Kocher Joins HDR as Technical Design Director for Architecture

JeanPierre (“JP”) Kocher, AIA, RIBA, has joined HDR as technical design director. In this role, Kocher will work on projects across the firm, partnering with the architecture practice’s design leadership to advance high-performance, sustainable and exquisitely detailed design solutions. 

An industry-leading expert in the tectonics of design, Kocher’s extensive career has included positions such as director of facades and lead for enclosures for some of the most respected firms across the industry.

“I am a firm believer that providing cutting-edge solutions for today’s structures does not have to be difficult, but it does require some deep thinking at the onset,” Kocher said. “I’m looking forward to working with HDR design leadership to continue to hone the craft of architecture with the many talented design teams across the firm, putting emphasis on the detail and performance of the buildings we deliver to our clients.”

As technical design director, Kocher will elevate projects across the architecture practice with his extensive knowledge of technical design. He will also collaborate with many other technical design experts in architecture studios around the globe to teach, inform and collaborate.  

“Adding JP to HDR’s leadership team is yet another step in our journey to continually improve design processes and connect design with documentation,” said Brian Kowlachuk, global design director. “I am confident that JP will help advance design excellence across HDR.”

Kocher’s education includes the Technische Fachschule Biel in Switzerland, the School of Design in Basel, Switzerland and the UNC Charlotte School of Architecture. He is a licensed architect in New York and holds multiple certifications for excellence in façade expertise. Committed to mentoring and teaching the next generation of designers, Kocher served as an adjunct professor at New York Institute of Technology, teaching building construction for over a decade.