Daniel Avchen retires from HGA with an extraordinary legacy of growth and success.
As Daniel Avchen, FAIA, retires at the end of December 2021, he leaves a legacy that has shaped and defined HGA over his 49-year career with the firm. An advocate for design excellence, the arts, and client service, he provided collaborative leadership that inspired colleagues across all levels of their career—from student interns to seasoned Board members.
Throughout his career, he served as a design architect, practice group leader, Chief Executive Officer, and mentor. He helped steer HGA from a regional practice to a national, interdisciplinary design firm with 11 offices throughout the Midwest, East Coast, and West Coast.
“Dan has been instrumental in positioning HGA as one of the leading design firms in the country,” said Tim Carl, FAIA, Chief Executive Officer. “He focused on creating an atmosphere where everyone felt invested and engaged in the firm’s success. He believed that an architecture firm has a responsibility to its clients, its team members, and its community. This is a place where people feel valued. And we owe so much of our success to Dan’s vision.”
Originally from New Jersey, Avchen joined HGA fresh out of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1972. The imprint of the three namesake founders—Richard Hammel, Curt Green, and Bruce Abrahamson—provided a formative foundation for his design sensibility and leadership style. He nurtured the philosophy that success is achieved through a creatively charged, client-centered environment that supports collaboration and innovation.
As a young architect, he worked on various projects across client markets—from healthcare, to corporate, to higher education—but soon gravitated toward the arts. He formed the firm’s Arts, Community, and Higher Education (ACE) practice group, growing HGA’s national profile and—personally—fulfilling his passion for the arts and education. He moved into the CEO position in 1996, overseeing one of the firm’s largest growth trajectories.
While the new leadership position took him from the drafting board to the board room, he still stayed involved in the design process, serving as Principal for key projects and always pushing HGA as a design-forward firm. He envisioned HGA as the go-to office for architects, designers, and engineers through all phases of their careers—establishing a platform for the best designers to build long-term careers.
“Dan has an amazing ability to identify talent and give people the resources to grow in their profession,” said Rebecca Celis, AIA, LEED AP, Market Sector Leader for Arts and Community. “I am grateful for his mentorship and for all that I have learned from him, including the importance of establishing client relationships and always taking time to connect with team members. Dan’s focus on instilling design excellence as a primary value at HGA is a large part of what attracted me to the firm, and it continues to shape our strategy and culture today.”
That commitment to design talent led to some of HGA’s most lauded projects.
“I am always grateful to Dan for providing the freedom for us to pursue great design and achieve the best possible solutions for our clients,” said Joan Soranno, FAIA, Design Principal, who worked with Avchen on such nationally award-winning projects as the Walker Art Center Entry Pavilion, Lakewood Cemetery Garden Mausoleum, and Bigelow Chapel. “These projects and others throughout the firm are examples of Dan building relationships with unique, visionary organizations and believing deeply in his teams’ ability to exceed their expectations and deliver truly beautiful design.”
Since transitioning from CEO in 2015, he has served as a strategic growth advisor to the firm, leading several diversification efforts, including Interim Office Director for HGA’s Los Angeles office and returning to his much-loved ACE practice group as national market sector leader before handing future direction to Leila Kamal and Rebecca Celis.
His imprint extends beyond HGA, as well. He served on boards and advisory roles with the National AIA Committee on Design, Trust for Public Land, College of Design at the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Architectural Foundation, Northern Clay Center, and Minnesota Dance Theater, among other organizations.
“My focus has been surrounding myself with people who were more talented than me,” Avchen said, reflecting on his work. “HGA’s three founders understood the importance of collaboration and that design was not a one-person show but a team effort. My primary strategy as a leader has always been to create an environment where talented individuals—and thus exemplary design—can thrive.”
For more information, please visit Reflections with Daniel Avchen.