Ken Burgess

Ken Burgess brings a balance of creativity, technical experience, and relationship-building to his role as a Director at ADC. Working primarily across retail, restaurant, and commercial projects, he stays involved from programming and early conceptual design through documentation and construction, while also helping guide schedules, budgets, staff, and client relationships.
Ken believes every successful project needs a strong central idea—one that gives the design direction and helps make decisions at every scale. From the overall experience of a space to the smallest details, he looks for solutions that serve a purpose aesthetically, operationally, and financially. He is particularly drawn to detailed interior projects where materials, finishes, and unexpected moments can create something unique to the client and end user.
Collaboration is central to the way Ken works. He enjoys bringing clients into the design process, building relationships with project teams, and creating an environment where everyone has a voice in the finished result. One project that particularly reflects that approach is Subaru’s research and design office in Tustin, where close collaboration among ADC, the client’s own design team, and the contractor helped create a highly detailed and distinctive workplace.
Outside the studio, Ken is a proud Canadian, a hockey fan, a classical pianist, a skier, and an enthusiastic foodie. He also finds inspiration in music, art, nature, and simply walking through unfamiliar cities and neighborhoods—observing the details, contrasts, and layers that give places their character.