Charles Kahn’s desire to connect with people drives everything he does in architecture. He relishes brainstorming and problem-solving with the Studio KDA team, and creating projects that inspire people to come together and develop community – whether that be in the form of a restaurant, outdoor plaza, or housing project. An outspoken advocate on issues of housing development, Charles is a former Chairman of the Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board, current member of the Berkeley Planning Commission, and member of the Urban Land Institute. He also hosts a periodic “Developer’s Roundtable” to educate the local development community on issues of interest.

When he isn’t at Studio KDA, Charles can be found reading, playing the piano, going out to dancing, dinner, or the theatre, and spending time with family, friends, his wife Laurie, and their three dogs. He holds a B.A. from Harvard and a Master of Architecture from U.C. Berkeley

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Ann Slobod came to Studio KDA in 1993 with a strong desire to work with like-minded creatives who shared her love of envisioning and creating a better built environment. As VP and firm manager, Ann is the integrator of Studio KDA’s strategic big picture and day-to-day operations, drawing out and uniting the strengths of the team to create a strong firm now and for the future. Her favorite Studio KDA project is the team itself – and creating pathways and processes for their growth as individuals and as a firm. 

When she isn’t driving the future of Studio KDA, Ann can be found running, gardening, rescuing senior dogs, and traveling with friends and family. She studied Landscape Architecture at U.C. Santa Cruz and Communications at U.C. Berkeley.

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Marites Abueg is the co-leader of the firm’s Food, Beverage and Hospitality studio, which fulfills her passion for innovative design, community engagement and branding through architecture. She has designed numerous award wining restaurants and is passionate about expressing the “soul” of the business combining volume, materials, lighting and custom elements in new ways. Whether working on a restaurant, entertainment venue, or spa, Marites seeks to create environments that connect people and heighten their experience. Her most recent significant projects including Comal restaurant, Bar Shiru, and Protégé.

Marites nourishes and revitalizes herself by attending silent meditation retreats, dancing at EDM concerts, doing any and all crafts, and trying new restaurants with her foodie daughters and soulmate husband, Keith Morris.

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As head of the Food & Beverage studio, Keith lives and breathes the nuances and intricacies of restaurant flow, balancing layout with operational concerns with material detailing in every project he leads. He and partner Marites Abueg have designed over 100 restaurants, bars, cafes and commissaries. As the technical lead on the team, Keith has been called the resident “systems geek” by clients who know how much he loves the electrical, equipment, utilities, and exhaust systems that make a restaurant operate efficiently.

Keith Morris fell in love with architecture at the age of 8 when he first visited St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, and has never looked at the built environment the same.

When he isn’t digging deeply into hood specs or egress requirements, Keith can be found playing the drums, dancing at EDM concerts, riding bikes, and enjoying the Bay Area’s food scene. He holds a Bachelor’s of Architecture and a first-degree black belt in Karate.

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Geno Yun is the Design Principal leading our Retail & Hospitality studio. With a distinguished career in placemaking architecture, Geno is dedicated to creating dynamic, experience-driven spaces. View his Portfolio here.

His passion lies in enhancing public realms through design, believing that retail should seamlessly integrate with where we live, work, and play, delivering hospitality-grade experiences that enrich daily life.

As a natural integrator, he fosters collaboration between our Retail & Hospitality, Housing, and Food & Beverage studios, ensuring clients receive unified, comprehensive services for renovations, repositioning or new mixed-use projects.

Geno is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Geno serves on the Global Design & Development Awards jury. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) CRC Platinum Product Council, where he helps shape the future of commercial retail landscapes.

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Buddy is an accomplished architect and design leader of the firm’s multifamily studio. In his ten years with SKDA, Buddy has been instrumental in designing multifamily projects around the Bay Area that prioritize bringing people together to create community. Also an expert in sustainable design principals and optimization of building performance, Buddy brings a holistic approach to all of the firm’s housing projects, including those in rural settings. From a young age, Buddy knew he wanted to be an architect, and still relishes getting to play and sketch every day to create three-dimensional things that improve people’s lives. In addition to his work with Studio KDA, Buddy is a Housing Action Coalition board member.

Outside of work Buddy is known for adventuring deep in the Sierras for extending camping trips, being a travel baseball dad and a frequent host of neighborhood dinners with his architect wife and 2 boys. 

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As a Project Architect and Studio Director, Kim expertly manages the workflow of the entire office while also overseeing large-scale retail and housing projects. She describes architecture as the perfect balance of her love of art and mathematics, which she applies in finding the best possible solution to complex puzzles of people, the built environment, and open spaces. Kim is greatly satisfied by projects such as the Santa Clara Town Centre project, which revitalized a defunct 20-acre shopping center with new, vibrant retail, restaurants, and plazas.

When Kim isn’t working to improve the built environment with her coworkers, she can be found gardening, hiking, playing piano, tinkering in her art studio, and spending time with her family and her dog. She holds a B.A. and a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois

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Jennifer has been Studio KDA’s Director of HR and Finance since 2011. In these roles, she works to create a highly supportive work environment and help to ensure the economic health of the firm. She has a background in the arts and loves supporting the creative work of the team in an administrative capacity – especially when she gets to see the real-life impact of the firm on their Bay Area communities.

When she isn’t at work, Jennifer can be found baking, at the beach, visiting museums and galleries, gardening, and hiking with her husband and daughter. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Art History.

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As an interior designer, Tiffany has a passion for refining indoor environments, smart spatial reconfigurations, and developing enriched color, material and textural palettes. In her work at Studio KDA, she channels her creativity and enjoys collaborating with our team on the interior development of food and beverage, multifamily housing, and retail projects. Tiffany spent over a decade teaching at the UCBx Interior Architecture Department, where she got to share her love for design. She has been partnering with Studio KDA for 20 years and has many favorite projects, including Willow Glen Town Square and offices, Spaulding Residence, and the TDC Leasing Offices.

When Tiffany isn’t working on beautiful, inviting interiors with the Studio KDA team, she can be found skiing with her daughter, hiking with her border collie, tinkering with recipes in her kitchen, and experimenting with textile art crafts. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is a Certified Interior Designer.

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Austin is a senior project manager in SKDA’s housing studio who is highly focused on the use of computational tools and how they can be used to drive and innovate designs. Using his business acumen and design skills, Austin enjoys helping clients realize the potential of their buildings and project sites. Additionally, Austin brings a unique attention-to-detail and passion for code analysis and compliance to each project.

When he isn’t getting into deep discussions about code interpretations with his coworkers, Austin can be found exploring the local food and drink scene, riding and tinkering on bicycles, motorcycles, and mobile homes, and traveling with his partner. He is a licensed architect and holds a B.A. in Urban Planning from U.C. Berkeley.

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