HGA

We are a national interdisciplinary design firm rooted in architecture and engineering. We believe that the best design results from deep insight into the people and passions that animate each unique environment. Our 1,200 people in offices from coast-to-coast work to make a positive, lasting impact for clients in healthcare, arts and culture, community, corporate, education, government, science and technology, and energy markets. HGA employs a holistic, research-based approach to design. Our work is always built upon a foundation of deep, penetrating insight into client needs; it is fueled by empathy, curiosity, and our resolve to deliver the extraordinary. We are driven to understand broad social and technological developments and market-specific challenges, and to delve deeply into our clients’ organizations. In addition to the insight from our design teams, our unique collective of in-house specialists—process engineers, design thinking specialists, evidence-based researchers, and others—work together to help us understand what is critical to the quality of our clients’ work, and thus to ours. On this foundation of fresh understanding, we help clients create purposeful design with an enduring impact. As a multidisciplinary design firm, we are uniquely adept at working together to create holistic solutions. Our team-based process encourages vital knowledge sharing, allowing the diversity of a project’s needs to be integrated early on. This results in a more powerful, efficient process, a better design experience, and a higher-performing, more purposeful, and more enduring solution for our clients. Research is foundational to our work and philosophy. It is a fundamental link between the curiosity that propels us to dig deeper and the knowledge that enables us to help our clients and communities to thrive. The scope of our research work is broad—from the innovations that will drive our clients’ future business to the technological and social changes that will enable unique and inspiring design solutions. We also aim to learn from individual projects through leveraging technology, data collection, and ethnography—to inform the next project and translate into the next great idea. We are national leaders in Lean and Integrated Project Delivery for healthcare clients; we have had significant success in design-build projects for higher education; and we have built incredibly strong relationships with developers who lead projects for workplace. Regardless of process, early involvement of owners, design teams, contractors, and users is paramount to developing solutions suited to each client. Technology elevates our understanding of decisions made during the design phase and the ultimate impact they have on the built environment. HGA has long been a leader in the use of in BIM, Computation, Visualization, and Fabrication, and has continued to innovate by not only developing new technologies to explore and analyze building information, but also to build empathy for all those who inhabit the spaces we design. Our Digital Practice Group is committed to utilizing pioneering technology and is a trailblazer in its implementation to make a positive impact. Sustainability is at the heart of our holistic design approach and guides us as we shape our future. We aim for every project to be a commitment to a healthier planet, incorporating decarbonization, healthy communities, and/or climate adaptation goals. Explore our projects, commitments, and recognition. With more than 70 years of experience as an interdisciplinary design firm, we have developed an integrated approach to our work. Teams collaborate across disciplines to consider environmental impact and resilience, setting ambitious yet achievable goals. Our high-performance projects, industry commitments, and collected metrics are evidence: we have the knowledge and tools to design for mitigation and adaptation. With vision and strategy, we have made progress toward aligning our internal structure to position our company and clients to create the greatest possible impact. As we build physical environments that are sustainable and resilient, we are also building relationships with other leaders and changemakers in the form of clients, employees, and partners. Equity is a living, breathing part of HGA—woven into the fabric of our culture, it is reflected in our work, our people, and our strategy. Great design is equitable design: fueled by curiosity, informed by diverse perspectives, and elevated by insight directly from those who inhabit our spaces. Our Community Action program makes design accessible to nonprofits and community organizations that lack access to professional services.