SmithGroup hires Bill Katz at San Francisco office

SmithGroup, one of the largest architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firms in the U.S., has hired Bill Katz, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, at its San Francisco office.

Katz joins SmithGroup as a design principal in the office’s studio focused on higher education. He will also support the continued growth of its science and technology studio, as the firm responds to an increasing number of cross-disciplinary project types for developers and institutions. In his 26 years of practice, Katz has established himself as leader in architectural, interior and industrial design in higher education, science and technology, and corporate environments.

Prior to joining SmithGroup, Katz held the role of vice president at the San Francisco office of HOK and was also previously a senior design leader for Perkins + Will. Among his noteworthy past clients are Stanford University, University of California, Genentech, and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. Katz served as lead designer for the new headquarters building in South San Francisco for a leading biotechnology company. For the project, he partnered with the Department of Energy’s FLEXLAB at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to create one of the largest, energy-efficient laboratory buildings in the Bay Area. 

Katz has also served as the lead designer for impactful projects that vary from the planning of a new campus for Stanford University in Redwood City to the North Arcade Shops at the historic San Francisco Ferry Building.

In his new position at SmithGroup, Katz is currently the lead designer for the University of California Berkeley new Joint Chemistry and Engineering Building, recently awarded to the firm.

“Bill Katz brings an energy and versatility to design that’s vital to our rapidly growing studio. As learning environments connect project types from workplace to teaching laboratories, Bill’s experience across markets will enhance our ability to achieve our higher education clients’ multiple needs,” said Roxanne Malek, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, leader of SmithGroup’s San Francisco studio dedicated to the higher education sector.   

Katz is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Docomomo, and San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR). He’s the newest member of the office’s Design Leadership Group, a design and visualization roundtable focused on sharing information and raising design excellence within the office.

Katz holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University. He is a resident of San Francisco.

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