Richard Smith

HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA) is excited to welcome recognized architectural leader Richard Smith (A)('86 architecture) as Associate Vice President and Principal. He will direct the firm’s growing services in the Science + Technology markets nationally. "Rich brings significant expertise in innovative science and technology projects for higher education and research clients nationally and internationally,” said James Vander Heiden, AIA, PE, Principal and Arts, Community and Higher Education Market Sector Leader. “His technical expertise and market knowledge will bring significant value to our teams and clients. We are excited to offer him a national platform to continue to develop both his expertise and HGA’s practice.” Smith has more than 30 years of design leadership experience with major architecture firms, including most recently Science + Technology Principal at HDR in Chicago, and Principal and Science + Technology and Higher Education Leader at HOK in Chicago. He has directed the design and planning of such high-profile projects as the William Eckhardt Research Center at the University of Chicago; Abbott Laboratories in Abbott Park, Illinois; Wisconsin Institute of Medical Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; the McGuire Translational Research Facility and the Molecular and Cellular Biology Building at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at the University of Southern California; Fermilab National Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois; and the Health Sciences Campus at Acibadem University in Istanbul, Turkey. “HGA has a strong culture for design,” Smith said. “This is an exciting opportunity to work with firm-wide leadership to build on HGA’s growing design expertise in highly specialized science and research facilities for leading academic, health, governmental and corporate clients.” He is a frequent speaker and author within the Higher Education and Science + Technology design community, and is a member and leader in many industry and civic organizations, including the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), American Institute of Architects Committee on Education, Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) and BIO.