HDR Expands Architectural Services in San Diego to Meet Life Science Growth
HDR has expanded architectural services to San Diego, strengthening its presence in a life sciences hub and supporting the region’s booming healthcare and research sectors. Image: Courtesy of HDR
HDR, a global architecture and engineering firm, recently expanded its architectural design services to San Diego, a move strategically aimed at supporting the region's booming life sciences and healthcare sectors. This decision aligns with San Diego’s emergence as a major life sciences hub in the United States. Building upon HDR's established engineering presence in the region, the new office brings comprehensive architectural services to a city ripe with opportunity.
The rationale behind the expansion
San Diego’s status as a life sciences epicenter is bolstered by its proximity to research institutions like UCSD, SDSU, and USD, which supply a steady pipeline of talent. HDR’s decision to expand was underpinned by extensive market research, analyzing regional growth in population, infrastructure, and industry trends.
Trip Grant, AIA, LEED AP, managing principal of HDR’s architecture practice in Los Angeles, explains, “We have had an established practice [in San Diego] for a long time, with our engineering side of our company. And so we were very familiar with the market—we just didn't provide architectural services from that location.”
“While it's feasible to support those projects from Los Angeles, we felt it was a much better way to serve our clients by actually being there,” he adds.
Valerie DeLoach, AIA, LEED AP, education & science principal at HDR San Diego, was a key leader in the initiative to establish the new office. She and her team conducted extensive research into the San Diego area’s growth, in terms of both population and market sectors, and concluded that the life sciences industry would continue to develop over the next decade. The projected growth, paired with an existing research and development hub in the area as well as robust local universities and healthcare systems, made the San Diego decision a natural one.
“What's also unique about San Diego is that we have this great pipeline of new talent coming into the life sciences profession with UCSD, SDSU, and USD, feeding that pipeline of researchers and support staff,” she says.
DeLoach also notes that the arrival of companies from other regions of the US has played a key role in driving the establishment of the San Diego office. “We have a lot of clients on the East Coast—life science developers as well as pharmaceutical companies—and so many of them are expanding into the SoCal region. Having the San Diego local presence helps us to better serve those clients as they grow.”
“San Diego sells itself,” Grant remarks. “It's a beautiful community. It's a great place to work and a great place to live.”
With a new San Diego office, HDR taps into the city’s thriving life sciences industry and talent pipeline, positioning itself to serve clients locally and drive innovation. Image: Courtesy of HDR
Recruiting and developing talent
HDR has implemented a multi-faceted approach to recruiting and nurturing talent for its San Diego office. Leveraging partnerships with local universities, job postings, and a robust internal referral network, the firm seeks individuals who are excited by the entrepreneurial spirit of a growing office.
Diane Hamlin, LEED AP BD+C, education and science principal at HDR, explains that the San Diego office greatly benefits from the extensive resources of HDR’s Los Angeles office, leveraging their collaboration to build a strong portfolio of talent. “Even though a new employee may be joining a team of five or six [in San Diego], they're really joining the broader HDR network. They're able to find mentorship opportunities and collaboration with experts across the firm, which is something that a lot of firms don't have.”
San Diego’s strategic advantage
HDR’s San Diego expansion is more than a geographic growth story; it reflects the firm’s strategic foresight and commitment to meeting industry needs. By leveraging its integrated approach and fostering talent development, HDR is set to contribute significantly to the city’s evolving architectural and life sciences landscape. As San Diego continues to thrive as a hub for innovation, the new HDR office ensures a dynamic partnership between architecture, engineering, and the community it serves.
