Are you kōl ?
kōl design is a group of architects, urbanists, innovators and researchers practicing architecture and urban design. Founded as a young start-up in 2016, and officially launching in 2018, our Toronto office is currently growing and involved in several interesting projects throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
We believe the best buildings and cities are created from a holistic synthesis of all the elements that comprise its character: the physical structures, systems and materials that manifests it; the symbolism of its form; the success of its function and use; its environmental and cultural narrative; the way you experience it; and its ability to inspire and empower. Furthermore, our designs are deeply rooted in contemporary life and sustainability, creating works that are relevant to the client and user and environmentally enduring.
Our design process informs our belief and is aligned with today’s hyper-complex world. A project is no longer informed by one expert but a conglomerate of experts consisting of Client, Subject Experts, Engineers, Contractors and Architects. Through the Design Thinking process we collectively contribute our knowledge in discovering, designing and delivering a joint vision and aspiration for all projects.
DISCOVER
CLIENT
ARCHITECT
DESIGN
CLIENT
ARCHITECT
ENGINEERS
SUBJECT EXPERTS
DELIVER
CLIENT
ARCHITECT
CONTRACTOR
ENGINEERS
SUB-CONTRACTORS
Our studio is founded by Ken Lum, an award-winning design architect with over a decade of experience in the design and construction of complex buildings and large-scale developments all around the world. He is a licensed architect in the United States and Canada, an active member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and was previously a Senior Associate at the internationally renowned Executive Architect firm Adamson Associates.
After graduating with a Bachelor and Master of Architecture in 2005, he was shortlisted from over 1,011 professionals for a September 11 national memorial which was made into a CBC National documentary. He is a recipient of multiple Awards of Excellence and most recently honored to receive the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Young Architect Award Special Mention, a nationwide award recognizing architects under the age of 40 for excellence in design, leadership and service to the profession.
During his tenure at Adamson Associates, he led and/or played critical roles on several award-winning high-profile buildings and developments including: Google Headquarters in Mountain View, 50 Hudson Yards, 53 West 53, and 425 Park Avenue in New York, Crossrail Station at Canary Wharf, Southbank Place in London UK, and TwoFour54 Media Zone in Abu Dhabi. At kōl Ken is charged with maintaining the design ethos of the company from start of design process through to construction. His designs include several award-winning projects including a September 11 National Memorial in the United States, Tangshan Earthquake Memorial and Museum in China, Bamiyan Valley Cultural Center in Afghanistan, Dokdo Museum and Park in South Korea, and the International Telecommunications Union Headquarters in Switzerland.
Vancouver
Toronto
New York
London
Abu Dhabi
Beijing
Pennsylvania
California
Afghanistan
3 CONTINENTS
He has successfully worked with a diverse roster of clientele ranging from developers and financial institutions, to tech giants and governmental agencies including but not limited to: Canary Wharf Group, Related, Tishman Speyer, Google, Hines, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Goldman and Sachs, Blackrock, and JP Morgan to the US National Parks Services, United Nations International Telecommunications Union, Tangshan District Urban Planning Bureau and TwoFour54. He has also collaborated with the firms of some of the most prominent Pritzker Prize and master architects today including Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, Jean Nouvel, Zaha Hadid, Ben van Berkel, Jeanne Gang, Bjarke Ingels, and Thomas Heatherwick.
His experience has given him unique insight into delivering projects for very complex clients; while his collaboration with some of the world’s finest architects has brought him invaluable exposure to the diverse workings of his profession.
