Matthieu Grady has joined HDR as design principal based in the firm’s Vancouver studio. Grady has more than 21 years of experience working for firms around the world and will be advancing HDR’s delivery of strong, grounded, smart and human-centered design for its clients and their end-users.

In his role as design principal, Grady will champion design excellence across all types of projects and scales and throughout all phases of development.

“Opportunities for design excellence exist everywhere, from the first business development discussions to the specifications and installation of hardware,” he noted. “My days will be spent interacting deeply with teams, iteratively studying design excellence opportunities, and motivating and empowering everyone at HDR to create world-class design work.”

Grady is an ardent advocate for the value that architecture brings in cultivating the deep changes needed in our culture and society today. “I believe that hyper-contextualized projects have the best chance of adding meaningful and impactful additions to our cities and lifestyles,” he said. “I am most passionate about architecture that is shaped responsively and intelligently by the unique factors of the site, context and environment within which a project sits. I am especially passionate about how this type of contextual architecture can impact our increasingly serious environmental crisis.”

Previously, Grady has worked alongside globally recognized design firms like Jean Nouvel, Morphosis, and Diamond Schmitt, among others. A “generalist” architect, he has worked on the design and delivery of a wide range of award-winning, world-class projects in the commercial, industrial, institutional, corporate and retail fields throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Notable projects include the Abu Dhabi Louvre Museum, the 300m Phare Office Tower in Paris, the Chateau La Coste Winery in Southern France, and the Emily Carr University of Art & Design in Vancouver.