HGA welcomes Paul Stefanski, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP, as Associate Vice President and Operations Leader of the Design Insight Group (DIG), the firm’s interdisciplinary research and innovation collective. In this newly created position, he will develop strategies, metrics, tools, and resources that support operational processes exploring a range of topics and challenges impacting the architecture and design industry.
Stefanski has more than 25 years of architecture experience, with the last 15 specializing in healthcare design. His expertise includes spatial design, lean processes, evidence-based design, client management and consulting, team leadership, business development, and talent recruitment.
“I love to tackle difficult problems by asking questions that challenge conventional wisdom to develop creative solutions,” Stefanski said. “The Design Insight Group is about asking questions to arrive at fresh—and sometimes unexpected—solutions that place people at the center of all design. I’m excited to help steer this team forward.”
HGA has long supported a culture for innovation across market sectors and disciplines. Through the Design Insight Group, the firm engages in a broad-based approach to research to develop new knowledge through exploration. At the core of this work is the belief that advancing the state of the design industry is an opportunity—and responsibility.
“Research and innovation are foundational to our work and philosophy,” said Andrew Zimmer, Principal and Director of the Design Insight Group. “We approach research holistically, identifying how it improves processes with our clients, within our industry, and within HGA itself. Paul forms an important addition to our team as we continue to build a firmwide framework for exploration and collectively identify opportunities that position HGA as an industry leader.”
Before joining HGA, he was with Eppstein Uhen Architects in Milwaukee, where he was Healthcare Design Studio Director leading project teams, client relations, and business development.
He frequently publishes thought leadership on such topics as “Embrace Disruption Instead of Forced Reinvention,” “Embarking on the Leadership Adventure,” and “Design for People: Improving Staff Culture + Patient Experience.”
He has a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Brown University.
For more information, visit HGA Research & Innovation.