MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Minneapolis office of Perkins+Will announced Tony Thomas has joined the firm as practice leader in its Healthcare division.
Thomas, who has 36 years of experience in design and architecture, spent the past 22 years as system director of real estate services with HealthEast Care System. In that role, he oversaw construction planning and management, facilities improvements, construction documentation and records, legal and regulatory compliance, architecture, energy management and more.
Under his direction, HealthEast earned numerous awards, including a VISTA Award and a Design Citation Award. HealthEast’s St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota was included in the book, “A Visual Reference for Evidence Based Design,” written by healthcare researcher and interior designer Jain Malkin.
“Tony has an unprecedented depth of healthcare-related, client-side experience and expertise that will prove incredibly beneficial to our team as we strive to meet and exceed our client’s expectations,” said Rick Hintz, principal at Perkins+Will. “We are thrilled to have Tony on our team.”
“Perkins+Will is highly regarded for its commitment to Evidence-Based Design, which is something that I’m personally very passionate about and something that was integral to my work at HealthEast,” said Thomas. “I’m very excited to work with a design firm that understands the value of research and the role it can and should play in designing healthcare environments that heal.”
Thomas’ career also includes tenures at Maguire Courteau Lucke Architects in St. Paul and Paul Pink & Associates in Minneapolis. He began his career as an architect working in Dublin, Ireland, which is also where he received his post-secondary degree in architecture.
