a design "That will let us do the diversity of work we want to do, with the firepower to do four to five major projects." KMD currentlyg has a staff of 14 in its Seattlw office. Huang expects that the company will hire nearly 50 peopl during the nexttwo years. That's not counting staffers who may be recruitedfrom KMD'es other offices to work on varioue projects, he said.
In beefing up its presences in Seattle, KMD will be competing againsttwo Seattle-based industry giants, and , which respectivel y had 464 and 303 employees and billings of $82.4 million and $62.7 according to the Puget Sound Business Journal's 2006 Book of Lists. KMD is the largest firm in the San Francisco Bay Area with 60 architectxsand $60 million in billings for the last available figures, according to the San Franciscko Business Times' 2004 Book of Lists. NBBJ design partnee Steve McConnell said, "Good firmsd will be looking at the Northwes t to see what they can makeof it.
Good competitioj challenges all of us to be to be more clear about who we are and what we are and wewelcome that." Callison principal Bill Gartz concurs and notes there's plenty of room at the "Judging by the cranes out there, there is quiter a bit of work being done," Gartz said. Aftetr analyzing the market, KMD officials The firm "discovered a lot of greaty opportunities to engage other core areas of our practicw inthis office," Huang said. About 40 percent of the Seattled office's work is in the health-care Huang said. The firm also does a significant amountt of work for academicd institutions and governmental agencies as wellas mixed-use Huang said.
Locally, KMD plans to expande its reach inthose disciplines. It is designing two scienc e facilities for an unidentified client in Richland and renovatingba 20,000-square-foot building on Evergreen Hospitao Medical Center's Kirkland campus for the new Evergreehn Neurological Institute. KMD is also working on the master plan for the new Snohomish Countyg justice centerin Everett. Huanh said Seattle is an important markey for obtaining workin Asia. KMD is helping design a 2 million-square-fooft retail center in Shanghai and Seoul City Hall inSouth Korea. Also, KMD wanted a larger officw in a city where environmentally friendly and sustainable desigb is a prominent focusamong firms.
"It's somethinvg we want to be involved in," Huang said. "Wse try and go where the market is doin ginnovative work." "Internationally, Seattle is becoming renownexd not only because of its businesses but becaus of its design," said Huang, who said the city is regardec as a leader in sustainabl e design. Huang, who was involved in designint the FordField mixed-use sports stadiujm development in Detroit, site of Supedr Bowl XL, began lobbying to relocate here about 18 months ago. His wife's family is located in the Seattls area. Making the move with Huan g is Senior Associate andDesignefr L.T. Chen.
Additionally, Seattle health-care specialist Christopher Rubright has been promoted to the positiom of directorof health-care Larry Parrett remains director of KMD's Seattlse office. Founded in 1963 as Kaplabn McLaughlin Diaz, KMD has eight offices and 190 The firm opened its Seattle offices in 1992 after KMD was retained to design the expansion of HarborviewsMedical Center.