Michael Zajkowski

Michael is a design lead whose expertise in architectural detailing, materials, and building systems shapes secure, technically complex, and culturally significant architecture. His portfolio, totaling over $1 billion in built work, includes US embassies that embody national identity, cultural centers that foster community, and institutional and research facilities that support innovation.

At KCCT, Michael directs large-scale secure campuses, major rehabilitations, security upgrades, and intensive program development studies. He brings critical depth of knowledge of the codes, standards, and stakeholder coordination required for high-security environments. From initial blocking and stacking through detailed documentation, he advises multidisciplinary teams and design partners on innovative, constructible solutions that satisfy stringent technical constraints, physical security requirements, functional adjacencies, and long-term operational needs while preserving architectural clarity and intent.

Michael realizes modern, elegant environments that uplift the daily lives of those who inhabit these secure facilities. His approach moves beyond addressing complex challenges to the design of spaces where natural light brings rhythm and balance, materials express both strength and warmth, and details nurture well-being, honor dignity, and foster calm in places where security and humanity must coexist. His work reflects his strong belief in architecture’s lasting impact, its cultural role, and its responsibility to serve with clarity and precision.

Throughout his career, Michael’s work has earned more than a dozen industry awards for design and craftsmanship, including recognition from the American Institute of Architects, NAIOP, and Washington Building Congress, and has been published in Building Democracy: The Architecture of American Embassies.