THE TEAM
The Kwan Henmi office environment is a welcoming, collaborative, and dynamic workspace. We are dedicated to providing a professional, fun, and rewarding work environment for our employees.
The dynamic, growing Kwan Henmi Team, located in San Francisco’s FiDi, is comprised of passionate and self-motivated team players. From weekly Eat-Drink-Crits, tech-talks, happy hours, and holiday parties, to the occasional game of ping-pong, there are many opportunities to connect with the team. We offer competitive salaries, full benefits, a design-oriented, transit-friendly workplace, and opportunities for professional growth.
Kwan Henmi hires professionals at all levels with exceptional technical, design, organizational and communication skills. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
For employment opportunities at our office, please visit the following website for more info: http://www.dlrgroup.com/about/careers/
Please do not contact us here for employment opportunities.
SYLVIA KWAN, FAIA, LEED AP / Vice President / Principal
Sylvia Kwan founded Kwan Henmi Architecture/Planning in 1980 with a commitment to the success of her clients and the realization of their design objectives. Her balance of architectural design expertise paired with her strong communication and leadership skill has enabled Kwan Henmi to have a 37-year legacy within the San Francisco community.
In addition to numerous awards for architectural design, Sylvia’s personal recognitions include being named among Honoree for Northern California Real Estate Women of Influence, and San Francisco Business Times’ 100 Largest Women Owned Companies as well as being listed as one of SFBT’s Largest Bay Area Architectural firms.
Sylvia received both her B.A. in Architecture with Honors and her Masters of Architecture at University of California at Berkeley. She is a licensed architect in the State of California.
DENIS HENMI, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB
/ Vice President / Principal
Denis brings more than 42 years of experience and extensive knowledge of the complex issues concerning building in an urban environment. Denis has served as project principal for many of Kwan Henmi’s multifamily housing, civic, and transportation projects. He is presently leading the final architectural design effort for the $1.6 billion dollar Central Subway project in San Francisco.
Denis was awarded NCARB’s highest honor, the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service. Having served on several National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) committees, he played a key role in California’s adoption of the NCARB’s Intern Development Program (IDP). He served as president, vice president, and master commissioner over two terms on the California Architects Board, and was awarded the Octavius Morgan Distinguished Service Award for 2011.
Denis earned his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. He is a licensed architect in the States of California, Hawaii, and Washington.
FARAAZ MIRZA, LEED AP / Director of Design / Principal
Over the past 22 years with Kwan Henmi, Faraaz has become a leader of high density, urban infill project design. His award-winning projects in the San Francisco Bay Area are identifiable by their intricate detailing and textures, producing multi-dimensional planes and patterns through choice of material, color, and structure, vibranting capturing the movement and culture of San Francisco.
ROBERT JANSEN, AIA, LEED AP / Principal
Robert is a gifted architect who leads Kwan Henmi's Transportation department. With a Danish influence, he brings his worldly perspective to Kwan Henmi. Robert thrives in the most complex of project environments. Because of his expertise on transportation projects, he is very familiar with coordinating with local government agencies, including BART, SFO, SFMTA, and VTA. Robert is a licensed architect in the State of California.
JASON TRAN, ASSOC. AIA / Principal
Jason leads the KH Commercial design team, with 27 years of experience on all phases of the design and construction process. His extensive background on commercial projects includes leading tenant improvement and interiors projects. He specializes in project and construction document management, and providing creative solutions to complex projects with demanding schedules and tight budgets.
LAURA DULSKI, AIA, LEED AP / Principal
Laura brings over 20 years of experience. Long before sustainability was rooted in the popular consciousness, Ms. Dulski independently researched environmental issues. She spoke at the GreenHome Seminar in 2006, and at the Herring Run Watershed Association on Green Building Practice, Policy, and Our Watershed with Lisa Ferretto in 2008. Laura is a licensed architect in the State of California.
DAN MOBERLY, LEED AP / Senior Associate
A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Dan spent his early years working in Copenhagen, Denmark. As a member of the KH design staff, he has experience working on multiple housing and education projects during phases from feasibility and programming through project closeout. He is an avid researcher and knowledge source for all things related to design, construction and architecture. Dan is a licensed architect in the State of California.
BOLIVAR PUYOL, AIA, LEED AP / Senior Associate
Bolivar is a graduate of UC Berkeley and a registered architect with 26+ years of experience. Since joining KH in 1998, he has worked on a broad range of projects including leading large educational and multi-family housing projects. His passions include advocating for the development of high-quality, affordable housing and creating high-performance educational environments.
NEIL PERALTA, LEED AP / Associate
Neil is a Hawaii native with a philanthropic spirit and a passion for the outdoors. Neil believes that simplicity in both life and architecture often yields the greatest results. In his 20+ years at Kwan Henmi, Neil has a rich history in multifamily, transportation, and commercial projects. In his spare time, Neil enjoys golfing, creating comical animations, and karaoke (mostly U2 songs).
SVETLANA YELINSON / Financial Admin / Associate
As a senior staff accountant who holds a Business degree from University of San Francisco and a MBA in Finance from Golden Gate University, Svetlana brings a wealth of accounting and business knowledge and skills to a variety of finance, human resources, and operations projects at Kwan Henmi. Svetlana is an associate member of the National Society of Accountants.
PETER HESS, ASSOC. AIA / Associate
Through studying abroad across countries including Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and China, Peter has developed a passion for buildings that engage their surroundings and elevate the experience of moving through the greater built environment. A graduate of UC Berkeley, Peter's appreciation for design manifests not only in practice, but in his photography as well.
OSMA DOSSANI / Associate
Having focused her graduate thesis on the slum areas in Mumbai, Osma has developed a passion for design in urban areas, particularly housing. Her Bachelor’s from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television complements her Master of Architecture from the California College of the Arts, giving her a unique perspective of architecture as a designed experience and programmatic juxtaposition.
CATHERINE MENG, AIA
Catherine received her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. Having worked in Houston, Shanghai, and New York City before moving to San Francisco, Catherine is particularly interested in the complexities and constraints of designing for urban areas. Outside of architecture, she enjoys experiencing performing arts, discovering new restaurants in the Bay Area, and mentors for the ACE Mentor Program.. Catherine is a licensed architect in the State of California.
JEANETTE WALTON, LEED AP / Associate
Jeanette, a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, enjoys the process of design and the collaborative environment at Kwan Henmi. She actively seeks balance as a designer, working on diverse projects, balancing aesthetics and functionality, and approaching it all with a strong work ethic and desire to have fun. Jeanette also teaches dancing, leads hikes, and judges baking contests in the office.
TAKARA TADA
Takara has a dual Masters degree from the University of Michigan in Architecture + Urban Design and a Doctor of Architecture degree from the University of Hawaii. Upon graduating, Takara worked at an award-winning Midtown Manhattan firm with a large not-for-profit client base. During that time, she developed the micro-studio apartment featured at the Museum of the City of New York Making Room Exhibition.
DEBBIE LIN
Debbie brings over 9 years of design experience in a broad range of large-scale domestic and international commercial and mixed-use projects. She’s a well-rounded designer whose process emphasizes both rationality and beauty, as well as focuses on the experiential quality of spaces. She received her undergraduate degree at Princeton and a master of architecture at Columbia. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, exploring nature, finding inner peace and French bulldogs!
STACY HANAWA, LEED AP BD+C
As a Bay Area native, Stacy recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a double major in Architecture and Japanese, in addition to a minor in Sustainable Design. Her goal is to ultimately integrate all three of these fields in her career. In her free time, Stacy enjoys training for marathons, making hand-made cards, learning authentic Japanese cooking, and tending to her succulents in the office.
JOSEPH CHANCE, AIA / Residential Consultant
Joseph has been associated with Kwan Henmi for 20 years, most recently as Director of Housing Design. He lends his 40+ years of experience in all types of multifamily housing to most, if not all, of the firm's residential projects. He brings extensive knowledge into planning and initial density studies for residential projects, as well as into the design of residential unit plans.