SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - February 9, 2010) - Hilliard Architects, a San Francisco women-owned architectural firm specializing in sustainable design, has named Karen Thomas a partner.
Thomas, who has 25 years of architectural experience, has been with Hilliard Architects since 2005. During that time, she has served as a lead on projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs, California Department of Forestry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a wide variety of affordable housing construction and substantial rehabilitation efforts.
Most recently, Thomas managed the design of the state-of-the art Veterans Affairs Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center in Martinez. This 12,000-square-foot green building will provide healthcare and recreational therapy to veterans injured in Afghanistan and Iraq. The VA plans to submit the design for LEED Silver Certification, the internationally recognized green building certification system.
Thomas has used her strong CAD and BIM (Building Information Modeling) skills for affordable housing projects throughout Northern California and Nevada. She has an active interest in adaptive reuse and managed the Lycée Français La Perouse campus renovation. This project transformed the San Francisco Conservatory of Music into a school that is now awaiting LEED Silver Certification.
"Karen has consistently demonstrated her design and collaboration skills, helping communities of all types to create green buildings that are sustainable and highly functional," said Lark Hilliard, partner at Hilliard Architects.
Thomas received her Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degree from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). An experienced professional, she led a panel on successful substantial rehabilitation at the 2008 Housing California annual conference in Sacramento. At the 2009 AIA National Convention, she made a presentation titled "BIM Accelerates Design-Build Projects."
About Hilliard Architects
Hilliard Architects is a women-owned, small business specializing in healthcare, laboratory, and science projects for the government, large contractors, and the private sector in California. The San Francisco-based architectural firm uses state-of-the-art BIM (building information modeling) technology to control costs, accelerate the creative process, and improve the quality of its sustainable "green buildings" designs. For more information, call 415-989-6400, e-mail team@hilliardarchitects.com, or visit http://www.hilliardarchitects.com.
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Kay Paumier
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