DIALOG Design Firm Announces Bay Area Merger with BKDW

DIALOG is excited to announce that Byrens Kim Design Works (BKDW) is merging with the integrated design firm under the DIALOG banner in the San Francisco Bay Area Region.

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Mona Lovgreen, Principal, Architecture (Photo: Business Wire)

Byrens Kim Design Works is an architecture and design practice in Oakland, with eight team members who share DIALOG's values and vision.

The practice was founded in 1979 by David Byrens. Dong Kim joined Byrens in 1998 and the firm has grown to focus on a wide portfolio of projects across higher education, K-12 school districts, civic buildings, mixed-use development projects and more.

“I had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with the DIALOG team on a few projects, most recently winning the Citation Award for the Architecture at Zero 2020 competition,” says BKDW principal, Dong Kim. “I knew early on that the DIALOG process was aligned to our values. It’s a great practice. This partnership will enable us to flourish and reach even more clients than each of our practices would be able to do on our own.”

The merger means DIALOG will now have studios in San Francisco, Oakland, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto.

“We’ve found a great partner in Byrens Kim Design Works,” says DIALOG Chair Jim Anderson. “Not only do they share our vision and live our values, they also challenge us to engage with our community at a much deeper level."

Meanwhile, DIALOG also announces that Mona Lovgreen will be DIALOG’s newest principal, based in San Francisco, effective Oct. 1, 2020.

Lovgreen joined DIALOG in Vancouver, B.C. in 2015. Since then, she has taken an active role as the lead architect on a variety of complex mixed-use and urban planning developments in both Canada and the U.S.

“Mona shares a passion for people and understanding local context, and Mona builds trust with her team members, clients and partners,” says Jim Anderson. “Mona joins DIALOG as an active and energetic new partner who is aligned with our values and commitment to servicing our clients and communities. We’re very pleased to welcome Mona into a leadership role within our design practice.”

“I’m proud of what we have been able to achieve in a short amount of time,” says Mona Lovgreen. “I’ve collaborated with DIALOGers from each and every studio to help make DIALOG known in the Bay area community. Over the last few years, I’ve been developing strong relationships and know we’re now at a threshold of breaking through.”

Lovgreen is active as co-chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2020 National Fall Conference-Tours Committee, the co-chair of ULI’s San Francisco Programs Committee, AIA International Practice Committee member, as well as an active member of the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) where she sits on the Urban Infrastructure Committee.

Some of Lovgreen’s most recent projects include The Denver River Mile, an award-winning development in downtown Denver involving a 15 million square foot of truly mixed-use, pedestrian friendly and transit-oriented community; and the 1967 Hastings mixed-use complex, a mid-rise complex with a cutting-edge design that respects and enlivens its locale by bringing new residential and retail offerings to an under-serviced community.

"We truly believe that merging with BKDW and our recent promotion of Mona Lovgreen as a U.S. principal, will allow us to meaningfully improve the wellbeing of even more communities. We’re thrilled to evolve our presence in the Bay area and beyond," Anderson says.

About DIALOG

DIALOG is a multidisciplinary design practice with over 600 people practicing from studios in San Francisco, Oakland, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto. Their team includes architects, interior designers, urban designers and planners, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, and landscape architects. Their work includes designing for community wellbeing and urban vibrancy, health and wellness, transportation, education, arts and culture, residential, retail and commercial, as well as mixed-use solutions.

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