WHR Architects’ Anthony J. Haas Assumes Presidency of the American College of Healthcare Architects
Anthony J. Haas FAIA, FACHA, Senior Principal at WHR Architects has begun his tenure as the 2015 President of the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA). The College provides Board Certification for architects who practice as healthcare specialists; its members include healthcare architects throughout the United States and Canada with specialized skills and proven expertise. Haas enters his term at a pivotal time for the ACHA, as the organization refocuses on its mission of certification while continuing to provide members with access to high quality educational offerings. Having played a key role in ACHA’s strategic planning for the past year, he brings a strong vision and clear goals to his presidential year.
“Since its inception, the College has maintained our founders’ focus on quality, ethics, and professionalism — we have become the face of leadership within the profession,” said Haas. “Last year, for the first time, we exceeded 400 certificants. I invite all healthcare architects to become actively involved in what we do and represent. Now is the time to become part of critical change and help shape the future of healthcare.”
His primary goals for the year include the rollout of a more rigorous and representative certification examination and a renewed focus on conveying the value that ACHA certificants bring to the healthcare profession. Haas is also committed to working with affiliated organizations to assure that healthcare architects will have the high level, high quality educational programs that they need.
“Anthony Haas assumes his role as ACHA President with the full support of WHR,” said WHR Chairman David Watkins, FAIA. “Members of the firm were among the founders of the College and we recognize the value that certification brings to our profession and the entire healthcare industry. The ACHA mission of transforming healthcare through better built environments is a central tenant of our own practice. ”
With over 30 years of experience dedicated to healthcare architecture, Haas has earned a national reputation for achieving improved alignment between evolving operational demands and the architecture, and for his inclusive approach to the process. Haas is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the Texas Society of Architects and an active Member of the Academy of Architecture for Health of the American Institute of Architects. He returns regularly to his alma mater, Texas A&M University, where he was named 2007 Outstanding Alumni, to participate in the Health Industry Advisory Council.
Haas is spearheading WHR’s effort in Denmark, where the firm established an office in in Copenhagen in 2013. Under his leadership WHR has secured the commission for the Bispebjerg Laboratory and Logistics Building and is leading one of three teams shortlisted for the New Bispebjerg Acute Care Hospital competition. Other recent and current projects include: Platte Valley Medical Center Medical Office Building II, Brighton, Colorado; UC Health Campus Master Plans, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Houston Methodist Sugar Land Medical Center, Master plan, Surgery Addition, Six-Story Bed Tower Addition, Women’s Tower Renovation and Laboratory Expansion Project, Sugar Land, Texas; Memorial Hermann Medical Center – The Woodlands Campus Master Plan, The Woodlands, Texas
ABOUT WHR:
WHR, based in Houston, Texas, with additional offices in Dallas, Raleigh, New York City and Copenhagen, Denmark, is a full-service architecture and interior design firm, currently ranked No. 1 in healthcare renovation and the 13th largest healthcare design practice in the United States. The firm’s commitment to critical thinking is balanced by an ingrained empathy that results in both improved project outcomes and positive working experiences for their clients. With over 180 people firm wide, the 36-year old firm is working on projects worldwide for top tier public and private education and medical institutions. WHR is the healthcare practice group of EYP Inc. For more information about WHR Architects, visit http://www.whrarchitects.com.
ABOUT EYP:
EYP is a renowned global provider of high-performance building design, research, and consulting services to higher education, government, healthcare, and corporate clients. The company provides seamless project delivery with access to the award-winning expertise and resources of its family of practice groups, which includes sustainable design leader EYP Architecture & Engineering; WHR Architects, healthcare design specialists; and The Weidt Group, building energy performance specialists. More than 550 professionals in architecture, engineering, energy, and interior design collaborate across 15 offices in the United States and Europe to deliver expertise-driven design. For more information, visit http://eypaedesign.com/.
