Maria Ha immigrated to America as a Vietnam born Chinese teenager. “At the time, coming to the United States was not my dream,” Maria says. It didn’t take long, however, for her to become emulsified into—and enthusiastic about—the San Francisco Bay Area and its many cultures.

“It is vibrant and colorful, there is so much to see, to eat, and to do,” says Maria about the Bay Area.

Maria graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Interior Design and has been with kmd for almost 20 years. Her project roles primarily focus on Interior Architecture and include Planning, Programming, and Interior Design. Maria is a Revit and AutoCAD wiz, always producing excellent Technical Drawings. Her planning knowledge is bolstered by her experience with technical and management issues tested in Construction Contract Administration. Maria is a major team player at kmd and she thrives when coordinating with consultants and interfacing with clients.

The Covid pandemic has Maria focusing on Zen gardening, but once in-person learning returns, she can’t wait to take a woodworking class and refresh her kitchen cabinets.

During her off-time Maria loves to work on both the interior and exterior of her house. She has recently finished renovating a space to serve as her tea room—complete with a horigotatsu (low table with a recessed floor underneath) and rustic furnishings. She enjoys gardening and is kmd’s resident green thumb—our go-to person for everything plant-related. For our annual Leap Arts in Education Sandcastle Classic fundraising event, she donated more than a dozen of her succulents, which contributed to a major portion of proceeds raised.

Maria’s current projects at kmd include the relocation of UCSF’s Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital from its previous location to the Mt. Zion campus as well as additional renovations of UCSF Medical Center facilities.