The Firm

Douglas Hanson established his own architecture and design practice, known as HANSON, in 1999 after spending nearly two decades working with some of the world’s leading architectural firms. As a Senior Associate in the office of Frank O. Gehry & Associates, Mr. Hanson was a key member of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao design team. At Skidmore Owings and Merrill of Chicago/London, Mr. Hanson was a member of the design team for multiple projects in London and Barcelona, including Vila Olimpica for which he managed the collaboration between SOM and Frank O. Gehry & Associates.

The depth and range of Douglas Hanson’s experience designing and building major projects in Asia, Europe and North America bring distinct advantages to every HANSON client project. Equally significant to his practice is Mr. Hanson’s understanding of and appreciation for the complexities of the contemporary world—cultural, economic, intellectual, and material—which drive the firm’s architectural and design vision.

HANSON is known for high-profile projects and collaborations as well as more modestly-scaled residential projects. In every case, HANSON is committed to the spirit of collaboration. Beginning with the first client meeting and extending through each phase of design, management and construction, the HANSON design team, assembled from both traditional and unexpected sources, is an interdisciplinary partnership.

Typical of HANSON’s unique range is the firm’s longstanding association with the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. From writing the building program for the museum’s proposed expansion, to conceiving, designing and building exhibits for Academy collections and special installations, to collaborating with the office of Renzo Piano, HANSON is engaged in the entire arc of this multi-phase project.