HKS Hospitality Group, the global architectural practice recognised internationally for its creative design and collaborative approach, has announced the appointment of Kevin Underwood as Principal and Head of Masterplanning & Design.
Kevin, whose 30-year career in masterplanning and landscape design has spanned award-winning hotel/resort projects, as well as major urban regeneration schemes, around the world will be based in the firm’s London office.
Formerly Principal in charge of Hospitality at Edaw and then, following the company’s acquisition by Aecom, Global Leader of Leisure and Culture at Aecom, Kevin led the teams responsible for such notable designs as the seminal Heart of Doha/Msheireb project and Education City Doha, which included the world’s first qu’ranic garden and Disneyland Paris as well as a number of international developments for luxury hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt and Banyan Tree.
Now, in joining HKS, he describes the opportunity as a coming together of two compelling portfolios of experience within a shared approach towards creativity, innovation and a commitment to achieving measurable real estate returns for clients.
Current and recent hotel/resort projects at HKS include: Esperanza, an Auberge Resort, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; an Ananda Resort in India; Four Seasons Resort, Sharm el Sheik; several luxury projects in Costa Rica; and Crowne Plaza Ningbo in China. As well as offices across the USA and in London, HKS is also based in Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Singapore and Mexico City.
Commenting on Kevin’s appointment, Luis Zapiain, Director of HKS Hospitality, says: “We are delighted that Kevin has joined us because not only will his exceptional depth of masterplanning experience complement the breadth of our architects’ work, we are also completely of one mind in our commitment to nurturing client relationships and exceeding expectations through collaborative working.”
