Our own Allison Méndez, AIA, a recipient of this year’s AIA Young Architects Award, was recently honored as the keynote commencement speaker at Washington University in St. Louis’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts’s College of Architecture/Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design. Méndez, who earned a Masters in Architecture from the school in 2012, is a lecturer there. Her inspirational speech offers a number of key takeaways from her education and professional experience. “Most of our lives, including major moments, occur in buildings. That should serve as a reminder that architecture matters, but also as a challenge to design with empathy,” says Allison of her speech’s themes….

Geoff Neumayr is not one to accept the status quo. As Chief Development Officer for San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Geoff spends his days constantly trying to reshape how airports are conceived, designed and constructed. He’s also remarkably committed to making them more adaptable, resilient and experiential for those who need them in the decades ahead. “Here at SFO, we’re trying to create the best airport for the future. We want to be a model for the entire industry,” Geoff explains during a recent phone call. Because his team oversees the entire development operations for SFO, they’re able to advance new ideas and processes across the entire continuum of airport…

As the Senior Manager of Workplace Projects and R&D at Atlassian, Omar Ramirez advances workplace solutions that empower the technology company’s people. He’s developed a proven record of workplace innovation and success, working for multiple tech companies at a variety of scales from his early days in the mailroom through managing international fit-outs. With current responsibilities and projects for Atlassian in North America and Europe, Omar is helping shape his company’s workplaces of the future every day. We recently caught up with him to discuss design, data, workplace and more. Core to Atlassian’s mission is the goal to “unleash the potential in every team” for its customers. How does this…

We are proudly working with the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) League City on the strategic expansion of their medical campus. This is a destination where UTMB offers leading-edge health care services and experiences to patients, families and staff. As part of the expansion project, our team is helping UTMB add five stories to its South Tower, to boost patient bed count to nearly 100, and also introduce more operating and endoscopy rooms, a larger Post Care Anesthesia Unit (PACU), and an expanded emergency department across the campus. The South Tower project is tracking toward welcoming its first patient in May 2020. One of the most exciting aspects of…

Our expert laboratory designers attended and presented recently at the 2019 Laboratory Design conference in Orlando, Florida, where the Lab of the Year award winners were also announced. Two inspiring projects were included, with special recognition going to University of Texas at Dallas Engineering and Computer Science West. The overall winner was MIT.nano, a brand-new nanotechnology facility at the Massachusetts Institute of technology. We came away inspired and ready to take on the challenges our clients face when designing modern laboratories to meet the needs of science research and learning. Here are the five big ideas from the conference that stood out to us. 1. Researcher wellness is priority No. 1 to recruit…

Dayton Children’s Hospital president and CEO Deborah Feldman thrives at the intersection of complex challenge and human potential. As the leader of one of the leading children’s hospitals in the country, Deborah manages thousands of staff, tens of thousands of annual patients, capital expenditure, strategic planning, patient experience and much more. Upon joining Dayton Children’s in 2012, Deborah led the creation of a new strategic roadmap to guide the hospital into the rapidly changing future of healthcare. This plan, called Destination 2020, outlines a framework for ensuring Dayton Children’s continues to grow and thrive while remaining true to its founders’ original mission – to provide the highest quality care to…

Architecture is always evolving to keep in step with society. Roland Lemke, a principal in our DC office, is approaching his 30th year in the industry. He points out that while there are always fads that come and go, some lasting changes in architecture are clearly present in today’s practice. For different perspectives, Roland and two other CannonDesigners at different points in their careers discuss what has changed in architecture – and where it’s heading. Charu McDermott has worked in architecture for 15 years. She’s noticed that “what’s hot” is always shifting with “peaks and valleys in the markets.” “Firms that are diversified and can shift teams around are more successful,”…

The Micro City: A New Model for Workplace Design “A city is not gauged by its length and width, but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams.” Herb Caen Close your eyes and imagine your favorite city. New York. Paris. Istanbul. These cities, or any great city, invite a stroll, inspire new ideas, and offer a romantic serendipity of experiences in art, music, and conversation. Loud, exciting, active streets and plazas are balanced with quiet parks, cafes, and libraries. Taste their food, meet new people, see their sites, feel the energy. Would you ever think of a healthcare workplace this way?  For increased productivity, workplace wellness, and employee retention, you…

Our team recently had the opportunity to attend Bisnow’s 2019 National Healthcare South conference in late February. The event united a remarkable group of healthcare leaders from Houston and across Texas to share thoughts about what’s next for patients, providers, health systems and communities. There were numerous thought-provoking presentations our team was able to attend, and we’ve summarized some key takeaways from the event below. For each takeaway, we connect ideas around how design will play a role in supporting its impact in the future. Health Systems Recognize Consumers Pay for Value, Not Medical Events A dominant trend echoed multiple times during the Bisnow Summit is the impact consumerism is having…

When high school sophomore Brayan Perez began his internship in CannonDesign’s Baltimore office, he never knew how much his experience would influence his future. Brayan, a 4.0 student in his senior year at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, is now positioned to graduate with incredible college and university prospects. His unique three-year internship with CannonDesign has taught him not only technical skills in his desired field but also how to communicate with project teams and gain the confidence needed to conquer anything that comes his way. At Cristo Rey High School, students are required to participate in a Corporate Internship Program (CIP) where they can learn and grow through entry-level…