Retired architect, urban planner, and esteemed member of Hungaria Nostra’s board of directors, Adam Krivatsy, AIA, AICP, passed away on February 8, 2025, at the age of 95.
Raised in Budapest, Hungary, Adam enjoyed a privileged upbringing until the Soviet siege in 1944 brought new challenges: the Krivatsy home was destroyed and the family became penniless. Only 15 when WWII ended, he escaped being drafted to serve on the Russian front where two of his older cousins perished.
In 1944, in anticipation of Soviet rule, Adam became an apprentice cabinetmaker. While a high school student, he spent his summers in the building trades, bending steel and stuccoing walls and ceilings. This experience later contributed to his architectural training.
In 1948, Adam was admitted to the Polytechnical University’s School of Architecture in Budapest, a school to which he later returned as an assistant professor. He also trained with the national alpine ski and sailing teams, honing his habits of focus and self-discipline.
Having lived and worked in feudalistic, communistic and capitalistic societies, Adam developed a great appreciation for democratic ideals. He left Hungary after the defeat of the 1956 Hungarian uprising and arrived in New York with the help of the International Rescue Committee. In 1957, he found employment at the office of the renowned architect, I. M. Pei. He learned English and earned a graduate degree in architecture with a focus on urban planning at Columbia University. Deploying skills acquired from his tenure at I. M. Pei’s office, he began to advise planning commissions and city councils regarding the revitalization of central cities.
Adam joined John Carl Warnecke’s firm in 1965 as head of the company’s Pacific Region planning office in Honolulu, Hawaii. He planned Hawaii’s first neighbor island destination resort community, which required balancing Maui’s agricultural production with expanding tourism.
In 1967, he assisted in planning Disney World in Central Florida. That year, he founded, in partnership with two colleagues from the Warnecke office, Hart Krivatsy Stubee, a multidisciplinary firm of architects and urban planners with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Orlando, Florida. Their built projects benefit residents and visitors throughout the continental United States and Hawaii, as well as Malaysia, Hungary, Australia, Sardinia, Jordan, Chile, Western Samoa, and Greece.
Later, Adam engaged in an international consulting practice, International Tourism and Resort Advisors (INTRA). The group’s projects spanned Alaska to Southern Chile, and Malaysia to Siberia. INTRA’s last two assignments involved a rejuvenation of Waikiki as a tropical urban destination, and an update of the Tahoe Regional Plan for the protection of the basin’s natural environment.
Adam spent the last two decades of his career as a senior planner in the San Francisco office of Hart Howerton, the successor of the firm he co-founded with Bob Hart in 1967. In his retirement, he made use of his professional experience, advising elected officials and planners with the City of Sausalito as well as his church in southern Marin.
Adam believed that the secret to effective leadership is to listen and reflect before speaking, to give much thought to everyone’s ideas, and to give credit to participants for their input. In that spirit, Adam enjoyed mentoring promising young professionals, which led to lasting friendships.
Ever devoted to his family, Adam leaves behind his beloved wife of 45 years, Elizabeth, who sustained him through his last decade; their daughter Beatrice, son Serge, son-in-law Ramin, daughter-in-law Lise; and five grandchildren — Sophia, Adam, Luke Bela, Zoe, and Robin.
He joined the board of the Hungaria Nostra Foundation and helped to identify and evaluate several projects of cultural significance that HNF could support. His keen eye and deep insights will be missed.
Posted: January 11, 2026 by hungarianostra
Eminent Architect Adam Krivatsy Dies at 95
Retired architect, urban planner, and esteemed member of Hungaria Nostra’s board of directors, Adam Krivatsy, AIA, AICP, passed away on February 8, 2025, at the age of 95.
Raised in Budapest, Hungary, Adam enjoyed a privileged upbringing until the Soviet siege in 1944 brought new challenges: the Krivatsy home was destroyed and the family became penniless. Only 15 when WWII ended, he escaped being drafted to serve on the Russian front where two of his older cousins perished.
In 1944, in anticipation of Soviet rule, Adam became an apprentice cabinetmaker. While a high school student, he spent his summers in the building trades, bending steel and stuccoing walls and ceilings. This experience later contributed to his architectural training.
In 1948, Adam was admitted to the Polytechnical University’s School of Architecture in Budapest, a school to which he later returned as an assistant professor. He also trained with the national alpine ski and sailing teams, honing his habits of focus and self-discipline.
Having lived and worked in feudalistic, communistic and capitalistic societies, Adam developed a great appreciation for democratic ideals. He left Hungary after the defeat of the 1956 Hungarian uprising and arrived in New York with the help of the International Rescue Committee. In 1957, he found employment at the office of the renowned architect, I. M. Pei. He learned English and earned a graduate degree in architecture with a focus on urban planning at Columbia University. Deploying skills acquired from his tenure at I. M. Pei’s office, he began to advise planning commissions and city councils regarding the revitalization of central cities.
Adam joined John Carl Warnecke’s firm in 1965 as head of the company’s Pacific Region planning office in Honolulu, Hawaii. He planned Hawaii’s first neighbor island destination resort community, which required balancing Maui’s agricultural production with expanding tourism.
In 1967, he assisted in planning Disney World in Central Florida. That year, he founded, in partnership with two colleagues from the Warnecke office, Hart Krivatsy Stubee, a multidisciplinary firm of architects and urban planners with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Orlando, Florida. Their built projects benefit residents and visitors throughout the continental United States and Hawaii, as well as Malaysia, Hungary, Australia, Sardinia, Jordan, Chile, Western Samoa, and Greece.
Later, Adam engaged in an international consulting practice, International Tourism and Resort Advisors (INTRA). The group’s projects spanned Alaska to Southern Chile, and Malaysia to Siberia. INTRA’s last two assignments involved a rejuvenation of Waikiki as a tropical urban destination, and an update of the Tahoe Regional Plan for the protection of the basin’s natural environment.
Adam spent the last two decades of his career as a senior planner in the San Francisco office of Hart Howerton, the successor of the firm he co-founded with Bob Hart in 1967. In his retirement, he made use of his professional experience, advising elected officials and planners with the City of Sausalito as well as his church in southern Marin.
Adam believed that the secret to effective leadership is to listen and reflect before speaking, to give much thought to everyone’s ideas, and to give credit to participants for their input. In that spirit, Adam enjoyed mentoring promising young professionals, which led to lasting friendships.
Ever devoted to his family, Adam leaves behind his beloved wife of 45 years, Elizabeth, who sustained him through his last decade; their daughter Beatrice, son Serge, son-in-law Ramin, daughter-in-law Lise; and five grandchildren — Sophia, Adam, Luke Bela, Zoe, and Robin.
He joined the board of the Hungaria Nostra Foundation and helped to identify and evaluate several projects of cultural significance that HNF could support. His keen eye and deep insights will be missed.
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