I derive special satisfaction from seeing an idea or concept become reality. This, combined with my lifelong appreciation for planning, organizing and building attracted me to architecture and ultimately to KCCT.
KCCT owes much of its initial success to the founding partners' distinct yet complementary skills and interests. Strong design credentials were a common denominator but we also had individual strengths; Jerry Karn provided extremely effective leadership, Elias Charuhas employed wonderful personal skills and enormous drive, and Tom Twohey brought a strong business acumen and interest in international markets. As the youngest founding partner, I contributed technical knowledge, strong organizational skills and a desire to push the limits of technology to create an innovative office. It is a testament to our organization that KCCT continues to flourish even during difficult economic times.
I once read that successful architectural firms fall into three categories: design, service, or specialization. Our firm has a marvelous balance of all three. Our technically complex design projects in challenging urban environments receive design awards and withstand the test of time. Our commitment to service is unwavering. Our specialization in U.S. Government and institutional projects focused on the federal core of Washington, DC leads to unique skills; the ability to negotiate project approvals with multiple competing interests and jurisdictions, sensitivity to historic buildings, and a willingness to consider external urban and environmental factors in our designs. Moving forward, KCCT will continue to evolve and improve the firm structure. This means constantly upgrading our project management and leveraging technology in pursuit of quality. We will nurture, develop and challenge our talented team so that KCCT's culture and values serve as a model in our profession. Our projects will be designed and recognized for their creativity, professional discipline, technical innovation, environmental sensitivity, and overall design excellence.