Studio KDA

Studio KDA will be at the bi-annual Industry Conference next Monday, June 1st at the Grand Hyatt Union Square in San Francisco. Hoping to see many of our industry colleagues and collaborators there!

Our own Keith Morris will be speaking on the panel “Show Me the Money: Ways to Increase Operational Efficiencies and Drive Profitability.” We’ll also have a table at the conference throughout the day, so please come find us - we’d love to catch up.

GGRA is always a fun gathering of the Bay Area restaurant community. Full schedule and tickets (still available!) at https://www.ggraindustryconference.com/

Last week, we were delighted to celebrate 10 years since the merger of Kahn Design Associates and Abueg Morris Architects alongside our friends, colleagues, collaborators, and clients at

With so many familiar faces in attendance, it was especially meaningful to see the many connections and relationships that have grown over the years. We deeply cherish this community and feel incredibly fortunate to have one another as we look ahead to the next decade.

.bakery has been open for seven months! We visited the Ferry Building on a recent teambuilding trip, snagged some pastries, and snapped a few pics of the space. 

Our design for Parachute Bakery is an extension of sister restaurant Arquet, which opened in December. What used to be two divided spaces for The Slanted Door/ Out the Door has now been opened up into one cohesive space. Curved microcement plaster arches and ceiling insets with “wood-look” felt acoustic panels give it a warm, minimalistic feel. The arched window between Parachute and Arquet mirrors the arch in the Ferry Building storefront. Through it, customers have a fantastic view of the Bay.

Favorites from our pastry selection include the passionfruit-custard filled croissant cube and the Everything Kouign Amann with scallion cream cheese mousse. Fun fact: Parachute is named from the characteristic “puff up” that a croissant gets during the baking process!

Happy Earth Day! This year, we’re celebrating the way architecture can honor the past while building a more sustainable future through adaptive reuse.

Adaptive reuse is one of the most powerful tools in sustainable design. Reusing a building’s existing structure can reduce carbon emissions and minimize waste while preserving history.
These examples from our portfolio show how two shuttered theaters, a warehouse and an auto garage can be reimagined as vibrant spaces serving the needs of contemporary communities. 

The Advocate — a restaurant in a building that dates back to 1918. Formerly an auto garage, it’s a snapshot of Berkeley in transition from the time that the automobile displaced the streetcar. 

Center Street — the site of a new development that has lived many lives: as a furniture store, a restaurant, and a cinema. Following historical research, careful intervention transformed it into a 3-story mixed use building. 

Metro Theater — originally a 1924 Spanish Colonial Revival-style movie theater. We worked with the SF Historic Preservation Commission, the SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, and community groups to provide a seismic retrofit and preserve historical features in transforming this space into a modern fitness center with street level retail.

Temescal Works Coworking - was built to house a creamery in 1924 and sat neglected for many years. Due to the combined efforts of residents who pooled their resources, the building was restored and serves as a thriving co-working space. 

This Earth Day, we’re grateful for every client who chose to invest in what already exists — and for every community that welcomed these transformations.

We’re excited to welcome Keyla Vega and Eva Shaw to the Studio KDA team. Keyla joins us from Napa Valley, where she contributed to a range of memorable restaurant and hospitality projects. Eva holds degrees in both interior design and architecture and brings experience across student housing, multifamily, and single-family residential work.

Welcome, Keyla and Eva! We’re thrilled to have you on board.

It’s been 10 remarkable years since Kahn Design Associates and Abueg Morris Architect joined to become Studio KDA.

To celebrate this milestone as a team, we spent a day hopping around San Francisco. Our morning started at , then we went to the for lunch at all of our favorite spots: , , and . In the afternoon we fired up our creative juices 😊for a fused glass workshop at (a truly special experience - big shout out to their staff for facilitating,) and rounded out the day with a team dinner at .

We look forward to celebrating our 10th anniversary with friends and colleagues throughout the spring, but this was a fantastic kickoff - and a great way to bond together.

Outdoor dining on north Shattuck is back! 🥂☀️

Enjoying the warm weather with the patio doors open is a time-honored tradition in the space next door to Chez Panisse. We are so glad that is bringing back that convivial community vibe.

The front of the new Bar Panisse opens up onto the sidewalk, allowing people and air to flow freely. And according to this week’s review in , the menu lives up to the legacy of Chez Panisse with simple and delicious dishes in a more informal setting. Bar Panisse will be open 7 days a week starting March 24th, so there will be even more opportunity to enjoy! (and pro tip - get there just before they open, or go late - post 8pm!)

Celebrating women in construction today and every day! 🏗️👷‍♀️

Last week was week, so it’s the perfect time to acknowledge the contributions of women working to enhance the built environment. We are so grateful to all of the women we partner with to bring each of our designs to fruition.

It was fantastic to be present at the ribbon-cutting for site improvements at the Dwight Way Center earlier this week! We celebrated with Insight Housing leadership and City of Berkeley . This new outdoor space will grow food for the Women’s Shelter and serve as a community hub, making the backyard feel like home.

Many thanks to 122 West Landscape Architecture for creating such a welcoming space and to Oliver & Company Builders for bringing the project to life! This was such a rewarding collaboration. 🏘️ 🌿🌻