Ken Linehan, Managing Principal, FK Architecture
In an interview with Invest:, Ken Linehan, managing principal of FK Architecture, discussed the firm’s milestones, highlighting its dedicated staff and expansive project portfolio spanning various states. Despite its national recognition, the firm remains committed to local needs, which is especially evident in its involvement in affordable housing projects in Central Florida, Linehan said.
What milestones have contributed to your success?
We have a distinct track record of longevity with our people. There are some long-term employees who are the bread and butter of what we do here, so I want to celebrate them first. Continually celebrating milestones like 10- and 20-year anniversaries really demonstrates that we’re a company focused on our people and their advancement. As far as the product goes, we really can travel and have expanded the areas we serve and the scope of projects we work on. We’ve worked in many states across the country and enjoy the distinct cultures and nuances of working in different areas. Diving into the active adult community design has also helped us grow in recent years as an offshoot of our multifamily portfolio.
How does the firm distinguish itself from its competitors?
Innovation is critical to our culture, and we are always looking at new technology. By the time AI started growing in popularity, we were already at the forefront of it and we’ve been testing and implementing it longer than most in the industry. As more systems teach themselves and advance, we will be able to utilize them better and serve client needs more efficiently. We are also heavily involved in modular construction and penalization. We’ve done projects for Tiger Woods’ company across the United States, for example. They sought us out because of the modular knowledge and experience we’ve built.
How do you maintain your national recognition while still meeting local needs?
We expanded staff and our footprint during the pandemic. We also have some local long-term clients that we have worked with for over 55 years and that we continue to work with to this day. It is so important to keep relationships open and growing with the development managers we work with. Within the last year, from an interest rate standpoint, a lot of work has come back locally to Central Florida. We have done quite a bit of affordable housing and tax credit work, which is important because the funding for those is slightly different from standard lending procedures in the developing world.
How do you balance market-rate developments with affordable housing projects?
Affordable housing projects are typically smaller than the market rate. We have found our niche with a couple of developer clients that come back to us often. We went into the Austin area with one of them to do housing for the homeless; we are proud of this because it allows us to assist different communities. We are doing the same thing here in Orlando with some local developers we have teamed up with to provide affordable housing for families and the elderly with assisted funding from the government. We are also providing green building solutions through energy and water systems that are as efficient as possible. One client of ours is focused on those kinds of things. There are six projects with them locally, equating to just over 1,000 units.
How have you adapted to the continuing demand for mixed-use multifamily projects?
We have been doing quite a bit of that in Central Florida. In my portfolio, I have two 300-unit projects that combine that live, work, and play mindset. We have one in St. Petersburg that is integrated between three different architects and one client. We are working on the apartment side of that, but it also includes retail and a sports facility. It provides unique challenges because retail does not underwrite the multifamily; it almost has to live by itself outside of a developer’s money-making opportunity.
What is your experience with co-working spaces in the region?
Co-working demand waned during the pandemic, so we pivoted to design different spaces. Our clubhouses are small cubicle spaces that can be rented out on a long-term basis or by the hour. We have also done a project that includes two Zoom rooms with an associated conference room. It only takes up the space of a garage. Even among our employees, about 25% of our staff is working from home.
What is the viability of the co-working model in the long term?
On the design side for apartments, we have shifted because, at one point, we were incorporating spaces for desks into the design, but those are more expensive to build. For that reason, the culmination of mixed spaces, whether it is a clubhouse or an existing building, has been more successful because of the flexibility afforded. We are seeing that a majority of the usage is from the tech sector, which is known for being pretty flexible. As more people work from anywhere with a work surface, co-working spaces will be an essential component for development.
How are you incorporating sustainability into your projects?
We are constantly evaluating the materials we use and the carbon footprint they leave, both in their production and transport. Clients demand more sustainability in their projects, but it must also make sound financial sense. We work closely to identify areas to incorporate sustainable materials in our projects, and we do a lot of wood construction. If you talk to someone who does a lot of steel, they will tell you that 95% of steel can be recycled but the carbon footprint of steel is difficult to measure as it typically goes through multiple facilities and suppliers whereas wood is going through one facility.
How are ongoing property conversions impacting the architecture and design sector?
We have a few hotel conversion projects that we are looking at, and we are working on one right now that is being converted into apartments. It is an interesting design conundrum because they don’t quite match up as one might think they should. Senate Bill 102 in Florida is having a big impact on conversions because it allows the conversion of a mixed-use site into an affordable housing project. We haven’t done any office conversions yet though they are happening in the industry. Our office occupancy is still wavering, but the medical office buildings are in high demand because of the need for better healthcare systems in the region. For that reason, a lot of office space is being picked up by healthcare professionals and converted to spaces used for medical needs.
What are your top priorities for the near term?
Our top priority is innovation. We like that we can shift gears and do things that other firms cannot, so we plan to continue doing these interesting, offshoot projects that make us unique. Modular projects are going to be further refined, whether it is micro-living or shipping an entire box to a site and installing it as part of a development. This is particularly popular in the West and up North near New England. Maintaining our culture and people is critical for us. We want to continue our growth and continue developing our professional expertise with the remarkable people we have and others we find.
The average person may not know who we are, but they are often sleeping in one of our projects, whether it is a homeless shelter or a high-end living development. We instill the thinking in our staff that they are providing a basic need for people because, without a roof over someone’s head, their life is a lot harder.
