Architecture, engineering and consultancy services firm Gresham Smith announced that Chris Hoal, AIA, Healthcare Market Design Leader, has been named Director of Architectural Design. In this expanded role, Hoal will guide the firm’s commitment to design excellence while continuing to lead design strategy for the Healthcare market. Hoal replaces Jeff Kuhnhenn, who was selected last year as Executive Vice President of Gresham Smith’s Life and Work Places market.
“Our Director of Architectural Design plays an essential role in our commitment to provide elegant, elevated and award-winning design solutions to meet our clients’ evolving needs,” said Rodney Chester, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair at Gresham Smith, in a statement. “Chris embodies the passion, creativity and leadership that inspires our people and drives us to new heights.”
Hoal joined Gresham Smith in 2012 and has since led numerous award-winning projects, including Kaiser Permanente’s North Baltimore Medical Center, UP Health System’s Marquette hospital and Baptist Health Care Pensacola’s new Brent Lane campus.
“In this expanded role, my focus remains on fostering a collaborative, iterative design process where idea generation and critical thinking are central,” said Hoal. “Design improves when we bring in diverse perspectives, and by thoughtfully integrating users and communities into the design process, we can deliver high-quality solutions that create healthy, thriving communities.”
Hoal serves on the national Committee on Design for the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health and is a member of the AIA Middle Tennessee chapter. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Mississippi State University. He is based in Gresham Smith’s Nashville office.