The Henry H. Wells Middle School was cited as an Outstanding Project by Learning by Design magazine.

Sustainable features and enhanced daylighting were an integral part of the design. Some of the sustainable features include daylight dimming controls, custom-designed horizontal and vertical sun shades, a high performance building envelope, insulated window glass, high-efficiency boilers, energy recovery ventilation, a solar thermal array for domestic hot water, a partial vegetative green roofing system and recycled flooring products and finishes.

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We are pleased to announce that Walter P. Hauser, AIA has been named Principal of the firm. Walter possesses strong management skills with attention to design detail and an outstanding ability to interface and communicate with owners, consultants and contractors. Russell A. Davidson, FAIA KG+D President and Erik A. Kaeyer, AIA KG+D Vice President enthusiastically welcome Walter in joining them in the planning and management of operations of the firm.

Walter joined KG+D as a Project Architect in 2004 and continued to hold positions as an Associate and Associate Principal. Since joining KG+D, Mr. Hauser has designed and managed projects with a combined construction value of approximately $100 million. He has served as the project manager for significant projects including Westchester Community College Master Plan, additions and renovations to Somers High School, District-wide infrastructure upgrades for the White Plains City School District, Master Planning and District-wide renovations for Middletown City School District and Trinity Pawling School Master Plan and new Scully Dining Hall designed to achieve LEED Silver certification.

Walter holds a Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Architecture from Trinity College. Walter is a licensed architect in the state of New York and a member of the American Institute of Architects.

Walter has contributed significantly to the firm’s success and is an important part of its future in his position of leadership as firm Principal.

On December 1st, 2014 KG+D Architects, PC officially marked 20 years of services to the Westchester/Hudson Valley region. On December 15th, the KG+D team was joined by clients, consultants, friends and family to celebrate 20 years of their dedicated support along with the successful projects and relationships cultivated over 20 years of positive collaborations.

“Many of our practitioners and firms, including my own, are fighting real battles every day to maintain and build value in the services we deliver, and to convince our clients to invest in quality design. The AIA can and should improve the perceived value of our profession which will yield positive results for all architects.”

Delegates to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) national convention in Chicago elected Russell A. Davidson, FAIA, (AIA Westchester Hudson Valley) to serve as the 2015 AIA first vice president/president-elect and 2016 AIA president. William J. Bates, AIA, and Francis M. Pitts, FAIA, will each serve as vice president from 2015 through 2016; John A. Padilla, AIA, as the Institute’s Secretary from 2015 through 2016.

Russell A. Davidson, FAIA, 2015 First Vice President/2016 President-Elect

Davidson, a former president of his local component in 1999 and president of AIA New York State in 2007, joined the AIA National Board in 2009 and served as AIA vice president from 2012-2013. Throughout out his national leadership tenure, Davidson has maintained a special focus on government and public advocacy for architects and architecture. Davidson practices with KG&D Architects in Mount Kisco, N.Y., where he has worked for 28 years, holding every position from junior draftsperson to managing principal. Davidson earned a degree in Architectural Aesthetics from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., and a MArch from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

“Public awareness needs to become the lens through which the AIA views all of its efforts,” Davidson says. “With a renewed focus and prioritization of the many programs now in place, the AIA can and should be more relevant to practitioners and the public. Many of our practitioners and firms, including my own, are fighting real battles every day to maintain and build value in the services we deliver, and to convince our clients to invest in quality design. The AIA can and should improve the perceived value of our profession which will yield positive results for all architects.”

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Westchester Magazine recently included two KG+D buildings in an article entitled “Our 10 Most Beautiful Buildings.”

“While many buildings try to contrast forms and materials to create excitement, often with goofy effects, this building manages to combine diverse forms and materials with an easy elegance,” says Michael J. Molinelli of Molinelli Architects in Briarcliff Manor. “It shows that public buildings do not need to be austere and default to off-white walls and oceans of acoustic drop ceilings. It finds opportunities to display the architect’s crafts: manipulating space and light for stimulating interiors spaces and imposing facades.”*

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