Reflecting its continued growth and commitment to innovation in design, the internationally renowned architecture, art and advisory firm Svigals+Partners has announced several key promotions. Among them is the long-awaited elevation of Jay Brotman, AIA, to the official leadership role of managing partner. In addition, three architectural professionals have been promoted to the level of associate principal: Doug Lovegren, Bruce Wujcik, AIA, and Ron Cooper, AIA.
The transition — part of a series of moves the firm is calling an "evolution of leadership" — follows in the wake of the firm’s new commitment to building prosperous, compassionate communities, rolled out earlier this year. It also comes as founding principal Barry Svigals, FAIA, steps back from his roles in day-to-day operations and decision-making. Going forward, those responsibilities fall to Brotman in his new executive position and his colleagues in the new project leadership and management team.
Adept at orchestrating highly collaborative design processes, Brotman's considerable portfolio of high-performance buildings and projects also includes innovative research facilities, campus transformations, and corporate headquarters and interiors.
According to Brotman, the firm began an intense and well-documented process of self-examination and evolution shortly after being named last year to Fast Company’s list of the “10 Most Innovative Architectural Firms” in the world. A recent communiqué to Svigals+Partners' longtime friends, colleagues, collaborators and clients affirmed that the new promotions signal "a process of deepening our commitment to the themes that have defined the firm: creativity, collaboration, and community."
Brotman notes that Barry Svigals will continue to participate in the firm's creative and collaborative endeavors, assuming the title of Partner Emeritus.
Expanded Senior Management
As part of defining its direction, Svigals+Partners also announced that it would empower three designers with leadership responsibilities, elevating them to the role of associate principal where they join colleague Julia McFadden in senior management:
- Bruce Wujcik, AIA, CSI. With 30 years of practical experience as an architect, Wujcik's management and leadership responsibilities include all phases of planning, design, documentation, and contract administration, as well as building systems development and quality assurance. Wujcik was recently elected Director for the Construction Specifications Institute, Housatonic Chapter, for a three-year term.
- Ron Cooper, AIA, NCARB. A recent addition to the firm's leadership roster, Ron contributes 30-plus years of experience in architectural practice with a valuable specialization in renovating libraries and archival facilities. A devotee of the collaborative discovery process for revealing design solutions, Cooper is responsible for all aspects of project management from client relations through construction administration.
- Doug Lovegren. Having worked on a variety of project types in academic, clinical, professional, and laboratory facilities, Lovegren boasts broad experience in the design and renovation of clinical spaces, merging clients' space requirements with goals for patient and staff flows. His designs are regarded as highly efficient and rigorously functional. Lovegren also manages the office’s utilization of technology, mentors younger staff, and bolsters Svigals+Partners' unique culture.
For more information on the development of the firm or to find experts on a range of architectural and community subjects, the team at Svigals+Partners presents a valuable source.
