Kimmel Studio Architects Reviews

1.4

0% would recommend to a friend

(7 total reviews)

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (7 reviews)

Reviews by job title

7 reviews

2.0

8 July 2024

Pros & Cons

Architect

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

- Projects are enjoyable and visually appealing. I find great satisfaction in working on them. The company's owner, a skilled architect, pays meticulous attention to detail.

Cons

- Work Environment: Regrettably, the workplace culture is toxic. The head of HR, who is the owner's spouse and co-founder, maintains a significant distance from employees. This limits open communication and problem-solving. Seeking feedback from her often results in harsh responses or even dismissal. There's a belief that minimal interaction with employees enhances professionalism. She frequently takes more leave than allowed and occasionally works from home, against company policy. Despite the presence of friendly colleagues, the overall atmosphere is marked by toxicity and frequent conflicts. - Salary Reviews: Expect delays in receiving raises, especially if your review coincides with the HR head's frequent absences due to vacations or travel. This can prolong the process by several weeks. - Job Security: The company has a notably high turnover rate. Employees can be terminated abruptly and frequently, often without prior explanation or warning. This abruptness can significantly impact employee morale and job stability. In summary, while the work itself and some colleagues are positive aspects, the workplace environment and job security concerns are significant drawbacks.

Kimmel Studio Architects Response

3mo

Thank you for your comments regarding the quality of our projects. Regarding your comments about management and HR, we would like to highlight that our COO holds her position backed by extensive professional and academic credentials, including a JD and a PhD. These qualifications provide the firm with a strong legal and operational framework, ensuring that we maintain the professional rigor required for a luxury studio. We have worked hard to build the positive, stable environment we have today, and we have implemented more consistent review processes and clearer communication channels to ensure our team feels supported and properly compensated for their contributions. We remain committed to our high standards and to making Kimmel a place where talent can thrive. We wish you continued success in your career.

2.0

10 Jan 2024

Looks good from the outside

Designer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

The owner is great at marketing his designs. Therefore, the clients and projects coming in are high end, large and complex.

Cons

They severely lack any type of employee support and resources from a professional and personal level. Their human resources is nonexistent and their COO is married to the owner. You can be fired on a whim if you upset her and her entire methodology of running the organization, is chaos and fire to rehire. If you have any type of complaint regarding your superior, there’s no proper channels for reporting or documenting. You’ll be told consistently that due to her legal and poetry background the COO is exceptional with words, however her disconnect between what employees need from her and her lack of interpretation, honesty and follow through, has cost the organization, many talented, architects, and staff. I believe over the last five years they’ve gone through 4-5 executive assistance because no one wants to work with the COO and she makes people very comfortable and fear for their jobs daily.

Kimmel Studio Architects Response

3mo

We're glad you recognize the success of our marketing and the complexity of our high-end projects. At this level of architecture, the client is always the priority. Our COO uses her legal and academic background (JD/PhD) to ensure the firm operates with the rigor these projects demand. Growth here is based on merit and results, not favoritism. We’ve worked hard to build the stable core team we have today, and we continue to refine how we support our staff every day. We wish you the best in your career.

2.0

1 Dec 2022

Cool projects, great co-workers, poor upper management / owners.

Administrative

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

The architects, designers, and staff are extremely talented and wonderful to work with! They’ve got a lot of cool projects going on. Walking distance from a cute coffee shop on Fridays!!

Cons

Unhappy clients because too much work is being taken on, zero flexibility with WFH, some people get paternity leave and others do not, they won’t come up with company policies to protect employees, the husband/wife duo isn’t working great for the upper management team. Lots & lots of turnover. They’ve had the office for years and it looks like they just moved in, you’d think a design firm would care a little more than that. They’re cramming people in and not expanding the office, your office may end up being the break room. They’re losing immensely talented senior level architects and designers because they don’t offer hybrid work.

Kimmel Studio Architects Response

3mo

It is rewarding to know you enjoyed the synergy with your colleagues and the quality of our projects. Regarding your comments on our operations, we want to clarify that at Kimmel Studio, keeping our clients satisfied is the primary engine behind everything we do. The numerous industry awards our firm has received are a direct reflection of our commitment to delivering world-class results and maintaining high levels of client satisfaction. Regarding our office policy, we remain firm: 'We are a studio-based company. Our best work is done when we are all together in the same space.' We believe the best mentorship and creative breakthroughs happen in person, which is why we do not offer telework. Our leadership team, led by our COO who holds a PhD and a JD, is dedicated to maintaining this collaborative environment and the professional rigor required for an award-winning studio. We have worked hard to build a stable, high-performance environment and wish you continued success in your career.

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Jobs at Kimmel Studio Architects

Interior Designer

Annapolis, MD

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USD 65K - USD 85K /yr

(Employer provided)

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