earthstudio

DES A+E

Committed to creating
A REGENERATIVE FUTURE

that supports the health and well-being of
all generations to come.

Introducing DES' Earth Studio...

environment leaf icon

environment

building icon

architecture

resilience icon

resilience

windmill icon

technology

health shield icon

health

environment leaf icon

environment

We endeavor to create spaces that are beneficial to and respectful of the local and regional ecosystems. In doing so, we employ techniques to mitigate environmental damage due to human activity, restore the local ecosystems, protect water, and air quality, and create designs that embody a net-positive impact on the environment and surroundings.

We are deeply committed to evaluating carbon impact of buildings and develop approaches to minimize the carbon, both operational and embodied, emitted by the built environment. Our sustainability practitioners are familiar with the current tools and databases and are also engaged in research and analytics to improve the outcomes of our design process.
3045 Park outdoor collaborative space

3045 Park Blvd

"We have been a signatory to the AIA 2030 commitment since 2019. In 2020, our projects reported energy savings equivalent to carbon emissions that would be sequestered by more than 84,147 acres of forest in one year."

building icon

architecture

Working in close collaboration with the entire design team, we have an unique approach of combining aesthetics, function, sustainability, and wellness goals while defining the basic architecture of our projects. To inspire this process, our Sustainability and Energy Specialists champion the integration of following building simulation analysis as a design driver:

• Climate Analysis
• Solar/Shading Analysis
• Lighting and Glare Analysis
• Thermal Comfort Analysis

"With this approach, we have established an impressive track record of 6 million square feet of LEED Platinum & Gold certified buildings and campuses. Our projects have been recognized for their sustainability features including the Design Tech High School in Redwood City and Gilead 309 Velocity in Foster City."

Skyline College floor to ceiling windows

Skyline

resilience icon

resilience

We understand the rapidly changing environment and climate risks that would ultimately impact our projects and communities. Together with our integrated engineering and master planning teams, we focus on helping our clients to identify these risks and create resilient design solutions that allow the projects to respond and adapt to changes.

Sustainable site and master planning
Site ecology, vegetation and water use optimization study
Sea-level rise adaptation strategies
On-site renewable energy generation storage analysis
The Cove exterior view

The Cove

"We have designed over 5.2 million square feet of office, life science and educational campuses along the San Francisco waterfront, with publicly accessible amenities, bay trails and bay-friendly vegetation. Our design not only created inspiring "destinations" on the bay, but also enabled the building projects and public shoreline to be resilient and adaptive to the foreseeable sea-level rise."

windmill icon

technology

We have built a strong partnership between engineering and design professionals. Today, this collaboration continues to evolve and focus on delivering cost-effective and evidence-based design solutions to meet tomorrow's environmental challenges. Our team's expertise in automated, parametric building modeling and climate analytical tools helps our clients to understand their buildings' performance, carbon impacts and alternate design opportunities.

Early design and massing solar study
Building façade optimization study
Life-cycle assessment study
LEED and Energy code compliance study

"We set our goals high of pursuing design innovation and construction technologies to create the next generation of buildings that meet the needs of the future."

Southline Building Exterior

Southline

health shield icon

health

We are committed to health focused building design that enables occupants to feel comfortable and relaxed which can in turn improve their productivity and concentration. Our design strategies for promoting health focused outcomes include:

Biophilic Design that focuses on creating a closer connection to nature via: Restorative indoor and outdoor spaces and access to views and improved daylighting with glare control to reinforce circadian rhythms
Focus on acoustics comfort for enhanced wellbeing
Use of Healthy Materials
Design that fosters inclusion
Gilead Science Building harbor view

Gilead Science

"Our most recent tech office and life science building and campus projects have achieved and continue to target Health and Wellness focused certifications. We have also pledged to practice Health and Wellness in our daily operations. DES is a certificated member of the California Green Business network and a strong advocate of community sustainability initiatives."

team

Kenny Hung Portrait

Kenny Hung

AIA, LEED AP BD + C, Fitwel, WELL AP
Senior Associate
Sustainability Lead

During his two-decade professional career, Kenny has designed over 150 acres of community-sensitive office and life science campuses, with his focus on responding to the site and climate context, enhancing building envelope performance and user experience, as well as creating open space and public amenities connecting to the San Francisco Bay. A recipient of AIA San Mateo County Emerging Professional in 2014 and having won the AIASMC / Sustainable San Mateo County Green Building Award for the Design Tech High School in 2018, Kenny has often collaborated with educators, designers, and engineers in sustainable design fields. He has hosted numerous seminars and presentations on Net Zero Building, Carbon Neutral and Climate-responsive design and projects. With a passion for a greener and sustainable future, Kenny has taken on the leadership of the firm’s sustainable design group and co-founded Earth Studio.
Reema Nagpal Portrait

Reema Nagpal

LEED AP BD + C, WELL AP
Living Future Ambassador
Building Performance Lead

As a champion of innovative sustainable design, Reema has applied her 12 years of experience to a wide range of projects in Asia and United States. She is passionate about sustainability and strives to develop high quality sustainability programs to support positive environmental and economic outcomes of projects that she works on. Reema has worked on several Net Zero Energy & Carbon projects and LEED projects covering over ten million square feet of commercial spaces. She is a healthy materials advocate and worked on the first WELL certified office campus in India which, in addition to sustainability, also addressed initiatives related to health and wellbeing. Serving as an in-house LEED and WELL advisor, Reema leads Earth Studio’s performance analysis efforts focusing on energy (both operational and embodied), water and waste efficiency opportunities for DES projects.
Dawn Jedkins portrait

Dawn Jedkins

LEED AP
Associate Principal
Sustainability Partner

Brent Takahashi portrait

Brent Takahashi

LEED AP, Fitwel
Associate Principal
Sustainability Partner

green ambassadors

Newest Ambassadors

AIKO TANAKA, Fitwel

DOUG SHORTES, Fitwel

YICAN (COCO) BAO, LEED Green Associate

Current Ambassadors
RAYA ALAVI, Fitwel, LEED Green Associate
SEAN AUNG, Fitwel
YICAN (COCO) BAO, Fitwel, LEED Green Associate
RYAN BATANGAN, Fitwel, LEED Green Associate
CHRIS BOYLE, LEED AP
NATASHA BURR, LEED Green Associate
JENNIFER CAINE, LEED AP
APARNA CHACKO, LEED AP
SONAL CHANDNI, Fitwel
ELAINE CHEN, Fitwel
ZHEQI CHEN, Fitwel, LEED AP BD+C
ACHILLES CHUA, LEED Green Associate
MAXWELL DEANDREIS, LEED Green Associate
JACK EMERSON, Fitwel
SUSAN ESCHWEILER, LEED AP
KARTIK GATHANI, LEED AP
TOM GILMAN, LEED AP
JANHAVEE GODSE, Fitwel
NEADA GOLBAN, Fitwel
JANA GUNSUL, LEED AP
ROJIN HASHTROODI, Fitwel
DAVID HRONEK, LEED AP
AILI HU, Fitwel
AKIKO ISHII, Fitwel, LEED AP
DAWN JEDKINS, LEED AP
JASMEET KAHLON, Fitwel, LEED AP BD+C
SOFIA KARTER, LEED Green Associate
GISELLE KESHTGAR, Fitwel
ERICA LEE, LEED AP
WAIBUN LEE, LEED AP
MIKAELA LEO, Fitwel
GLENN LY, LEED AP
DAYTON MAC, LEED AP ID+C
ELKE MACGREGOR, Fitwel, LEED AP
PRIYA MALHOTRA, LEED AP BD+C
CAROL MCHUGH, LEED AP
JEREN NADIMI, Fitwel
KEVIN NORMAN, LEED AP BD+C
TAY OTHMAN, LEED AP BD+C
JOANNA PONG, Fitwel, LEED Green Associate
VIVIAN PHAM, Fitwel
REGINA PORTER-JORDAN, Fitwel, LEED Green Associate
DIANA CALDERON RANGEL, Fitwel, LEED Green Associate
LORIN LAIACONA SALEM, LEED AP
PARIS SATO, LEED Green Associate
MOHAMMED SEDQI, LEED AP BD+C
CRIS SILVERBERG, Fitwel
KWANG HYUN SONG, LEED AP BD+C
BRENT TAKAHASHI, Fitwel, LEED AP
AIKO TANAKA, Fitwel, LEED AP BD+C
MAYARA TAVERAS, Fitwel
BLAINE TEHANEY, LEED Green Associate
KELSEY VERSTEEG, LEED Green Associate
BYRON WONG, LEED AP
TRACY WONG, LEED AP BD+C
DALE YEE, LEED AP
GINNY YI, Fitwel
ARVIN NASSSIM YAZD, LEED AP BD+C
JAN YOSHIKAWA, Fitwel
BEI XU, LEED AP BD+C
Filter by certification:
Achilles Chua

Achilles Chua

LEED

Green Associate

Aiko Tanaka

Aiko Tanaka

LEED

BD+C

Fitwel

Aili Hu

Aili Hu

Fitwel

Akiko Ishii

Akiko Ishii

LEED

AP

Fitwel

Alys Wong

Alys Wong

Fitwel

Aparna Chacko

Aparna Chacko

LEED

AP

Fitwel

Bei Xu

Bei Xu

LEED

BD+C

Blaine Tehaney

Blaine Tehaney

LEED

Green Associate

Brent Takahashi

Brent Takahashi

LEED

AP

Fitwel

Byron Wong

Byron Wong

LEED

AP

Carol McHugh

Carol McHugh

LEED

AP

Chris Boyle

Chris Boyle

LEED

AP

Chris Mateo

Chris Mateo

LEED

ND

SITES

Coco Bao

Coco Bao

LEED

Green Associate

Fitwel

Cris SIlverberg

Cris SIlverberg

Fitwel

Dale Yee

Dale Yee

LEED

AP

David Hronek

David Hronek

LEED

AP

Dawn Jedkins

Dawn Jedkins

LEED

AP

Dayton Mac

Dayton Mac

LEED

ID+C

Diana Rangel

Diana Rangel

LEED

Green Associate

Fitwel

Doug Shortes

Doug Shortes

Fitwel

Elaine Chen

Elaine Chen

Fitwel

Elke MacGregor

Elke MacGregor

LEED

AP

Fitwel

Erica Lee

Erica Lee

LEED

AP

Ernest Chan

Ernest Chan

LEED

Green Associate

Ginny Yi

Ginny Yi

Fitwel

Giselle Keshtgar

Giselle Keshtgar

Fitwel

Glenn Ly

Glenn Ly

LEED

AP

Jack Emerson

Jack Emerson

Fitwel

Jan Yoshikawa

Jan Yoshikawa

Fitwel

Jana Gunsul

Jana Gunsul

LEED

AP

Janhavee Godse

Janhavee Godse

Fitwel

Jasmeet Kahlon

Jasmeet Kahlon

LEED

BD+C

Fitwel

Jennifer Caine

Jennifer Caine

LEED

AP

Fitwel

Jeren Nadimi

Jeren Nadimi

Fitwel

Joanna Pong

Joanna Pong

LEED

ID+C

Fitwel

Kaila Sison

Kaila Sison

Fitwel Amb.

Kartik Gathani

Kartik Gathani

LEED

AP

Kelsey Versteeg

Kelsey Versteeg

LEED

Green Associate

Kenny Hung

Kenny Hung

LEED

BD+C

Fitwel

WELL

Kevin Norman

Kevin Norman

LEED

BD+C

Kwang Hyun Song

Kwang Hyun Song

LEED

BD+C

Lorin Laiacona Salem

Lorin Laiacona Salem

LEED

AP

Mayara Taveras

Mayara Taveras

Fitwel

Mikaela Leo

Mikaela Leo

Fitwel

Mohammed Sedqi

Mohammed Sedqi

LEED

BD+C

Nancy Rangel

Nancy Rangel

Fitwel

Natasha Burr

Natasha Burr

LEED

Green Associate

Neada Golban

Neada Golban

Fitwel

Paris Sato

Paris Sato

LEED

Green Associate

Fitwel

Patricia Galvan

Patricia Galvan

Fitwel

Priya Malhortra

Priya Malhortra

LEED

BD+C

Ray Agapay

Ray Agapay

Fitwel

Raya Alavi

Raya Alavi

LEED

Green Associate

Fitwel

Reema Nagpal

Reema Nagpal

LEED

BD+C

WELL

Rojin Hashtroodi

Rojin Hashtroodi

Fitwel

Ryan Batangan

Ryan Batangan

LEED

Green Associate

Fitwel

Sean Aung

Sean Aung

Fitwel

Sik Chayaratana

Sik Chayaratana

Fitwel

Sofia Karter

Sofia Karter

LEED

Green Associate

WELL

Sonal Chandni

Sonal Chandni

Fitwel

Susan Eschweiler

Susan Eschweiler

LEED

AP

Tay Othman

Tay Othman

LEED

BD+C

Fitwel

Tom Gilman

Tom Gilman

LEED

AP

Tracy Wong

Tracy Wong

LEED

BD+C

Vivian Pham

Vivian Pham

Fitwel

Waibun Lee

Waibun Lee

LEED

AP

Zheqi Chen

Zheqi Chen

LEED

BD+C

Fitwel

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.