Experienced Healthcare Architect Will Shape Firmwide Vision and Elevate Design Excellence
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Gresham Smith, a premier architecture, engineering and consultancy services firm providing a full suite of solutions to private- and public-sector clients with $354 million in annual gross revenue and 27 offices throughout the United States, is proud to announce that Chris Hoal, AIA, Healthcare Market Design Leader, has been named Director of Architectural Design. In this expanded role, Hoal will guide the firm’s commitment to design excellence while continuing to lead design strategy for the Healthcare market.
As a part of the firm’s established transition process for senior leadership positions, Hoal replaces Jeff Kuhnhenn, who was selected last year as Executive Vice President of Gresham Smith’s Life and Work Places market.
“Our Director of Architectural Design plays an essential role in our commitment to provide elegant, elevated and award-winning design solutions to meet our clients’ evolving needs,” said Rodney Chester, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair at Gresham Smith. “Chris embodies the passion, creativity and leadership that inspires our people and drives us to new heights.”
Since joining Gresham Smith in 2012, Hoal has demonstrated design leadership on numerous award-winning projects, such as Kaiser Permanente’s North Baltimore Medical Center, UP Health System’s Marquette hospital, Baptist Health Care Pensacola’s new Brent Lane campus, and The Nashville Food Project’s headquarters.
As Healthcare Market Design Leader, Hoal cultivates a culture of design excellence within each studio and helps guide the market’s strategic direction as a member of the Healthcare Core Team. He works alongside clients to cast a vision and develop concepts through an iterative process that focuses on the human experience.
“In this expanded role, my focus remains on fostering a collaborative, iterative design process where idea generation and critical thinking are central,” said Hoal. “Design improves when we bring in diverse perspectives, and by thoughtfully integrating users and communities into the design process, we can deliver high-quality solutions that create healthy, thriving communities.”
An active member of the design community, Hoal serves on the national Committee on Design for the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health and is a member of the AIA Middle Tennessee chapter. He also serves as a thought leader in the industry, routinely speaking at Healthcare Design Conference, ASHE PDC Summit, and the AIA Conference on Architecture. In 2024, Hoal was named Healthcare Design Magazine’s “HCD10” Architect and led the team behind the “Invisible” futurist healthcare concept, which was a finalist in the HCD Breaking Through design competition. He became a firm owner in 2025.
Hoal holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Mississippi State University. He is based in Gresham Smith’s Nashville office.
About Gresham Smith:
Gresham Smith is a premier architecture, engineering and consultancy services firm providing a full suite of solutions to private- and public-sector clients. With $354 million in annual gross revenue and 27 offices throughout the United States, we operate across eight strategic sectors: aviation, building engineering, healthcare, industrial, land planning, life and work places, transportation, and water and environment.
Recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and repeatedly listed as a “Best Place to Work,” we are committed to delivering on our Core Purpose—to plan, design and consult to create healthy and thriving communities—through our brand promise of Genuine Ingenuity.
Learn more at GreshamSmith.com.
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