Washington, DC (February 2024)
Robert Jerome (“Jerry”) Karn, AIA, founding partner of KCCT, passed away on January 25, 2024. Karn served as Managing Partner of KCCT from 1983 until his retirement in 1995. A graduate of the Virginia Polytechnic University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Karn had a successful career in the offices of Minoru Yamasaki, Hugh Stubbins, John Carl Warnecke, and Harry Weese. During his early career, he worked on the World Trade Center and designed the Georgetown University Library. With Harry Weese, he served as lead designer for the Washington Metro’s Early Planning of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project, and the award-winning Master Plan of the Federal Triangle in Washington DC.
In 1983, Karn became a founder and Managing Principal of Karn Charuhas Chapman & Twohey (KCCT). John Chapman, who also worked with Karn at Harry Weese before they founded KCCT together, remembers Jerry as a “talented leader, great designer, and a respected problem-solver.”
Karn’s favorite projects included the award-winning renovations of historic transportation facilities in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Aurora, Illinois; site and interior renovations at the National Building Museum; award-winning renovations to the IRS and Ariel Rios (now Clinton) Buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue in the Federal Triangle; and his planning and conceptual work for London Underground Limited at Westminster Station, Victoria Station, and the Jubilee Line Extension.
In addition to architecture, Karn was an avid outdoorsman, prolific gardener, and talented artist. After his retirement, introspection and a love of storytelling enticed him to write two books; “Of Frogs, Towers and Trains: A Memoir” and “Herding Spiders, Stories and Observations.”
Firm History
Washington, DC-based KCCT is a multidisciplinary design firm focused on planning, architecture, and interior design in urban environments. The firm’s unique practice features a regional portfolio ranging from historic preservation to institutional and commercial designs. With over 40 years of experience in international design, KCCT also brings a global perspective to our work with diplomatic, military, and transportation projects in over 185 cities abroad. KCCT’s values are innovative design, technical quality, and an unwavering dedication to service.