“Each person’s life is a kaleidoscope of experiences that provides an opportunity to enrich any endeavor—an effort at understanding & contributing to community-building. In my life it has been through healthcare architecture.”

Charles Parks has been with kmd since 2001 and is a Senior Medical Planner and Programmer with a strong, healthcare focused architecture, design and technical background. He has led planning for new, major medical facilities and campuses in the United States and abroad. Charles’ passion is in the creation of highly efficient patient-centered healing environments.

After earning his Bachelor of Science and Masters of Architecture from Clemson University with an Architecture and Health program focus, Charles came to the Bay Area from South Carolina—by way of Seattle (formerly with NBBJ). During this period, he worked on projects for the University of Washington Medical Center and University of Colorado, among others.

Charles sometimes brings a taste of Southern cuisine to the office with dishes gleaned from his 89-year-old mother, whom he is very close to. He resides on the San Francisco Peninsula, in Redwood City, which has “a wonderful town square,” similar to one in his South Carolina hometown.

With kmd, Charles led a “Kids Mobile Discovery Tour” of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and UCSF Children’s Hospital. From this tour our team observed how the children interacted within pediatric environments. This effort was good preparation for the El Paso Children’s Hospital project for which Charles served as Lead Medical Planner. When completed in 2012, the 225,000 SF hospital was the first and only separately licensed, independent, not-for-profit children’s hospital in the El Paso, Texas region and the only dedicated Pediatric Hospital within a 200-mile radius.

Charles has traveled and worked extensively—both as a student and designer/planner—throughout the world, collaborating with clients and consultants from East Asia, South America, Europe and the Middle East. These experiences inform Charles’ design approach which prove valuable in collaborating with his team members and clients.

Charles’ current projects at kmd include the relocation of UCSF’s Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital from its previous location to the Mt. Zion campus and modernizations and renovations for MarinHealth Medical Center.