gkkworks

In 1991 Praful founded gkkworks to pursue his dream of becoming a "Master Builder." To accomplish this Praful opted to do something almost unheard of in the modern world of architecture: establish an integrated division devoted to construction management and general construction services. In time, gkkworks would become a model company providing integrated services and customized solutions to better serve the building industry. Praful is a registered architect and holds a degree in Architecture from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. He also holds a Masters of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. Praful provides distinct vision to the firm's philosophy, responsibility, and dedication to client’s needs and goals. He is an active member of the national board for the Design-Build Institute of America. He also serves on numerous additional boards and is the proud recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his excellence and success in innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to his business, clients, and the communities they serve.

Additional Biography Information

A founding member of gkkworks, David has continuous and dedicated experience in planning, architecture, and construction services for institutional building types in the commercial, civic, academic, and healthcare markets. David has built a premier architectural design practice with outstanding leadership in project management, planning, and design. He is devoted to an integrated philosophy where design and construction are equal partners in the process and each are held to the highest standard of quality. He is also passionate about all aspects of sustainability and environmental responsibility from both an operations and project delivery perspective. He provides leadership over gkkworks firm-wide sustainability initiatives including the company's participation in "The 2030 Challenge". David is a registered architect and holds a Bachelors of Architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Under his leadership, the firm's architectural practice has consistently grown in size and offering, as evidenced by its Hall of Fame recognition in Zweig White's Top 100 Fastest Growing Design Firms.

Since 2000 Charlie has provided executive management of gkkworks' construction services. In this role he has led the firm's pre-construction and construction staff to successfully deliver projects in the commercial, civic, institutional, and industrial markets. Charlie believes in the customized solutions philosophy and works with clients to provide the right mix of resources to best support their staff, budget, and project needs. In this regard Charlie builds teams to deliver projects based on specific project and client requirements. This includes everything from simple staff augmentation to full turnkey design-build services. Charlie is a Licensed General Contractor and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management from California State University, Long Beach. His mantra and his management style is built on honesty, integrity, and a strong belief that creative and hardworking people that look for innovative ways to service their clients are the foundation of successful organizations.

As a Vice President, Juan oversees all of gkkworks' business development and marketing activities. He has more than 30 years of experience in the building industry that includes leading design and construction management teams as well as direct supervision of design and construction projects. With this diverse background, he brings a "master builder" perspective and valuable insight to the development of project teams, processes, and contracts that streamline efforts while providing high quality services for gkkworks' clients. In an effort to contribute to the industry and promote an integrated philosophy, Juan serves on several boards including the Design-Build Institute of America/Western Pacific Region where he currently serves as Secretary and Programs Committee Chair. He also serves as chair for the Transportation Committee of the LAEDC (LA County Economic Development Corporation).  He is also a member of the Society of American Military Engineers, Construction Management Association of America, and International Code Council. Juan is also a board member of Medical Mission Adventures which provides free medical, dental, and optical care to those in need around the world.

Naila is the Vice President of Leadership and Organizational Development and our Director of Human Resources. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Criminology and a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology, with an emphasis in Consciousness, Health and Healing. Starting with gkkworks as a Marketing/Communications Manager in 2000, Naila began the process of building our HR presence from the ground up in 2004, with the intention of being the “heart” of the company. In this role she functions as a strategic partner, working with key leaders to develop and execute plans that optimize talent, structure, process and culture within the framework of our strategic business goals; an employee champion; a technical expert on human resources laws and policies and change consultant as the firm grows. Naila is a member of the Society of Human Resources Professionals and Certified Leader Effectiveness Trainer.

Sam serves gkkworks as its Chief Financial Officer. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in both business accounting and economics. He is also a member of AICPA, the California Board of Accountancy, and he is an executive board member of the Association for Corporate Growth, Orange County Chapter. Sam is a hands-on leader with extensive knowledge in project management, team orientation, financial statement preparation, technical research, and best practices to drive and attain goals for fast-paced, results-oriented, global companies. He has worked as a partner for a large accounting services firm where he supported a wide-array of companies specializing in construction, manufacturing /distribution, and service organizations. He has led multiple SEC and Private Equity Owned entities; providing detailed analysis and communications to audit committees and boards of directors of varying size. He is recognized as a trusted advisor and confidante at all levels of the organization.

Brian Klipp is the founding principal of klipp. The firm is known throughout the Rocky Mountain Region for its award-winning design and Brian himself is known as one of Denver's leading urban design architects. His practice spans 34 years, and includes the planning and design of some of Denver's most notable and complex projects. Integral to Brian's practice is his volunteer service. He is a long-time member of the American Institute of Architects, serving as the Denver Chapter president in 1993. He has also been an active member of the Downtown Denver Partnership for over 15 years, where he has a long record as an advocate for thoughtful urban design through his participation on architectural committees and advisory boards.

As the lead principal of klipp's Education practice, Greg heads up a team of planners and project leaders who are dedicated to the planning and design of exceptional educational facilities. With over 25 years of planning and designing regionally recognized school facilities, his work reflects a unique local and regional perspective. He provides creative, long-term strategies that employ immediate solutions to successfully connect educational facilities and communities. Greg is recognized as a successful consensus-builder who creates a unified design tone for each project. Greg is an active member of Council of Educational Facilities PIanners International (CEFPI) and a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee of Architecture for Education.

Born in Malaysia and educated in the London and New York, Keat Tan brings a unique, international perspective to the firm. He has over 20 years of national and international design experience, having worked with Michael Graves and Associates in Princeton, New Jersey, The Hillier Group in New York, and Hsin Yieh Architects in Hong Kong before joining klipp in 2001. As klipp's director of design, Keat has guided the design of many of the firm's most notable projects. Keat is a board member on the Denver Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the Asian Education Advisory Council/Denver Public Schools.

Alan's work in architecture and planning is a result of over 30 years of experience and a lifetime of passion for great design. His expertise in balancing the business requirements of commercial projects with effective design solutions leads to successful architecture. Alan's goal is "to create distinctive work that is fresh and contemporary while drawing on knowledge of history and respect for local content." Alan is LEED certified, a long-time member of the American Institute of Architects and a committee member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP).

Guillermo is a registered architect with a long and multifaceted career in the planning and design of commercial, institutional, transportation, and civic projects ranging from small renovations to large complex development projects. He holds both a Master’s Degree in Architecture from Tulane University and a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from Harvard. His experience has spanned all aspects of urban community development with much of his career focused on K-12 school facilities including master planning, site planning, permitting, entitlement, building design and agency and construction coordination. Most recently Guillermo has espoused gkkworks transportation initiative. As a firm principal and project executive with a background in urban development and transportation work, he has taken leadership of gkkworks transportation services division, transitworks. His transportation experience includes highway, roadway, rail, stations, and transportation maintenance projects. Under his leadership, transitworks supports both local and national infrastructure development programs.

Javan is a registered architect with a Master's Degree in Architecture and experience spanning all aspects of planning, architecture, and construction administration services. Although Javan has a wide range of project experience including institutional, commercial, governmental, and industrial facilities, his career has focused primarily on the planning and development of K-12 school work. As a principal of gkkworks' K-12 studio, his leadership and exceptional organizational skills have enabled him to successfully complete major planning and design projects including district-wide master planning efforts and the design and construction of numerous new "ground up" schools. Over the years he has completed a wide range of public school projects including new, renovated and expanded high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. He is highly experienced in working with public school agencies in California including OPSC, DSA, SFM, CDE, and SAB. Javan is an active member of the California Coalition for Adequate School Housing, where his work in the design of educational facilities has been recognized with numerous design awards.

Steve has more than 30 years of general construction administration, project management, and general contracting experience. In his role at gkkworks he has direct responsibility for the administration and supervision of pre-construction services. He oversees all of the company’s estimating, bidding, value engineering, constructability reviews, design-build, and risk management activities. He is a key participant in the management of design and construction integration whereby pre-construction support critically informs the design and construction process and outcome. Steve holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from California Coast University. He is a certified professional estimator and is an active member of the American Society of Professional Estimators, the Design-Build Institute of America, and the Construction Management Association of America. He is also the recipient of the Philanthropy Council Volunteer of the Year Award for his work in organizing trade contractors in the pro bono construction of several housing facilities for St. Clares Home, which cares for homeless and battered women and children.

Andrew has spent his career as an architect exclusively servicing healthcare organizations in the capacity of both an owner's representative and a consulting architect. He is registered and holds a degree in architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. As the lead principal of gkkworks' healthcare studio Andy has led large project teams to develop entire campus master plans, design and build replacement hospitals, and implement complex renovation and expansion projects. He has outstanding project management skills such as the development of accurate budgets, schedules, and project-tracking methods. His understanding of all types of healthcare environments is exceptional. He has work and articles published in several magazines including Contract, Healthcare Design, and Healthcare Design and Construction. Also, Andy has been called to speak on healthcare design subjects at several national conferences including Healthcare Facilities Expo and the National DBIA Conference.

Edmund is a registered architect with a Masters of Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is an award-winning architectural designer with experience in all aspects of design from original concepts through technical detail and implementation. Edmund demonstrates leadership, resourcefulness, and creativity in the efficient and cost effective development and delivery of projects. Edmunds work has been recognized by local and national American Institute of Architecture councils as well as numerous market sector associations and industry publications. Edmund loves to travel and experience the history, culture, and innovation discovered in architecture throughout the world. He has a wide range of building design experience in both public and private sector projects including commercial and institutional facilities. He is a visiting critic and instructor at the University of Southern California and the Southern California Institute of Architecture and is also a representative of the Los Angeles American Institute of Architects "100 Years/100 Los Angeles Architects." Additionally, Edmund was honored in 2010 to the College of  Fellow's of the American institute of Architecture for his exceptional contribution to the profession.

Okkwon is the director of gkkworks interior design services, bringing nearly 30 years of experience and multi-disciplinary solutions for the most technically demanding facilities. Okkwon's responsibilities include programming, conceptual design, design development, and documentation of construction, furniture package and signage coordination. Okkwon aims to design intelligent, functional spaces that encourage success and help people focus on achieving their goals. Her track record shows innovation in her approach to projects and timeless solutions. She is a passionate space planner with a strong programming background which enables her to develop efficient space planning and feasibility studies of space utilizations. She is also very knowledgeable of innovative products including furniture, lighting and interior materials. Okkwon is a very active member of the International Interior Design Association as well as the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Interior and Environmental Design, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY. As a principal of gkkworks and head of the firm's interiors department, she works closely with interior design staff on every project.

Mahmoud's passion for architecture is in his blood. Literally, he is a third generation architect and his appreciation for the profession is rooted in some of his earliest memories of Dad building models at home. Now, Mahmoud has accomplished much as an award-winning architect in his own right with international experience on a wide range of public and private sector facility types. What drives Mahmoud in his work is discovering and implementing the meaning of design in to each of his projects. He understands that buildings and spaces have a significant impact on people. School design impacts learning and hospital design impacts healing; two of the building types that Mahmoud has focused much of his career on. Mahmoud is skilled at challenging his team to find the human significance and meaning in what they create. Mahmoud is a registered architect. He holds a Masters Degree in Architecture from Syracuse University in New York and previously served as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Architecture at Philadelphia University. He is also a frequent speaker at Healthcare Design Symposiums.

Vince's passion is the successful delivery of architectural projects, from concept through construction and occupancy. He has extensive experience in managing a wide range of large and complex assignments ranging from public and private educational facilities, hospitality projects and theme parks, delivered in a variety of methods including Design/Bid/Build, CM Multi-Prime, GMP, CM At Risk, Lease/Lease Back and Design Build. Vince is credited for managing such premier projects as the Paris Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, and UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management. A registered Architect practicing in Southern California since 1984, Vince holds a degree in Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. As a Principal for gkkworks, Vince is obsessed with continuing to improve the quality of our construction documents and developed our internal Quality Assurance program. He serves as a senior technical advisor for the firm, providing leadership and guidance to our production teams, and maximizes the applications of document preparation technologies. He leads weekly meetings with our construction administration group and conducts ongoing "lessons learned" presentations to design and production staff. For over ten years, Vince has chaired the Development Committee of Incarnation Catholic Church in Glendale.

Van is a licensed architect and holds a Masters of Architecture Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has more than three decades of experience in project and construction management of complex institutional and government projects and programs. From inception through design, construction, closeout, and warranty phases, Van has managed the design and construction of fast-track, design-build, guaranteed maximum price, negotiated, and traditional design-bid-build projects for public clients including courthouses, probation and detention facilities, student housing, research laboratories, corporate and healthcare facilities. A key area of Van's expertise is developing design-build procedures and helping public clients to implement the design-build delivery process on their projects. Van has an impressive record of success in managing large capital improvement programs requiring extensive resources to complete. As a principal for gkkworks, she oversees the development and implementation of the firm's work in the state and local government arena.

Mark loves to build. With nearly 40 years of construction experience working as a leader in the field as well as doing on-site project management, Mark understands all aspects of construction and project delivery. As Vice President of Operations, Mark is responsible for bidding and proposals, contract negotiations, training programs for staff, mentoring teams and the overall profit of the organization. Mark understands that each project and each client are unique and he works to develop a project plan with teaming and delivery options that best suit the requirements and budget at hand. Nevertheless, he has a passion for the design-build delivery method and enjoys working in an environment with a vision of fully integrating design and construction. Mark obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree from California State University, Long Beach. Over the years Mark has used his personal and professional skills in support of several charities including the Orange County Rescue Mission, Foster Parenting, and Habitat for Humanity. He is passionate about opportunities to integrate his heart as a builder with the work of organizations that make a significant difference in people lives.

Randy has had a diverse career that mirrors his diverse skill set spanning finance and accounting to project and program management. His qualifications and capability have afforded him the opportunity to manage large-scale institutional capital improvement programs requiring the interaction contractors, consultants, users, board members, union representatives, and community stakeholders. His construction experience has been focused on education work for K-12, community college, and universities. Randy has been a program manager and project manager for a wide range of projects including preparing and presenting reports, review and assessment of schedules, and contractor negotiations. He is well versed in the technical aspects of construction management; he is also well adapted in dealing with the culture and perspectives of school administration. Randy is a certified Project Management Professional and a licensed Certified Public Accountant. He holds a Masters Degree as well as a certificate in Construction Management from the University of California, Los Angeles. He currently manages gkkworks' office in Oakland, California.

Steve has progressively responsible experience as a leader, director, and manager of public and private sector capital acquisition and engineering infrastructure construction programs and projects. He brings with him hands-on grasp of executive decision-making and problem solving, first-hand knowledge of leading and directing large and diverse organizations and consistent success in administering multi-million dollar programs, projects and budgets with optimum results. He also exhibits an in-depth understanding of executive leadership and management. Steve obtained a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, from George Washington University. He also has a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Ohio State University. Steve currently oversees the development of new business for all services in the federal market. His diverse background in both design and construction services as well as varied facility types make him a valued asset to federal agencies that develop a wide variety of facilities on bases throughout the world.

Jeff has more than 20 years of experience in the construction industry supporting a wide variety of institutional and civic projects. Throughout his career he has specialized in project delivery including construction management, general construction, design-build, and modified design-build primarily for California educational facilities projects. Jeff has built a solid foundation in the management of general and trade level contractors. He is a proven leader with a solid background as a contractor, design-builder, construction manager as well as a program manager. Jeff has the ability to direct complex projects from concept to fully operational status. He is an organized, highly motivated, and detail-directed problem solver with a proven ability to work in unison with staff, subcontractors, and owners representation. Jeff has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Chet is a licensed architect with more than 35 years of experience providing architectural, engineering, and project management services primarily for educational, governmental, and corporate clients. With much of his career focused on the management of professional services, Chet is highly skilled in professional service firm operations, including planning and managing resources, and developing the processes and procedures required for the successful delivery of design and construction projects. Chet currently manages gkkworks’ architectural operations with an emphasis on financial, resource, project, and risk management throughout southern California. Chet obtained a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Connecticut. He is an active member of the American Institute of Architects, through which he has spoken on a variety of practice management topics at national and chapter conferences. He is also a member of Alpha Rho Chi, the national honorary fraternity of architecture, as well as of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for business.

Ken is an operations, capital program management, and real estate professional with two decades of significant achievements in the life sciences, commercial, technology, healthcare, institutional, manufacturing and hospitality industries. Having worked both on the owner's side and as a professional consultant, his extensive background includes managing operations as well as design and construction projects. He also has experience developing and executing strategic programs and operating major business units. Ken provides expertise in strategic business planning, capital program consulting, project management, business development, marketing, finance, facilities management, energy/sustainability and strategic sourcing. Ken is a licensed professional engineer and a licensed general contractor. He holds a Masters Degree in Finance from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Ken has participated on numerous industry boards over the years and is currently a member of regional chapters of AIA, ULI, USGBC, IFMA, NAIOP, and BIOCOM. He is also a Past President of the Central New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Ed brings 27 years of diverse design experience and team leadership, domestic and international, with many user-specific projects recognized for design excellence and contributions to their respective contexts. Ed defines success as a collaborative dialogue, noting "my greatest joy is working with each client to realize their vision for aesthetic integrity and functional effectiveness." In addition to a collaborative process, integration of sustainability and design for the human experience are driving elements of Ed's approach to architecture. Ed's experience includes both public and private sector work such as commercial, civic, academic, and healthcare facilities. Ed also loves to travel and is passionate about seeing new places, experiencing diverse cultures and furthering his knowledge and appreciation of the arts. Ed is a licensed architect and holds a Masters of Architecture Degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is a long time resident of San Diego, California and he currently manages gkkworks' San Diego operations.

Al is a skilled facilities management professional with more than 28 years of experience, including maintenance and operations, planning, construction management and physical plant operations. He has strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills with a proven ability to plan, implement, and maintain comprehensive process improvement and cost reduction (best practices) initiatives. Al oversees gkkworks' energy services. He is highly trained in the planning, design, and construction of energy delivery systems from conventional systems to modern and sustainable systems to complete "Net Zero Energy" facility design. In this role Al works with gkkworks' clients and staff to conduct energy audits and determine energy needs while developing ideal solutions for system implementation. Al has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Londonderry College Of Technology, Northern Ireland. He is also a Certified Facility Manager by the International Facility Management Association.

Brandon has more than 16 years of business development and management experience including 9 years in the field of design and construction. As a Director of Business Development for gkkworks, Brandon's responsibilities include identifying and developing new clients and nurturing relationships with existing clients while collaborating with the operations team to deliver "best in class" professional services and quality projects. Brandon has a passion for the design and construction business and is an expert in the development of customized solutions for clients that satisfy their unique concerns and needs. He is a core contributor to the success of the firm and has developed many long term partnerships with clients that are built on trust and the ability to execute customized solutions. Brandon sits on several industry organizational committees including the Design Build Institute of America and the American Public Works Association. Brandon developed a strong sense of teamwork and achievement while playing college baseball and he now teaches children the importance of fundamentals and a strong work ethic through his involvement in Little League.

Matt Greiner is a principal bringing over 20 years of experience in Healthcare and Higher Education team leadership, project management, planning and design with expertise in the areas of programming and renovation. His projects have been consistently recognized for design excellence, including AIA design awards for the Rancho Santiago Orange Continuing Education Center, the Saddleback College Library + Learning Resource Center, and a Community College Facility Coalition design award for the Orange County Sheriff’s Training Academy.  In addition, the recently opened Pierce College Maintenance & Operations Facility has received the DBIA National Design-Build Award and the California Higher Education Sustainability Best Practice Awards Competition for the Energy Efficiency Partnership Program.  His dedication, attention to design, and focus on client satisfaction have  been instrumental with key clients including Kern Community College, Rancho Santiago Community College District, South Orange Community College District, Yuba Community College, and the University of San Diego. Matt is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jason has been with the firm since 2002 and, as Director of Sustainable Design, champions the firm's commitment to sustainable practices. He has been instrumental in the evolution of gkkworks' sustainable design practice, by introducing the "gkkworks pledge." The pledge contains companywide short-term and long-term sustainability goals—best practices in the design process, integration of technology and conceptual analysis tools, and self-auditing performance measures—for constant evolution in delivering high performance design within sustainable design practices. In addition to his commitment toward sustainability, Jason is an award-winning designer, with a strong belief that design matters within every aspect of our lives. Jason believes that wisdom is in all things, thus leadership must empower people, and foster intellectual growth while leveraging ultimate potentials.