Ephrata Deneke grew up with a cultural ethos of interdependence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is interested in community-engaged design and believes spaces that reflect their environments can be both cultural generators and tools for engagement.

Ephrata joined kmd after attaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She donates her time graciously and has volunteered with various community efforts. These include the Pop-Up Village, a monthly regenerative design event that serves as a site activation tool in West Oakland, and Project Pipeline, an architecture camp for kids organized by SFNOMA (San Francisco Chapter of National Organization of Minority Architects) to foster the next generation of design professionals and advocate for increased diversity in the field. Ephrata is inspired by the impact these organizations make on design accessibility and the increased awareness of architecture’s significance in our lives.

During shelter in place Ephrata has been using her down time to catch up on her favorite comedy sitcoms, go on hikes, and foray into 3D printed jewelry design. She sees jewelry design as adjacent to designing a structure; the designs reflect her architectural aesthetics translated through an exploration of geometrical patterns and forms that flatter the human body. 

Ephrata takes on projects with a deeply felt understanding of the built environment’s impactful role on our lives and a belief that every design has the potential to better the lives of its users. She is currently providing design and project support on several kmd projects including a new facility for Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe, HI, Tenant Improvement of the new Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building in Berkeley, CA, and construction of a New Civic Office Building for San Mateo County in Redwood City, CA.