Perkins&Will Welcomes New Health Principal in Dallas
Dan Thomas brings expertise in sustainability, research, and healthy living to the firm’s growing Southwest practice
Global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will welcomes Dan Thomas, AIA, ACHA, NCARB, EDAC, to serve as Health Principal for its Dallas studio. Drawing upon his years of experience leading healthcare planning and design teams, Thomas will work to provide flexible, curated design solutions for clients throughout the region. His focus on sustainability, research, and healthy living will strengthen the Dallas studio’s approach to healthcare design.
“I am drawn to Perkins&Will’s collaborative ethos and efforts to push the design envelope in healthcare and planning,” explained Thomas. “The team operates with an understanding that what we create impacts our environment and that we need to be good stewards of the earth. I look forward to furthering this endeavor and continue pushing for a carbon positive future in the healthcare field.”
A Healthcare Leader: Three Decades of Research-Based Planning
Thomas brings over 28 years of experience in healthcare design and planning to the position. Having worked on national and global projects from major academic medical centers to public healthcare facilities, he has a wide range of master planning, schematic design, and programming expertise. Thomas believes that research and data are key to successfully understanding how facilities operate and regularly performs extensive research into industry trends and best practices. He has strong interests in behavioral health, children’s health, and population health. Thomas’ background and passions align with Perkins&Will’s core values of design excellence and living design, which promote the creation of environments for people to live happier, healthier lives.
Healthcare Operations and Design Mentorship
At Perkins&Will, Thomas will continue to work with healthcare clients to realize their visions, drawing upon his proven process of listening, understanding, and creating in order to choreograph solutions for staff and patient needs. He will also serve as a leader within the studio, helping to further the growth of designers and planners. Thomas encourages his staff and emerging designers to pursue their passions in the hopes that they will one day surpass his own knowledge and capabilities.
“Dan is highly skilled in creating customized, flexible solutions that both respond to the client’s current needs and prepare for the future,” said Perkins&Will’s Southwest Region Director Tom Reisenbichler, AIA, LEED AP. “We are so excited to have him join the team and help shape the future of our healthcare practice and the community at large.”
Envisioning the Future of Healthcare: Healthy Communities and Healthy Environments
Ultimately, Thomas seeks to advance the field of healthcare by furthering discussions on healthy environments and healthy living. He seeks to increase access to healthy lifestyles and resources in rural, suburban, and urban communities. In his vision, healthcare facilities of the future will not resemble modern hospitals focused on reactive care but will provide proactive access to fitness, nutrition, and holistic care. Thomas also envisions a future where existing healthcare systems can be adapted into carbon neutral facilities, providing care for both patients and the planet.
About Perkins&Will
Perkins&Will, an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm, was founded in 1935 on the belief that design has the power to transform lives. Guided by its core values—design excellence, diversity and inclusion, living design, research, resilience, social purpose, sustainability, and well-being—the firm is committed to designing a better, more beautiful world. Fast Company has named Perkins&Will one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in Architecture three times, and in 2021, it added the firm to its list of Brands That Matter—making Perkins&Will the only architecture practice in the world to earn the distinction. With an international team of more than 2,000 professionals, the firm has over 20 studios worldwide, providing integrated services in architecture, interior design, branded environments, urban design, and landscape architecture. Industry rankings consistently place the firm among the world’s top design practices. Partners include Danish architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen; retail strategy and design consultancy Portland; sustainable transportation planning consultancy Nelson\Nygaard; and luxury hospitality design firm Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR). For more information, visit www.perkinswill.com.
About the Dallas Studio of Perkins&Will
The Dallas Studio of Perkins and Will was established in 1988 and is the largest in the firm, harnessing the expertise of more than 225 architects, interior designers and planners. The office’s multi-disciplinary work spans nearly every sector, including healthcare, higher education, corporate, commercial, civic, K12 education and transportation. Recently completed projects from the Dallas office include the City of Lubbock’s Citizen Tower, Epic Deep Ellum office buildings, The Pittman Hotel, Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy and Research at The STAR, Richardson ISD’s Berkner STEM Exploration Center, and Collin College Technical Center. The Dallas studio’s work has garnered hundreds of awards from prestigious industry publications and organizations in the region and around the world. https://perkinswill.com/studio/dallas/
