HDR Strengthens Innovation Capability with Appointment of Australian Civic Principal
HDR has appointed Mark Gazy as its Australian civic principal in a move that fortifies the company’s commitment to delivering major city-shaping infrastructure and precincts that support community and innovation.
Gazy’s 25 years of transdisciplinary experience, which spans mixed-use, residential, commercial, education and urban design, will empower HDR’s design teams to deliver human-centred, wellness-driven communities that enrich the places people call home. At HDR, Gazy will work closely with HDR’s health, education, science and defence sectors to innovate across disciplines and constructively challenge architectural conventions.
“Whether designing neighbourhoods as an antidote to loneliness, rebuilding net zero communities on higher ground to safeguard from flooding, or creating innovation precincts for scientists, researchers and educators, we have the potential to solve some of our most complex societal, cultural and economic challenges,” Gazy said.
In his role, Gazy will use his cross-sector experience to explore community-shaping projects, precinct developments and residential typologies such as build-to-rent and social and affordable housing. He will also work with government clients to deliver justice and correctional health facilities that shift the design focus from containment to treatment outcomes.
“Today, the civic sector is unlocking new paradigms, and we have a unique opportunity to shape its future trajectory by responding to both our clients’ complex needs and our increasingly variable market forces,” Gazy added.
With climate change, data proliferation and urbanisation transforming the delivery of design, Gazy will also champion HDR’s global Regenerative Design Framework to support designers in moving beyond basic high-performance design goals towards net-positive impacts and metric-driven targets for carbon, water, nutrients, air, biodiversity, social and health categories. He will collaborate with HDR’s data-driven design team to create virtual replicas of building structures that can measure the ecological, social, cultural and financial resilience of an urban environment.
“Following a period of significant company growth, the appointment of Mark Gazy will enable us to further diversify and integrate our markets and services, so we can elevate the communities we serve and co-design resilient, equitable and regenerative places and precincts that support and define our future,” said Cate Cowlishaw, regional managing principal at HDR.
About HDR
For over a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans more than 11,000 employees in more than 200 locations around the world — and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and drives our future.
