What Studio KDA does

Studio KDA is a Berkeley, California-based architecture and interior design firm operating across three integrated studios: Multifamily Housing, Food & Beverage, and Retail & Hospitality, with supplementary practices in Community Impact, Workplace, Fitness & Wellness, and Agricultural/Vineyard projects. Founded in 1984 (originally as Kahn Design Associates, rebranded in 2016), the firm delivers full-service design from concept through FF&E procurement using Building Information Modeling (BIM) for complex building modeling, 3D visualization, and digital design workflows. Notable technical capability includes expertise in integrating Meyer Sound's Constellation acoustic system into restaurant designs, with the Comal Berkeley installation representing the first restaurant application of the technology. The firm has completed 150+ food & beverage projects, maintains a 100% entitlement success rate on multifamily housing, and has a team of approximately 30 professionals.

Studio KDA serves a hybrid client base spanning SMB restaurant/bar operators (Bar Underdog, Comal Berkeley, Bar Shiru, Protégé), enterprise real estate developers (Everest Properties, Cerrito Vista), nonprofit and civic organizations (Sphere Co-Working, La Peña, Freight & Salvage), and specialty agricultural clients (Cowhorn Vineyard, Apricot Lane Farms). The firm generates revenue through professional services billed on a project basis—flat fees billed monthly for defined scopes, and time-and-materials with estimated ranges for evolving scopes. The firm operates exclusively in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, without intermediaries or reseller channels.

The firm's leadership is founder-led, with Charles Kahn as Founding Principal, Keith Morris and Marites Abueg leading the Food & Beverage studio, Geno Yun leading Retail, and Ann Slobod serving as VP and Firm Manager since 1993. Over 90% of clients return for subsequent work, and the firm maintains active industry engagement through leadership roles in ULI, ICSC, and the Housing Action Coalition. Studio KDA has received notable industry recognition including the 2020 PCBC Gold Nugget Award Grand Prize for Best Interior Renovation (Bar Shiru) and consistent press coverage in Architectural Digest, Wired, Eater National, SF Standard, and California Home + Design.

Name

Studio KDA

Legal name

Studio KDA

Website

https://studiokda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studio KDA is a Berkeley, California-based architecture and interior design firm operating integrated Housing, Food & Beverage, and Retail studios, serving Bay Area developers, restaurateurs, and community organizations with full-service design from concept through FF&E procurement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architecture and interior design services billed on a project basis. For defined work, they offer flat fees billed monthly. For evolving scopes, they provide estimated ranges and bill on a time-and-materials basis. Services span multifamily housing, food & beverage, retail, community/nonprofit, workplace, and agricultural projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Studio KDA is a Berkeley, California-based architecture and interior design firm delivering full-service design across multifamily housing, food & beverage, retail, workplace, community impact, agriculture, and fitness/wellness sectors. Services span from concept and schematic design through construction administration, including interior design, FF&E procurement, and sustainability consulting. The firm operates through dedicated studios with specialized leads for housing, hospitality, and retail practice areas.

Product overview

Studio KDA is an architecture and design firm offering comprehensive design services across three primary studios: Multifamily Housing Design, Food & Beverage Design (with 150+ completed projects), and Retail & Hospitality Design. The firm provides additional specialized services including Community Impact architecture for nonprofit and civic organizations, full Interior Design services, Vineyard/Farm/Retreat architecture, Workplace architecture, and Fitness & Wellness design. The integrated studio model combines expertise across these verticals to deliver cohesive solutions for renovations, adaptive reuse, and mixed-use development. The firm operates from Berkeley, CA with a team of approximately 30 professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multifamily Housing Design Full-service multifamily housing architecture covering student housing, mixed-use developments, micro-units, co-housing, Group Living Accommodations (GLAs), and middle-income apartments and condominiums for real estate developers in the Bay Area.
• Food & Beverage Design Studio Specialized restaurant, bar, cafe, and commissary design including kitchen and dining room layout for operational efficiency, acoustic treatment, and brand expression for hospitality operators and chefs.
• Retail & Hospitality Design Retail repositioning for shopping centers and mixed-use properties, transforming underperforming retail into experience-driven destinations that strengthen market position and improve leasing velocity.
• Community Impact Architecture Design services for nonprofit and civic organizations including behavioral health facilities, Montessori schools, cultural centers, and public realm improvements that balance mission, budget, and long-term operational needs.
• Interior Design Services Full interior design services from project inspiration through FF&E procurement and installation oversight, ensuring cohesive project vision from concept through construction for clients across all practice areas.
• Vineyard, Farm & Retreat Architecture Architecture and master planning for vineyards, farms, and retreat properties, including sustainable and biodynamic agricultural facilities for estate owners and agritourism operators.
• Workplace Architecture Office building design and workplace environments including co-working spaces, life science labs, and corporate amenities for commercial tenants and developers.
• Fitness & Wellness Design

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% entitlement success rate for multifamily housing projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• La PeñanotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Nonprofit cultural organization for which Studio KDA has designed community spaces as part of their community impact practice.
• Freight & SalvagenotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Berkeley music venue for which Studio KDA has provided design services, part of their community and cultural venue portfolio.
• Luna DancenotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Dance studio organization for which Studio KDA designed functional and aesthetic spaces, featured in client testimonials for successful project delivery.
• Meyer SoundcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2019Berkeley-based audio engineering company that collaborated with Studio KDA on the Constellation System installation at Comal Restaurant. This innovative acoustic technology uses microphones, speakers, and digital processing to dynamically control room acoustics, allowing adjustment via iPad for different occupancy levels. The Comal installation was the first restaurant application of this technology.
• Apricot Lane FarmsnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2016Pioneering organic and biodynamic farm featured in the documentary 'The Biggest Little Farm.' Studio KDA designed farmstead architecture including vermicompost barn and tea preparation building, supporting the farm's interconnected ecological mission.
• Housing Action CoalitionminorOthersIndustry organization focused on housing development; Buddy Williams serves as board member representing Studio KDA's commitment to housing issues.
• International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)minorOthersGlobal trade organization for the shopping center industry; Geno Yun serves on the Global Design & Development Awards jury and is a member of the ULI CRC Platinum Product Council.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI)minorOthersLand use think tank and research organization; Charles Kahn is a member and hosts Developer Roundtables to educate the local development community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hart Howerton: Integrated design, planning, and architecture firm with overlapping practice in hospitality, residential, and mixed-use developments serving similar high-end developer and operator clients.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm headquartered in San Francisco; not a direct competitor at the boutique scale, but relevant as a talent source (Studio KDA team member came from Gensler) and as the dominant large-firm alternative for the same Bay Area clients.

Direct peers

• BAR Architects & Interiors: San Francisco-based architecture and interiors firm of similar size with comparable practice in multifamily housing, hospitality, and commercial work; closely matched regional competitor for Bay Area projects.
• Heller Manus Architects: San Francisco architecture firm focused on multifamily housing, mixed-use, and commercial developments—directly overlapping Studio KDA's largest practice area and serving similar Bay Area developer clients.
• Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors: San Francisco design firm doing custom residential, restaurant, and commercial interiors—directly comparable in size, geography, and emphasis on hospitality-driven interior architecture.
• Olson Kundig: Architecture and design firm with comparable integrated studio model combining residential, hospitality, and commercial work; similar culture of principal-led design and craft-driven outcomes.
• Aidlin Darling Design: Bay Area residential, commercial, and cultural architecture firm with comparable design-forward philosophy and similar integration of architecture and interior design services.
• RMW Architecture & Interiors: San Francisco-based architecture and interiors firm with overlapping practice in workplace, multifamily housing, and commercial projects serving similar Bay Area clients.
• Studio Schicketanz: California-based architecture and interior design practice with similar boutique scale, regional focus, and integrated design approach across residential and hospitality projects.
• Edmonds + Lee Architects: San Francisco architecture firm with comparable practice in multifamily housing, adaptive reuse, and mixed-use developments across the Bay Area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kahn-design-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/studiokda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studio KDA