Kenny Hung
With passion for all aspects of the profession, Kenny Hung is focused on designs that have a positive impact on the end users and the broader community. His leadership role at DES Architects + Engineers (DES) and in the community grows by the day.
“When Kenny joined DES in 2006, we knew he had strong design sensibilities,” asserted Dawn Jedkins, Senior Designer. “What surprised us was his willingness and ability to not only be a leader on the design team, but to be an inspiration for the entire firm.”
Focused on Professional Growth
Over the past eight years, Kenny has worked on large corporate campuses, educational facilities, and mixed-use projects. Although he only recently became a Licensed Architect in 2012, Kenny has possibly held more roles on a project than anyone at DES — Project Designer, Project Architect, Master Planner, Entitlements Manager, and even Project Manager — and that’s the way he likes it. His desire to learn different roles and disciplines has enabled him to develop tremendous skills while inspiring others to do the same. Backed by his incessant ambition to grow, Kenny has developed qualities of an emerging leader — an ability to communicate, inspire, and take initiative. As a result, Kenny became an Associate in 2011 for his key role on the design team.
“I just take it one step at a time,” Kenny humbly said. “I realized that I have to learn how other people work in order to best work together as a team. Architecture is very complicated so we always need to be thinking about the big picture while maintaining a vision.”
He has designed over 145 acres of community-sensitive campuses and for each project focuses on responding to stakeholder input, creating public amenities, and connecting to the surrounding city. Achievements include restoring Bay Trails, improving waterfront access, engaging in community outreach meetings, and creating substantial open spaces. One of Kenny’s design strengths is his ability to find a communal feature in every project, whether it is a raised mezzanine within an office space or a nestled green retreat on a campus.
A Passion for Educating
To further share his experiences with others, Kenny frequently leads training seminars and educational workshops in addition to speaking during DES’ recurring lecture series called High Tea Talks. In order for him to deliver the best message, Kenny has taken classes to improve his verbal communication and presentation delivery. His lecture series has covered topics as diverse as net zero buildings to the aesthetics of extreme density.
Inspired to help future architects and urban designers improve communities, Kenny has taken on a mentorship and educator role. Currently, he is mentoring two young professionals. One of Kenny’s mentees, Grace Chen, is a graphic designer and an aspiring architect. As a mentor, Kenny encourages her to share design opinions and keeps her engaged throughout the design process. “Kenny has taught me to keep an open mind, and has showed me the importance of flexibility when designing,” says Grace.
Moving forward Kenny’s goal is to broaden his leadership role by becoming more involved in the local community. He plans to increase his role in leading community outreach meetings and grow his participation in architectural organizations such as AIA in order to influence others on how to think about architecture.
Recommendations:
“Since Kenny’s addition to the design team, he has showcased how an aspiring young architect can inject life and charisma into a project.”
– Tom Gilman, President and Design Principal
“With his encouragement and enrichment, Kenny has influenced the way I think and feel about architecture. Most importantly, he has inspired me to have a positive impact on communities through the built environment.”
– Grace Chen, a Mentee of Kenny Hung