4
TRANSACTIONS KGD ARCHITECTURE
ENTERS
With more than 40 associates between its Washington, D.C., headquarters and Arlington, Virginia, offices, in addition to staff based in Bangkok, KGD Architecture will retain its existing name, workforce and operations in the partnership. The firm’s executive leadership, including Principals Tsutomu Ben Kishimoto, Christopher Lee Gordon, Manoj Dalaya, Tom Donaghy and Henry Mahns, will continue to collectively lead the firm following the transaction. “We are extremely pleased to have found such a like-minded ally in the form of Signal Hill,” said Dalaya. “Their vision, together with their commitment to our team members and communities, made them an ideal partner at this stage of our company’s evolution.” “We have been growing and shepherding KGD for 30 years,” added Gordon. “As we witness market demands and a host of changes occurring throughout our industry, this move positions us to remain a strategic leader and true to our mission for the next 30 years.” In addition to capital, Signal Hill will provide KGD with professional and business expertise to help execute its long-term growth and community impact objectives. “Partnering with KGD strengthens the core of our social-infrastructure thesis by directly addressing the pressing needs of our communities,” Signal Hill Chief
Executive Officer Ahmed Abdel-Saheb noted. “Their consistent delivery in public- private partnership projects strongly fits with our essential-services focus. Further, KGD’s award-winning design capabilities and broader government and community agency work strengthens our social infrastructure sector offerings. This partnership will accelerate our vision for a best-in-class national A/E platform. We’re honored to carry on the KGD legacy and look forward to supporting their team.” Signal Hill received legal support from Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in this transaction, while KGD Architecture was advised by Zweig Group as well as Lee/ Shoemaker PLLC. Founded in 1995, KGD Architecture is an award-winning, full-service, multidisciplinary architecture and design firm. It has received accolades for design excellence and environmental stewardship for its work addressing many pressing community needs including affordable housing, corporate and commercial offices, hospitality, mixed-use, multi-family residential, educational, institutional, science and technology, and sustainable design. The firm brings diverse perspectives to complex projects, creating spaces that articulate each client’s values, history, brand, and culture. Our places are designed to enhance performance, purpose, function, and wellbeing.
STRATEGIC JOINS INFLUENTIAL NATIONAL PLATFORM, WITH SIGNAL HILL EQUITY PARTNERS KGD Architecture, a multidisciplinary, full-service architecture and design firm based primarily in the DMV market, has entered into a strategic partnership with Signal Hill Equity Partners. The transaction allows KGD to consider a host of substantially larger initiatives and growth opportunities, while ensuring the continuation of its brand, leadership and employees. PARTNERSHIP, Signal Hill is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in architecture, engineering and consulting and essential service businesses, with the goal of leveraging their resources and industry experience to help grow enduring businesses. KGD Architecture will partner alongside three previously established Signal Hill investments: CSArch, a prominent AEC services provider to the education sector; ZMM Architects and Engineers, a trusted firm primarily serving education and municipal clients; and Kluber Architects + Engineers, an integrated full-service A&E firm primarily serving municipal clients. Together, the partnership unites more than 210 professionals across 13 offices delivering comprehensive AEC services to clients within the social infrastructure sectors throughout the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwestern United States.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and shaping The Zweig Letter over the years. We’re excited for what’s ahead – and proud to keep bringing you the ideas and perspectives that move this industry, and your firm, forward. Sara Parkman is senior editor of The Zweig Letter and a senior content editor at Zweig Group. Contact her at sparkman@ zweiggroup.com. “Retiring the PDF allows us to focus more intentionally on improving the reader experience on our website, while also freeing up our team to focus on what matters most: delivering timely insights, sharper analysis, and strategic thought leadership for AEC leaders.”
SARA PARKMAN, from page 3
while also freeing up our team to focus on what matters most: delivering timely insights, sharper analysis, and strategic thought leadership for AEC leaders. What’s not changing is the substance of The Zweig Letter . You’ll still receive the same weekly insights, leadership advice, and data-driven content – just delivered in the formats our readers use and value most. Full issues will remain available on our archive page and through our weekly email, and we’re working to add sharing links to every article so you can easily pass them along to colleagues. This next step feels both practical and energizing. The Zweig Letter has always been about connection – between leaders, ideas, and insights that drive the AEC industry forward. Whether it arrived in a printed envelope, a PDF attachment, or a LinkedIn post, that mission remains unchanged.
© Copyright 2025. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
THE ZWEIG LETTER DECEMBER 15, 2025, ISSUE 1613
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker