HGA announced that Peter D. Cook, AIA, NOMA, has joined the firm as design principal in the Washington, D.C. office. His design leadership, strategic planning and architectural expertise will enhance HGA’s growing East Coast presence.
Cook joins the firm with an outstanding portfolio of design leadership and award-winning projects throughout the United States—particularly in the D.C. area—encompassing museums, memorials, embassies, libraries, cultural and learning centers, and mixed-used corporate and neighborhood master planning. Among Cook’s high-profile projects are the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Watha T. Daniel / Shaw Neighborhood Library, Embassy of South Africa and Saint Elizabeths East Gateway Pavilion.
“Peter is a recognized design leader in the creation of transformative projects on the East Coast,” said Tim Carl, HGA’s CEO. “His profound commitment to reflecting the singular voices of his clients results in extraordinary projects. He has a unique ability to reframe clients’ cultural identity and allow their voices to resonate more broadly. We’re thrilled to have him join our firm.”
In addition to working with HGA’s clients in the Washington, D.C. area, Cook will serve as a national design leader with emphasis on cultural, civic and federal projects across the country.
“I have always been impressed with the quality of HGA’s work,” Cook said. “I am excited to work alongside these incredibly talented design professionals who not only share my passion for the craft of architecture but also my belief that projects should positively impact communities and leave the world a better place in which to live.”
Cook’s notable projects also include the Benning Neighborhood Library in Washington, D.C.; North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh; Global Center for Climate Resilience (feasibility study) in D.C.; National Great Blacks in Wax Museum/Justice Learning Center in Baltimore; and various projects for the U.S. Department of State.
Formerly with Gensler in Washington, D.C., as Regional Arts & Culture Practice Area Leader, Cook spent several decades with Davis Brody Bond, first as associate partner and then as design principal. In collaboration with David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates, the Freelon Group and SmithGroup, Cook led the Davis Brody Bond team in the design of spaces that reflect the African American experience throughout the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In the 1990s, Cook also worked as a designer with Rafael Vinoly Architects and Skidmore Owings & Merrill.
Cook is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Washington, D.C. Chapter and the National Organization of Minority Architects. His projects have been celebrated in a wide variety of national publications and exhibitions. Cook’s speaking engagements include an AIAS keynote address as well as numerous academic lectures throughout the country. He has served on the Maryland Empowerment Council, the Mayor’s Institute of City Design, the GSA Design Excellence Committee, and the State of Maryland Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission.
He has a Master of Architecture from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual & Environmental Studies from Harvard University.