Hal Spiers

Hal recounts a particularly memorable day at a Boston-area medical center, navigating a complicated design, when a couple entered the elevator with their young son. “He was clearly not well, and they looked completely drained and desperate,” Hal recalls. “The work done in the labs we design helps families like theirs. It’s the space in which talented, hardworking people do the work of saving lives through research.” Hal came to the profession later than most, after stints in factory work and sales. “I found little inspiration,” he says. After “quite a bit of soul searching,” Hal says he recognized “a deep need to learn about people in their environments, and how I can contribute to creating better ones.” For relaxation, Hal enjoys birding and reading, and would happily “retreat to the coast of Maine with a good book.” A recent favorite includes Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow. The message he found, says Hal, is “Manners matter. Treat everyone with dignity and respect.”