Kevin Daly
Founder, Principal

Kevin Daly, FAIA, is the founder of Kevin Daly Architects. For over twenty years he has pursued an architecture that delves into the paradoxes of the urban condition and the consequences of intervention. Projects by Kevin Daly express his belief in an architecture that is performative on every level: environmentally, structurally, economically, and aesthetically. Bolstered by abundant research, he has demonstrated the benefits of advanced, unconventional building technology in works that are consistently recognized in publications and awards, and range from public schools, custom residences, and university buildings to affordable housing.

He is on the design faculty at UCLA and has served on juries or lectured at institutions internationally, including Stanford University, Cornell University, Rice University, SCI arc, the Architectural League of New York, the University of Texas at Austin, and RISD.

Gretchen Stoecker
Director

Gretchen Stoecker received her Bachelor of Architecture at Syracuse University and Master of Architecture at Yale University. As a designer for Selldorf Architects in NYC, she worked on the Neue Galerie museum and residential projects for five years before joining KDA in 2005.

Gretchen brings a refined sensibility and technical expertise to the wide range of buildings and systems that make up the KDA portfolio, from site cast concrete residential projects to innovative terra cotta rainscreens, precast GFRE building envelopes, and ETFE glazing systems. Gretchen has managed multiple projects with unconventional delivery systems, including design/build enclosures and MEP systems at the LEED Platinum Ostin Basketball Center at UCLA. As project manager, her attention to client needs and ability to coordinate sprawling design teams have enabled the success of several award-winning KDA projects.

Gretchen’s interest in architectural history and LA modernism continues, as she lives in a historic building designed by a famous postwar architect. She is a registered architect in the State of New York.

Jared Ward
Director

Jared Ward received his Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and worked in sculpture, architecture, and construction before joining the firm in 2000. He has since managed numerous award-winning KDA projects, including UCSB San Joaquin Housing and Edison Language Academy.

Jared believes that the practice of architecture requires a multi-disciplined understanding of the built environment, as well as an exhaustive understanding of the mechanical and physical qualities of an assembly, to inform the poetics of final tectonic form. His deep understanding of systems and relentless research habits have enabled him to lead the firm’s development of digital production and fabrication techniques. Jared is a registered architect in the State of California.

Phillip Gleason
Senior Associate

Philip Gleason joined kdA in 2011 after receiving his Bachelor of Architecture at Syracuse University. He has worked on multiple critically acclaimed projects for the firm — including the UCLA Ostin Music Center, for which he developed a non-repeating modular pattern for the building’s award-winning terracotta rainscreen; Edison Language Academy, where he coordinated the unitized glazed signature chimneys; and UCSB San Joaquin Housing. Philip enjoys backpacking across the west and often finds inspiration from the natural environment to apply to his architectural designs. With his astonishing capacity to multitask, Philip simultaneously manages schematic design and post-occupancy changes for ambitious clients. He is a registered architect in the State of California.

Luke Smith
Associate

Luke’s expertise is rooted in the tectonics of complex systems, with a particular focus on the environmental and formal performance of building skins. He has worked extensively on projects that include a high level of prefabrication, as well as the direct-to-fabrication process. Prior to joining kdA he was Associate Director of Design for a façade contractor, overseeing a range of large-scale projects across the US from design development through to construction. He was also a Project Manager at SHoP, working on a variety of projects including the Barclays Arena and the Dean Street modular tower.

Luke brings extensive knowledge of multiple parametric software platforms to both the design process and construction rationalization. He is also a part-time lecturer at the USC School of Architecture and speaks regularly at universities in the Los Angeles area. He was co-chair of the Facades Plus conference in conjunction with Architect’s Newspaper from 2014 to 2015.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Luke has found the Southern California climate more conducive to hiking and camping, which he enjoys when he’s not at work. He studied in Oxford and Paris before attaining his Master of Architecture from Princeton.

Courtney Gibbs
Associate

Courtney Gibbs received her Master of Architecture from the University of Melbourne. Prior to joining kdA she worked as a project lead at Lyons Architects in Melbourne, where she coordinated complex design and construction practices for institutional and health projects. She appreciates the sensory aspects of design, from materials and textures to sounds and scents, and carefully curates the architectural experience of each of her projects. Equally organized and collaborative, she coordinates the firm’s East Coast projects with LA- and NYC-based teams. 

Jeff Rauch
Architect

Jeff Rauch joined kdA as a summer intern in 2013 and returned full time to the firm in 2016. He received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis and his Master of Architecture from UCLA, where he was also recognized with the AIA Henry Adams Medal. Jeff’s work reflects his interest in representation and providing legibility to invisible networks and processes, and his comprehensive graphic design abilities have enabled him to coordinate competition entries and speculative proposals. His experience working in Japan at Atelier Bow-Wow, Los Angeles, and at small studios in New York City has exposed Jeff to a wide variety of diverse cultures and project types, all of which have shaped his design sensibility. Jeff is resident of NYC and the sole member of kdA New York. He is a registered architect in the State of California.

Julian Funk

Julian Funk received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from The Ohio State University and his Master of Architecture from Harvard University. At Harvard he taught a six week design studio for undergraduate students and worked as a teaching assistant for a recurring seminar on housing typologies, specifically in Latin America. Prior to joining kdA Julian worked at Machado Silvetti in Boston and developed campus plans for projects in Vietnam and Cairo. He is drawn to design that starts simply and practically and then shifts in surprising ways. To his work at kdA Julian brings experience in small exhibition design, large scale residential projects, and commercial fit-outs.

Casey Worrell

Casey received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arkansas and his Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. He began his career at Marlon Blackwell’s studio and continued as a designer at large corporate offices before finding a role at kdA as a generalist, employing his expertise in retail planning, renovations, and fit-outs. Casey brings sound planning and precise detailing to his current work producing documentation for multiple projects types within the office. He values architecture that generates multiple readings through the use of everyday materials altered to create unexpected moments.

Ciro Dimson

Ciro Dimson received his Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado, Boulder and his Master of Architecture from UCLA. From Lake | Flato Architects in West Texas to the West Coast studio of Bestor Architecture, Ciro has studied environmental issues and their influences on architecture. Ciro is interested in architecture that elicits an emotional response. Through his background in construction and woodworking as well as in high end residential and art installations, he brings a strong, intuitive sensibility and a readiness to allow building technique to inform his design.

Jeisler Salunga

Jeisler Salunga received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Illinois – Chicago, and Master of Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles. During his education he participated in first Chicago Architecture Biennial with Design with Company in 2015. In his final year of Graduate school, Jeisler taught undergraduates, introducing them both to software and architecture as a discipline. Upon completion of his Master’s degree, Jeisler was the recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Medal.

Prior to joining kdA in 2019, Jeisler was a Designer at Neil M. Denari Architects (NMDA) where he worked on projects at a wide range of scales and stages, most notably a boutique hotel in West Hollywood. His experience varies, from design, to project coordination, to detailing and documentation. Through this scope of work and experience Jeisler has a growing interest in how representational qualities of diagrams, drawings, and images translate to reality.

Phineas Taylor-Webb
Architect

Phineas Taylor-Webb received his Bachelors in Physics from Carnegie Mellon University and his Master of Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture. He joined the firm in 2018 after interning for Gehry Partners and Zaha Hadid Architects. He offers formal design skills shaped by a wide range of approaches to architecture and strives to support design with analytical analysis from his background in science. Phineas strives to design simple yet beautiful functional buildings at KDA. Phineas is a registered architect in the state of California.

Soha Momeni

To Soha, architecture is the creative connection between ideas and turning them into reality, a process that is at once both exciting and enriching.

Back in her homeland of Iran, she became fascinated by material and experimental approaches in applying it. This brought her to Los Angeles, where she received her Master of Architecture from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining kdA in 2019, she was a member of design teams at Brooks+Scarpa and NMDA where she worked on installations, retails, and commercial projects. Through her work on those projects, Soha gained and honed a combined set of experience and skills as both a designer and a craftsman, an evolving skillset that she now utilizes on her projects at kdA.

Outside the office, Soha is a fan of world cinema and finds great joy and meaning in Persian poetry.

Ryan Conroy

Ryan Conroy received his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture at UCLA before completing his Master of Architecture at UC Berkeley. As a recipient of the Branner Fellowship, he traveled throughout Europe, Asia, and South America researching the political effects of postwar housing and development. Prior to joining kdA, Ryan held teaching positions at UC Berkeley and research positions at cityLAB UCLA, and the City of Los Angeles. With each project, Ryan brings renewed attention to context and locality, aiming to broaden the influence of our discipline and engage new audiences.

Vanessa De La Hoz

Vanessa De La Hoz received her Bachelor of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, where she completed her thesis under Eric Moss and worked as a teaching assistant. Prior to joining kdA she worked for Marmol Radziner, producing detailed construction documents for custom homes and serving as the office education coordinator and curator for the materials library. Proficient in multiple software platforms, Vanessa is equally interested in materiality and sensory qualities of spaces.

Ruby Liu

Ruby Liu received her Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from the University of Toronto and her Master of Architecture from UCLA. She joined kdA as a summer intern in 2017 and returned as an official staff member the following summer. Ruby is a curious designer. Having lived in different countries and experienced a variety of cultures in depth, she is accustomed to keeping an open mind to understand, analyze and contextualize information – old or new. Her vigorous and systematic analysis leads to creative yet comprehensive design strategies and solutions. Ruby strives to combine material, form and function creatively to maximize architecture in all types of projects. Besides bringing clarity into the design process and coordination, she participates in outreach and curates engaging social media content to showcase kdA’s design philosophy to a broader audience. When she’s not at her job, Ruby enjoys finding something new in her neighborhood and travelling the world.

Connor Verteramo

Connor Verteramo received his Bachelors of Arts in Architecture from University of Kentucky and his Masters of Architecture from UCLA. While at UCLA he held several leadership positions, taught summer intensive programs, and was a TA for undergraduate studios. Connor was the recipient of the Chao Di Su Award for Final Research Project. Connor is interested in the aesthetic and formal characteristics found in non-architectural art and design practices as ways to inform the design process. As a lifelong soccer player, Connor enjoys playing and watching soccer in his free time.

Robert Becker

Robert received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago and earned his Master of Architecture from Princeton University in 2018. He brings a diverse background to kdA, having worked internationally in various design offices such as Presentation Studios International in Chicago, LTL Architects in New York, and Moon Hoon in Seoul Korea.  He is well-versed in multiple scales of design, from furniture to installations to buildings, and offers a keen eye for detail and an enthusiasm for the built environment.

Evan Hursley

Evan Hursley received his Bachelor of Architecture from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas and joined the kdA team in the fall of 2017. He discovered KDA through a lecture Kevin Daly gave at the University of Arkansas and was drawn to the detailing of the firm’s projects — and how that detail was employed to achieve complex forms. Evan enjoys solving problems through the act of creation, whether at a project or model scale, and relies on his attention to detail to translate these design solutions into reality.

Kevin Ulmer

A native Angeleno, Kevin Ulmer joined kdA in 2020 after receiving both a Masters in Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, Washington University in St Louis.  Ulmer was drawn to architecture by the physical implications of formal decisions, from intimate interior spaces to larger societal realties. Ulmer is passionate about the challenge of designing architecture for social benefit and improvement and investigating the fundamental relationship between craft and consequences. He believes that a global understanding of the layer complex forces that shape the urban realm makes designers stronger and more perceptive about the implementation of design for positive change.  Outside of kdA, Ulmer designs and makes pottery at a local studio; the medium allows another creative outlet for experimenting with form, material, and technique.

Alex Lippman
Operations Manager

Before joining the kdA team in 2019, Alex spent 10 years managing shipping, administration, and operations for several commercial art galleries in the Los Angeles area. In addition to handling the general business operations, Alex is an Associate Profession in Human Resources (aPHR) and coordinates marketing for kdA.  Her background in operations and logistics enables her to create efficient systems and procedures that make organizations run effectively. She appreciated by the office for her action-oriented work style. In her free time, Alex enjoys making art, visiting museums, and traveling to foreign countries.

Vanina Fiamingo
Controller

A native of Buenos Aires, Vanina Fiamingo received her degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE). Vanina is no stranger to the architecture and design world, as she grew up in an architect family surrounded by blueprints and renders. Before joining kdA she worked as a consultant for multiple firms in various industries across the United States and Latin America — including technology, entertainment, non-profit, real estate, and marketing organizations.