Don and I are both architects, and we share the same birthday, although he was born 28 years before me. He was a fellow Rotarian and a good friend. Don built his architecture career in Richmond after serving as a naval architect in the Richmond Shipyards. The firm he founded, HKIT (Hardison, Komatsu, Ivelich and Tucker) survives as a major Bay Area architectural firm.

Don designed many Richmond landmarks, including Richmond High School, the Memorial Youth Center (now City of Richmond Recreation Complex), the original Easter Hill, Contra Costa County offices and court building and huge swaths of single-family and attached housing along Richmond’s south side, including the circular apartment buildings of Crescent Park.

See “Modern and Modest — El Cerrito Architect Whose Buildings Are Far Better Known Than He Is,” Don Hardison helped design modern housing, schools, parks and much more.
By Dave Weinstein, November 13, 2010.

Don provided an oral history to the Bancroft Library that has much interesting content about the WWII Shipyard days in Richmond (http://www.findthatpdf.com/search-30042079-hPDF/download-documents-hardison-don.pdf.htm).

I am most grateful to Don for sponsoring and mentoring me in my application for American Institute of Architects Fellowship. Every time I sign my name, “Tom Butt, FAIA” (Fellow of the American Institute of Architects), I think of Don.

Donald L. Hardison

March 23, 1916 - September 17, 2012

Resident of El Cerrito

Architect Donald Hardison passed away September 17, 2012, in his home at the age of 96. Born in Fillmore, CA, Don graduated from Cal Berkeley School of Architecture '38 and served during World War II as a naval architect at Mare Island and Richmond's Kaiser Shipyards.

He founded Hardison Komatsu Architects which continues today as HKIT Architects, Oakland, and was noted for designing schools, churches, and multi-family, student, and senior housing throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and California. Among his most noteworthy projects were Easter Hill Village in Richmond, California, and the UC Berkeley Student Union Complex including Zellerbach Hall.

During his 40 years of architectural practice, he served in many roles for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), including Chancellor of the AIA College of Fellows. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley.

After his retirement in 1987, he worked to restore the SS Red Oak Victory ship in Richmond and remained active in the Richmond Art Center, Rotary Club of Richmond, Cal Alumni, Richmond Museum of History and Richmond Chamber of Commerce. He is survived by his wife Betty of 70 years; son Steve Hardison and wife Lois; daughter Jan Brown and husband Byron; brother Jim Hardison; and grandchildren Chaitra Hardison, Matthew Brown, and Jennifer Finigan.

Friends and acquaintances are invited to a celebration of Don's life at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley (corner of Channing Dana), Oct. 12 at 2pm. Private burial at Sunset View Cemetery, El Cerrito. Memorial donations, if desired, may be made to the Richmond Art Center (2540 Barrett Ave. Richmond, CA 94805), and the SS Red Oak Victory (c/o Richmond Museum of History, PO Box. 1267, Richmond, CA 94802), or charity of choice .