美國KPF合伙事務所簡介

photo: Kohn Pedersen Fox

KPF（Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates）成立于1976年，目標是將建筑藝術和商業結合起來。在成立的第一個十年里，其在紐約的實踐已經成為美國辦公樓設計的杰出典范，以及少數幾家旨在恢復城市在二戰后的郊區化進程中逐漸喪失的魅力的美國設計公司的領軍者。隨著實踐的深入，其工程在建筑類型和地域方面得到了拓展。委托的業務發展到包括城市、文化、機構、酒店、住宅、交通和各種規模的基礎設施項目中。這種多產的、跨行業的專業知識推動了KPF目前在多功能建筑領域的領導地位，尤其是它在建筑和社區尺度上的設計傾向。

如今，30名負責人帶領著650名來自9個緊密聯系的國際辦事處員工，在超過45個國家從事設計工作。盡管KPF規模龐大，但它仍保持著一種小規模實踐的精神，在這種實踐中，設計和制造的過程是通過開放的思想交流和合作發展起來的。工作人員會說40多種語言，在全球范圍內合作，從概念設計到施工管理，共同承擔責任。即使其覆蓋面很廣，公司獨特的方法促成了一個共同的目標——為每個項目找到最明智的解決方案——通過其以比較為主的設計流程來實現。

公司的作品集說明了這種建筑追求。才華橫溢的個人在工程中利用豐富的知識、才華和工藝，為各種類型、規模以及所有地理區域的建筑做出了貢獻，包括許多世界上最高的塔、最多樣化的項目和創造性的建筑形式，從超級摩天大樓到低層社區。本期《世界建筑導報》關注的是KPF的設計流程，突出了KPF在工藝方面的成就。28個項目代表不同的類型，強調當地文化和景觀的融合。案例研究記錄了選擇、制造和應用材料的詳盡而復雜的實踐。它們或強調制造者的角色或肯定計算機建筑學的未來。設計的目的是充分展示工作室在高質量和環境敏感的建筑設計方面的實力。KPF頌揚集合作者、調查者、問題解決者和制造者的角色為一身的建筑師。

KPF was founded in 1976 with the objective of marrying art and commerce in architecture. Within a decade, the New York City practice had emerged as the pre-eminent author of office buildings in the United States, a leader among a handful of American firms that were revitalizing cities with the charisma that suburbs had drained after World War II. As the practice progressed, its work expanded in typology and geography. Commissions grew to include civic, cultural, institutional,hotel, residential, transportation, and infrastructure projects of varied sizes. This prolific, cross-sector expertise propelled KPF’s current leadership in mixed-use architecture, and in particular, its penchant for designing at the scale of both building and neighborhood.

Today, 30 principals lead 650 staff members in nine, interconnected, international offices, designing in more than 45 countries. Despite its formidable size, KPF maintains the spirit of a smaller practice,in which the process of design and fabrication is developed through the open exchange of ideas and collaboration. Speaking more than 40 languages, the staff collaborates globally, sharing responsibilities from conceptual design through construction administration. Even with its wide reach, the firm’s singular approach promotes a collective goal—finding the smartest solution for each project—achieved through its comparative design process.

The firm’s portfolio illustrates this architectural pursuit. Talented individuals bring a wealth of knowledge, talent, and artisanship to their work, having contributed to buildings of all types and scales and in all geographic regions, including many of the world’s tallest towers, most varied programs, and inventive forms. With a focus on process, this issue of World Architecture Review highlights the firm’s achievement in craft, from the supertall skyscraper to the low-rise neighborhood. Nearly thirty projects represent diverse typologies, stressing the integration of local cultures and landscapes. Case studies chronicle the intimate yet complex practice of choosing, manufacturing, and applying materials. They emphasize the role of the fabricator or the future of computational architecture. The intended result is a thoughtful demonstration of the studio’s prowess in the design of high quality and contextually sensitive buildings. It celebrates the architect as collaborator, investigator, problem-solver, and maker.