George Kenneth Kaneko
George Kenneth Kaneko (April 22, 1939 – December 20, 2020) was an American architect, designer, and art consultant noted for his work on corporate design projects and for his keen eye in assembling modern and contemporary art collections. He worked with noted architects Jerold E. Lomax, I.M. Pei, David Gray, and commissioned artists such as Fletcher Benton, Carlos Almaraz, Mel Ramos, and Venice artists including Peter Alexander, Charles Arnoldi, Bruce Cohen, and DeWain Valentine.

Biography

Early Life 
George was the middle child born in Osaka, Japan to Midori Taniguchi and George Kazuto Kaneko. His father was working for Eastman Kodak and although George’s father and siblings (older sister Mary Louise Mariko and younger brother Keith Kenji) were American citizens their mother was a Japanese citizen at the time and was not allowed to join them in the United States after the start of World War II. As a result, George and his family lived in the small seaside resort town of Oiso, Japan where George received his elementary education in the Japanese school system. Once his father’s citizenship was reestablished after World War II, the Kaneko children were allowed to attend a school for US military dependents. 

George graduated from Yokohama American High School where he was active in the school community as Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook, and lettering in baseball. After graduation George attended the University of Rochester and joined Psi Upsilon fraternity but moved to Los Angeles, CA within a year and a half to attend classes within the Department of Architecture at the University of California. He received his Bachelor of Arts, Industrial Design, from Art Center College of Design in 1965.

Career 
In the 1970’s, George worked at the AC Martin Architectural Design Firm. His work caught the eye of Bauhaus former student and teacher Herbert Bayer who recruited him on projects for the next twenty years, executing design proposals for Atlantic Richfield’s founder Robert O. Anderson and ARCO which included the company’s corporate headquarters and executive offices in Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Washington, D.C., New Mexico, London, and Jakarta. George was co-founder, President and Principal-in-Charge-of-Design with Kaneko/Laff Associates, a prominent international design firm which ranked 37th in size nationally according to the Interior Design magazine survey of U.S. design firms. George went on to head his own firm, George Kaneko Designs, Inc., in 1983. He subscribed to the notion that art heightens the quality of life, drawing plans by hand for most of his projects and collecting art throughout his career. He had decades of experience in programming, planning, interior design and architecture.

Additional notable work includes the renovation of the 300,000 square foot Reynolds Metals Company International Headquarters near Richmond, Virginia, a 1958 landmark building designed by Gordon Bunshaft; First Republic Bank of Beverly Hills; an eight unit condominium for Mitsubishi International in Beverly Hills; a steel, concrete and glass Bauhaus style residence in Glendale with architect Jerold E. Lomax, FAIA; a 12,000 square foot residence for a European publisher atop Sunset Plaza Drive, with architect David Gray, FAIA; schematic design of a 320 room hotel in Japan with Rock Architects; interior design of the Los Angeles Yacht Club; and the $55 million UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management with I.M. Pei, FAIA and Partners of New York.

Personal Life and Death 
George Kaneko spent most of his life in Los Angeles, California where his business was based for over 40 years. During the 1970’s and 80’s his sailboat, “Bacchanal,” was at the California Yacht Club where he and his sailing crew kept active in West Coast regattas and often prevailed in local racing competitions. He was an avid fisherman, and enjoyed spending time deep sea fishing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He married once and had one step child. He died on December 20, 2020 of complications from throat cancer treatment.

Corporate Projects

References 

1939 births
2020 deaths
American architects
American people of Japanese descent
People from Osaka
Japanese emigrants to the United States