Aaron Harcek has joined HDR’s Denver studio as a design principal. With a strong focus on the civic, education|science|technology and healthcare sectors, he will work hand-in-hand with Managing Principal Julianne Scherer to focus on design excellence in the Denver region.

Harcek most recently led the design efforts on complex, highly sustainable civic projects at RNL Design (now Stantec) in Denver. He has 20 years of experience working on a variety of project types, and he has led many award-winning project teams. Among his accomplishments is a Progressive Architecture (P/A) award for the Calexico West Port of Entry project in Calexico, Calif.

He enjoys collaborating with clients and design teams to create memorable projects, as well as working alongside younger architects. “A very rewarding aspect of our profession is the ability to help mentor the next generation of architects so they can fully realize their professional aspirations and goals,” he said.

Harcek cares very deeply about the pursuit of design excellence, which he defined as, “Timeless projects that challenge preconceived notions of past solutions and methodologies—and ultimately look to push boundaries of what architecture can be.”

Among his strengths are collaborating with and pushing teams to do great work, so it’s no surprise that he is looking forward to working with what he described as “tremendously talented professionals at HDR who are focused on creating the best projects and outcomes for their clients.”

“Aaron’s strengths in design, sustainability and client engagement are an asset to our studio,” said Scherer. “He elevates design thinking and studio engagement in the design process, and we’re excited to share his talents with our clients to create meaningful, innovative work.”