An architect’s lack of attention to detail can be a deal-breaker. Although one would assume this skill comes with the turf, it is not always the case. Law Kingdon Architecture says the detail-oriented approach it has built its reputation on is a level above most of its competitors. Maybe that’s because the firm’s philosophy is deeply rooted in design/build project delivery.
President Dennis Smith and Senior Vice President Roger Brown maintain that Law Kingdon’s founders were the forefathers of design/build, before the concept became the preferred method of delivery for modern-day construction. “The real buzzword today is integrated project delivery; that’s exactly what design/build was and [our founders] essentially pioneered the idea,” Smith notes.
“These are the foundations that make us a different kind of firm. We were basically educated by construction industry about the level of detail that is needed in the construction documents to make things cost-effective. As a result of that, we have been complimented on the accuracy and completeness of our construction documents – which ultimately brings value to the owner by reducing change-orders and the cost of building. Even though we began as a design-build firm, our design/build work is now only 5 to 10 percent of our total work with 90 percent of our projects done in a conventional manner,” Brown notes.
Law Kingdon was founded in 1967 as a design/build contractor to work with the Simon Property Group. Until the 1980s, the company worked directly for the Simon Group under the direction of Ed Law and B.J. Kingdon. In 1994, Smith became president and immediately began to expand the business into other sectors and began working with other developers.
Today, Law Kingdon continues to combine architecture and engineering by serving its clients in retail, hospitality, healthcare, industrial and institutional sectors. “We are an architectural and engineering firm, which is a very small percentage of the firms across the country,” Smith notes.
Enviable Portfolio
Law Kingdon’s philosophies have paid off over the years, earning it several high-profile projects across the country, and a repeat client base that accounts for roughly 85 percent of its revenues. “We’re not looking for tons of clients,” Smith says. “We have done multiple projects for our clients over a period of many years. We’ve done [more than] 200 projects with one of our clients.”
Law Kingdon maintains long-term relationships with clients such as the Simon Property Group, CBL and Associates, General Growth, Wal-Mart, JC Penney, Marriott, Hilton and HCR ManorCare. The firm is licensed in all 50 states, and has completed hundreds of large retail, hospitality and healthcare projects in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Mexico and the Grand Cayman Islands.
Part of the reason clients keep coming back is the firm’s knowledge of what works in construction and how to translate the project documents into cost-effective projects that meet the client’s overall goals. “We make sure that we clearly understand the goals and objectives of what our clients are trying to accomplish,” Smith says. “We have to understand their business. If you do not understand their business, I don’t think you can build something that really fits their needs.
The firm’s landmark projects include Wichita’s Arkansas River Corridor Improvement project, which features the iconic Keeper of the Plains statue; Bay Street in Emeryville, Calif., a mixed used project that sets on San Francisco Bay, a 17- story Embassy Suites located in downtown Denver next to the city’s convention center; and a 17-story Marriott Courtyard on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
Law Kingdon also went through a process of updating its corporate offices in Wichita. The new design is sleek and modern with contemporary lines and finishes. The firm was recently awarded the Mid America Design Award for Excellence from the International Interior Design Association for its new office space.
Empowering Employees
Law Kingdon arms its work force with new technology as soon as it becomes available. Smith and Brown have watched the industry evolve from preparing projects on drafting tables using parallel bars in the early 1980s, to using computers to craft every detail. “We have been using 3-D modeling since the early 1990s, and each of our projects is designed utilizing 3-D,” Brown says. “We use it as tool to visualize the scale and proportion of the buildings that we are designing and to explore multiple design schemes. We can also provide our clients with photo realistic renderings and animation services which allows them to fly-through or around their project even before it’s built.”
Law Kingdon uses a grow-from-within mentality to expand its employee’s knowledge of the industry. Several years ago, the employee-owned firm put in place a formal junior management training program to foster growth within the company. “We have a group of 15 people that we flagged and exposed to management issues,” Brown explains. “We’ve included them in management meetings and vigorously promote mentoring between the senior people and the younger associates.”
Change is Constant
Smith’s vision for the future revolves around improving through change and education. “One thing that I am focused on is that I love change,” Smith says.
“Even though I’ve been in the business for 36 years, I don’t like to stay the same. I am a firm believer that we have to be better tomorrow than we were today, and part of maintaining that is continuing education.”
The firm also has a program in place to encourage and assist its employees in their efforts to become LEED-accredited professionals. It employs LEED APs in architecture, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, commercial interiors, and soon in landscape and existing buildings.
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