It was with an overwhelming sense of pride that DKA Founder and Director, David Kent addressed staff and invited guests at the DKA summer garden party this month – a milestone event to celebrate the DKA journey over the last 25 years.
The Holburne Museum in Sydney Pleasure Gardens was the backdrop to the garden party themed event in which Directors welcomed over 100 staff, clients, friends and supporters to raise a glass to the last 25 years and toast the next 25!
Guests partied the evening away with Aperol Spritz and Garden of Eden cocktails, a fire pit BBQ and lawn games including croquet, giant Jenga, noughts and crosses and a coconut shy. Bath busker, Steve Robinson, provided the musical entertainment.
Marveling at the number and range of projects the studio has delivered since 1993 David said: ‘When we set the studio up at the Malt House in 1993 it looked very different to today. We were a small group of architects working at drawing boards and filing everything in cupboards. The age of computers and computer-aided design was just dawning so DKA’s development has mirrored the remarkable changes in communications and design technologies that have happened in recent times. Today we no longer have drawing boards – though drawing by hand remains a core skill – and have grown into a team of 25 busy architects and interior designers. Throughout this time the Malt House has been a great place to work and has proven itself adaptable to the changing demands we have placed on it. We often use it as an example to our clients of a successful adaptation of an historic building, with an enjoyable open plan studio space that encourages us to do our best! We work in most building sectors and have developed a specialism for high-tech engineering and manufacturing buildings; we currently have a strong order book of projects across the UK for a number of major European and global companies as well as a range of education, healthcare and leisure projects closer to home.’
The evening included speeches and the cutting of a Sandra Monger designed giant numeral 25 birthday cake in the signature DKA maroon and blue by Directors David Kent, James Bastable, Alex Bell and Fabien Coupat.
Director, James Bastable said: We have been planning the succession of the practice for the last four years and we now have a strong leadership and office wide structure in place to ensure we lead DKA into the next quarter century with passion and enthusiasm, continuing to deliver the same high level of service that has been the foundation of our success for the last 25 years.
Our success lies in the quality of our relationships with clients, consultants and contractors and these relationships can make all the difference on a construction project which often involves spending a long period of time working with a relatively small group of people. Add into this equation our reputation and project experience across several key sectors, especially in the automotive research and development, precision engineering, health care and education sectors (along with additional services offered such as interior design and project management) and we are well placed to continue to thrive in the coming years.’
The Holburne Museum was the perfect venue, just a 5-minute walk along the canal from the DKA studio based on the banks of the picturesque Kennet and Avon Canal in the heart of the City of Bath.