Journal
06/12/2025
Enso Village Wins Gold Nugget Grand Award
We are thrilled to share that Enso Village received PCBC’s 2025 Gold Nugget Grand Award for Best Age Qualified Senior Living Community! Enso Village is located among rolling hills of Healdsburg, California, in the heart of Sonoma’s wine country. The property is sited to take advantage of its pastoral environment surrounded by gently sloping hills,…
06/03/2025
Cheers to Our New Associates!
We are pleased to announce two new Associates! Since joining HKIT in 2021, Sam has successfully managed a select number of the firm’s affordable housing projects, partnering with clients and builders to develop thoughtfully designed and sustainable places to live. Principal, Paul McElwee notes, “Sam has demonstrated a commitment to exceptional client and project management,…
05/14/2025
Gold Nugget Awards of Merit Announced
We are delighted to announce that FOUR of our projects have received Awards of Merit in PCBC’s 2025 Gold Nugget Awards program! The Adult Education and District Office Building at Jefferson Union High School District has been recognized in the Best Educational Project category, while Foon Lok East at Brooklyn Basin has received an award…
04/21/2025
Enso Village Named EFA Finalist
Enso Village has been named a finalist in Environments for Aging’s 29th annual Design Showcase! The Showcase is a vibrant compilation of architecture and interior design projects in senior care facilities. The community is America’s first Zen-inspired life plan community, offering an innovative approach to aging mindfully. The community is located on a 16-acre campus…
03/13/2025
Principal, Christophe Laverne a Panelist at 2025 EFA Conference & Expo
Principal, Christophe Laverne, will be a panelist on two separate sessions: “High Tech Low Profile: Designing Zen Inspirational Living” and “Smart Senior Living 2.0”. The sessions will focus on the design and implementation of low voltage technology and smart technology, respectively, as applied to senior care settings. Using the recently completed Enso Village in Healdsburg,…
03/12/2025
Morgan Hill Senior Housing Receives GreenPoint Rated Platinum Certification
The 81-unit affordable senior community in Morgan Hill has been certified GreenPoint Platinum! Originally targeted for Gold rating, the all-electric development achieved Platinum status through the hard work of the design team, client, general contractor, and the sustainability/code consultant. The project features sustainable measures including rooftop photovoltaics, electric vehicle parking, and drought-tolerant landscape.
05/15/2024
Monroe Commons & Elegance Berkeley Win Awards of Merit!
Two of our projects received merit awards in PCBC’s 2024 Gold Nugget Awards! Elegance Berkeley in the Best Service Enriched 55+ Community – IL/AL/Memory Care category and Monroe Commons in the category of Best Affordable Housing Community Under 30 du/acre. Thank you to PCBC for this recognition, and congratulations to our amazing clients, our talented…
04/15/2024
Cheers to Our New Associates!
We are pleased to announce two promotions to Associate! Since joining HKIT in 2018, Lisa (pictured top right) has successfully undertaken some of the firm’s most technically challenging affordable housing projects in recent history with thoughtfulness and diligence. Principal Paul notes, “Lisa demonstrates a commitment to HKIT’s ongoing growth and improvement, not only through her…
11/21/2023
75th Anniversary Principal Spotlight: Paul McElwee
Principal Paul McElwee joined HKIT in 2005, and has been on a steadfast mission to make an impact on the Bay Area community through the design of resilient and sustainable affordable housing. As the firm’s multifamily housing practice leader he shares, “Affordable housing has always been an important market sector in the Bay Area, and…
11/07/2023
75th Anniversary Principal Spotlight: Jeff Evans
For nearly two decades at HKIT, Principal Jeff Evans has focused his attention on designing thoughtful and inspiring learning environments for public and private educational clients. “Upon completing grad school, I learned that HKIT’s mission was to create architecture that enriches the community and environment, and that rang true with me then as much as…
10/25/2023
75th Anniversary Principal Spotlight: Christophe Laverne
Since joining HKIT over a decade ago, Principal Christophe Laverne’s portfolio has spanned all HKIT’s market sectors. As one of HKIT’s Senior Living practice leaders, Christophe reflects, “What sets HKIT apart is our unwavering 75-year continuous commitment to our core practice areas: housing, senior living, and education. We remain committed to what we have excelled…
10/23/2023
Congratulations to Our New Associate!
We are thrilled to announce that Greg Hielsberg has joined HKIT’s leadership team as our newest Associate! An integral member of our Education Team, Greg brings over 18 years of experience in the planning and design of learning environments to HKIT. In addition to being a skillful designer, he holds a key role in the…
10/10/2023
HKIT 75th Anniversary Principal Spotlight: John Frando
Principal John Frando joined HKIT in 1996. During his initial interview with the firm, he had the chance to connect with then-partners, Komatsu, Ivelich & Tucker (the “KIT” in HKIT). John remembers being drawn to HKIT’s welcoming and collaborative office environment, saying, “HKIT felt like a place where you could be yourself and take on…
09/28/2023
HKIT 75th Anniversary Principal Spotlight: Melissa Regan-Byers
As we near our firm’s formal 75th anniversary date in October, we begin to acknowledge the leadership team that is responsible for leading our firm into the future. We proudly spotlight Principal, Melissa Regan-Byers. Melissa’s journey with HKIT began 17 years ago and was guided by a desire to join a firm that designs meaningful…
05/30/2023
A Joyous Win for Foon Lok West!
Foon Lok West, which translates to “Joyous Community” in Cantonese, has truly lived up to its name, being awarded the Grand Award for Best Affordable Housing Community – 60 du/acre or more from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) Gold Nugget Awards. Much-deserved recognition and congratulations go to MidPen Housing, Nibbi Brothers, and our talented…
05/09/2023
HKIT is Proud to Announce an Addition to Firm Leadership
We are thrilled to formally announce that Melissa Regan-Byers has been elevated to principal. In 2006, she joined the firm as a job captain. Over the course of 15+ years, she was promoted to associate and senior project manager, focused on educational projects for several Bay Area school districts. “Melissa has been instrumental in shaping our…
03/06/2023
Casa de La Misión in Senior Housing News
Principal, Paul McElwee was interviewed by Senior Housing News for an article that explores how our team was able to navigate the obstacles of a compact site and neighborhood concerns to deliver Casa de La Misión, an award-winning project that honors the rich history of the surrounding community. Located in San Francisco’s Mission District, the…