Richard Kadlubowski Retires from Hoffmann Architects after 34 Years

Kadlubowski grew up in Buffalo, New York. After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy in 1973 to help pay for college. Stationed at Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut for four years, he helped to build, test, commission, and launch a nuclear submarine. He traveled in that submarine to Hawaii and spent his last year there, before leaving the Navy in 1979 to attend college.

In 1980, Kadlubowski began studying architecture at The State University of New York at Buffalo, where he earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree in May 1984 and Master of Architecture degree in May 1986.

After graduation, he interviewed at Hoffmann Architects in Hamden, Connecticut. Impressed with the well-dressed, charismatic young graduate, John Hoffmann, FAIA, founder of Hoffmann Architects, recalls telling his colleagues, “You’d better hire him – don’t let him get away!” On November 17, 1986, Kadlubowski joined Hoffmann Architects as a Drafter. A shrewd learner, he quickly earned promotions to Project Manager and then to Group Leader. In 1991, he was promoted to Production Manager, responsible for overseeing six drafters. After becoming a Registered Architect (RA) in Connecticut in 1993, he was promoted to Project Architect. In 1994, Kadlubowski became the temporary manager of the New York office for four months, commuting from New Haven to New York City every day, taking the 5:55 am train to Grand Central and returning late in the evening.

In February 1997, he was offered the opportunity to transfer to the District of Columbia and help to open a new Hoffmann Architects office. On June 1, 1997, the third office of Hoffmann Architects was opened in the heart of DC. With a promotion to Senior Architect, Kadlubowski was responsible for leading the DC office. In 2010, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and Director, Architecture, and he became an owner of the firm in July 2011, one of the first to be offered the opportunity.

A respected expert in the industry, Kadlubowski has served as a presenter for multiple AIA Virginia and AIA|DC events, the National Facilities Management & Technology (NFMT) Conference, as well as International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) seminars. Since his first Hoffmann Architects JOURNAL in 1992, he has published several JOURNAL articles on topics ranging from green roofs and energy efficiency to waterproofing and accommodation for building movement. His technical writing has appeared in Papyrus, Building Design+Construction, Buildotech, The Construction Specifier, High-Profile, ERAPPA Newsletter, and Today’s Facility Manager.

Some of Kadlubowski’s most memorable projects include the restoration of the United States Capitol Dome, on which he worked over a span of twenty-six years; dozens of Smithsonian Institution museum projects; multiple secure government projects; and the investigation of the Chrysler Building spire, completed while he worked at the Connecticut office. He also enjoyed working closely with Russell Sanders, AIA, President of Hoffmann Architects, on a building investigation for Tai Soo Kim Partners in South Korea in 1994, when they had the opportunity to travel to Cheonan together to investigate deterioration at an elaborate, half-mile-long building.

Over more than three decades with Hoffmann Architects, Kadlubowski has helped build the firm’s reputation in the industry. As an office direftor and mentor to emerging professionals, he provided invaluable guidance that supported many recent graduates in developing their careers. As his clients and colleagues attest, his knowledge, leadership, personability, and good humor have guided many a project to a successful outcome. Kadlubowski made the success of Hoffmann Architects his life’s work, and the firm is grateful for all that he has contributed.

In his stead, Rachel C. Palisin, PE, LEED BD+C will assume leadership of Hoffmann Architects’ Washington, DC area office. Transferring to Virginia from the firm’s New York City office, where she spent the past four years, Palisin has been working closely with Kadlubowski to transition projects and build relationships with clients and consultants in the Mid-Atlantic region.