DALLAS – H. Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, FACHA, LEED AP,current chairman, president and CEO, named Dan Noble FAIA, FACHA, LEED AP, his successor as president and CEO, effective January 1, 2014. Noble will serve in this role for HKS, Inc., one of the top six architectural/engineering firms. Hawkins will continue to serve the firm as chairman for the transition.
“This leadership transition has been part of an eight-year plan,” said Hawkins. “When selecting the next president, I looked for someone who reflects our HKS values, has extensive success designing and managing projects, possesses good people skills and demonstrates a level of authentic, servant leadership. My selection of Dan Noble was based on these criteria, and more.”
As president and CEO, Noble’s responsibilities will include directing the 28-office, 1,000-person firm’s administrative, financial, management and strategic planning services. Under his leadership, the firm will continue to be a global leader, providing the highest level of professional design services, technical expertise and business performance to continue to create environments that enhance the human experience.
Noble, a 32-year veteran of the design industry, is a widely recognized international leader in the practice of architecture; a sought-after designer, planner, educator and practitioner both nationally and internationally; and a thought leader on conceptual design, evidence-based design and healing environments.
Noble has collaborated with nationally and internationally prominent architectural, research, strategic and healthcare consulting firms. He has been responsible for more than 125 projects representing more than 30 million square feet, 10,000 beds and over $5 billion in construction cost – working with some of the world’s most prestigious clients such as Emory Health, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Hadassah Medical Center of Jerusalem, University of Miami, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Sanford Health, RadioShack, Fina and JC Penney. His projects have received multiple awards from associations and publications.
Noble is dedicated to excellence in the architectural industry. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA). He is the immediate past president of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) and currently sits on the national boards of the ACHA and the AIA/AAH – the only person serving on both boards. Noble has demonstrated leadership on a national level, creating and developing the national AIA/AAH Design Awards as well as developing the AIA Dallas Art by Architects event, which has grown into Architects’ Week including Retrospect and other events.
A writer and speaker, Noble represents HKS speaking worldwide on topics of conceptual and evidence-based design, innovation and the direction the design and construction industry is heading. He lectures throughout the U.S. and has published numerous articles on many additional design-related issues. In addition, he participates on national and local design award juries and contributes as a guest critic and lecturer with many universities.
He also is a devoted community advocate. He helped develop the HKS Design Fellowship, HKS Green Week and other community initiatives. He currently is working with The University of Texas at Arlington to provide a collaborative architectural studio in the firm’s Dallas headquarters.
Noble joined HKS in 1983. Beginning as an intern architect, he moved up the ranks through the commercial and healthcare design studios. In 2001, he was elected a principal and shareholder. In 2009, he was elected to the HKS Executive Committee. He served as the director of design for the entire firm from 2001 through 2013.
“His leadership as director of design has been exemplary in terms of emphasizing design in our practice,” said Hawkins. “During his tenure, HKS has garnered more AIA design awards than any other design department leader in the history of our firm. In addition, he has actively shaped the firm through his participation on the HKS Executive Committee and Management Council.”
Noble earned a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from North Dakota State University. He was honored by the North Dakota State University Alumni Association with the 2010 Alumni Achievement Award. He and his wife, Ann, have two children and live in Dallas.
Stouffer succeeds Beale as director of healthcare practice
In other news, Craig Beale, FAIA, FACHA, FACHE, has named Jeff Stouffer, AIA, his successor as director of HKS’s healthcare practice, effective January 1, 2014. Beale, who has served as director for the past 12 years, will continue to lead the firm as part of its four-person Executive Committee and oversee its international healthcare practice.
As director of the healthcare practice, Stouffer’s responsibilities include directing group’s administrative, financial, management and strategic planning. Under his leadership, the firm will continue to be aglobal leader in professional healthcare design services, providing the highest level of services, design, technical expertise and business performance to continue to create environments that enhance the human experience.
As the practice leader for academic and pediatric health facilities, Stouffer has been responsible for master planning, programming and design of regional and national projects totaling over $10 billion in construction. By integrating Lean process improvement principles, applied in-house research and lessons learned from past projects our team’s designs maximize the value of our clients’ facility assets, raise patient/staff satisfaction and help improve patient outcomes.
HKS, Inc. is a leading architectural design firm ranked among the top six architectural engineering firms, according to Building Design+Construction magazine. Since its founding in 1939, HKS has completed construction projects totaling more than $75 billion in more than 1,263 cities located in 80 countries. The firm operates from 28 offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.hksinc.com or contact Trish Martineck at tmartineck@hksinc.com.
Related Stories
| Feb 9, 2011
Businesses make bigger, bolder sustainability commitments
In 2010, U.S. corporations continued to enhance their sustainable business efforts by making bigger, bolder, longer-term sustainability commitments. GreenBiz issued its 4th annual State of Green Business report, a free downloadable report that measures the progress of U.S. business and the economy from an environmental perspective, and highlights key trends in corporate culture in regard to the environment.
| Feb 8, 2011
AIA names 104 members to College of Fellows
The Fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.
| Feb 4, 2011
President Obama: 20% improvement in energy efficiency will save $40 billion
President Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative, announced February 3, 2011, aims to achieve a 20% improvement in energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 2020, improvements that will save American businesses $40 billion a year.
| Jan 31, 2011
Cuningham Group Architecture launches Healthcare studio with Lee Brennan
International design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Cuningham Group) has announced the arrival of Lee Brennan, AIA, as Principal and Leader of its new Healthcare studio. Brennan comes to Cuningham Group with over 30 years of professional experience, 22 of those years in healthcare, encompassing all aspects of project delivery, from strategic planning and programming through design and construction. The firm’s new Healthcare studio will enhance Cuningham Group’s expertise in leisure and entertainment, education, mixed-use/housing and workplace environments.
| Jan 31, 2011
HDR Architecture Releases Evidence-based Design Videos
As a follow-up to its book Evidence-based Design for Healthcare Facilities, HDR Architecture, Inc. has released three video case studies that highlight evidence-based design principles in action.
| Jan 31, 2011
CISCA releases White Paper on Acoustics in Healthcare Environments
The Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA) has released an extensive white paper “Acoustics in Healthcare Environments” for architects, interior designers, and other design professionals who work to improve healthcare settings for all users. This white paper serves as a comprehensive introduction to the acoustical issues commonly confronted on healthcare projects and howbest to address those.
| Jan 28, 2011
Firestone Building Products Unveils FirestoneRoof Mobile Web App
Firestone Building Products Company unveiled FirestoneRoof, a first-of-its-kind free mobile web app. The FirestoneRoof mobile web app enables customers to instantly connect with Firestone commercial roofing experts and is designed to make it easier for building owners, facility managers, roofing consultants and others charged with maintaining commercial roofing systems to get the support they need, when they need it.
| Jan 27, 2011
Perkins Eastman's report on senior housing signals a changing market
Top international design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman is pleased to announce that the Perkins Eastman Research Collaborative recently completed the “Design for Aging Review 10 Insights and Innovations: The State of Senior Housing” study for the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The results of the comprehensive study reflect the changing demands and emerging concepts that are re-shaping today’s senior living industry.
| Jan 25, 2011
Bloomberg launches NYC Urban Tech Innovation Center
To promote the development and commercialization of green building technologies in New York City, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has launched the NYC Urban Technology Innovation Center. This initiative will connect academic institutions conducting underlying research, companies creating the associated products, and building owners who will use those technologies.