Mark Kestner is a registered Architect with 25+ years of experience in design, management and technology. As part of the HKA leadership, Mark brings a strong sense of vision and a clear thought process. Mark has contributed to a wide range of project types including religious, historic, country club and resort, multi‐family, commercial office, retail, educational, governmental as well as residential projects of all scales. He also has a lengthy history of obtaining critical government approvals via Rezoning, Special Use Permits and Architectural Review Board approvals. Mark is highly committed to client satisfaction and strives to develop strong collaborative relationships that produce successful projects and repeat clients. Mark maintains a sensitivity to budget and schedule while ensuring project quality and long-term value.
Mark earned his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia in 1993 and his Bachelor of Architecture from North Carolina State University in 2001. He is a registered architect in Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, and can obtain additional licenses in other jurisdictions through his NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) certificate. He is also a member of the (AIA) American Institute of Architects.
AIA I NCARB
CEO I Principal & Co-Founder
Chris Henningsen is a registered Architect with over 25 years of experience in a broad range of project types including resort, residential, commercial, governmental, educational, and health care projects, with direct involvement in all phases of the design and construction process. His areas of expertise include space planning, programming, renovation work, adaptive reuse, and building code interpretation.
Chris maintains a strong focus on client satisfaction and is proud of the high percentage of past and current repeat clients he has had the opportunity to serve. Chris earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University in 1994. He is a registered architect in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and can obtain additional licenses in other jurisdictions through his NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) certificate. He is also a member of the American Institute of Architects, and is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional.
AIA I NCARB I LEED A. P.
President I Principal & Co-Founder
Leah joined the firm in October 2015 after many years in the Orange County, Virginia school system. Before moving to central Virginia, Leah and her husband and two children called northern Virginia their home, where she worked in executive administration for two, large defense contractors.
Office Manager
Frankie moved to Charlottesville with her husband Quentin to join HKA in August 2021. After graduating with her BS in Architecture from Georgia Tech, she previously worked with a firm in Dalton GA. Most of her background there focused on educational and municipal work. Frankie has a passion for people which she believes should be at the core of good design. She sees architecture as the perfect means to impact individual and community quality of life. She is loving exploring Charlottesville, becoming part of such a thriving community, and being surrounded by so much natural beauty.
Architectural Associate
Quentin officially joined the HKA team in May of 2023 after interning while taking classes towards his Masters in Architecture at University of Virginia. Prior to working in Charlottesville, he worked with his wife Frankie at an architecture firm in Dalton, Georgia, where he focused on K-12 educational and municipal work. He currently is excited to be tackling commercial and residential projects across Charlottesville while working towards his licensure.
Architectural Associate
Caitlin joined HKA in early 2016, bringing five years of graphic design/build experience. Eager to continue to dive into architecture while working in graphic design, Caitlin and her husband designed and renovated several small residential projects in downtown Charlottesville. She also, worked for a local nonprofit as the short-term on-site construction manager in El Progreso, Honduras overseeing the construction of a new village. She attended Virginia Tech and received her Bachelor of Architecture in 2010.
AIA I NCARB
Registered Architect