HOUSTON, Texas — Anthony J. Haas, FAIA, FACHA, senior principal at WHR Architects, has begun his tenure as the 2015 president of the American College of Healthcare Architects. 
Haas enters his term at a pivotal time for the ACHA, as the organization refocuses on its mission of certification while continuing to provide members with access to high-quality educational offerings. Having played a key role in ACHA’s strategic planning for the past year, he brings a strong vision and clear goals to his presidential year.
His primary goals for the year include the rollout of a more rigorous and representative certification examination and a renewed focus on conveying the value that ACHA certificants bring to the healthcare profession. Haas is also committed to working with affiliated organizations to assure that healthcare architects will have the high-level, high-quality educational programs that they need.
“Anthony Haas assumes his role as ACHA president with the full support of WHR,” said WHR Chairman David Watkins, FAIA. “Members of the firm were among the founders of the college and we recognize the value that certification brings to our profession and the entire healthcare industry. The ACHA mission of transforming healthcare through better built environments is a central tenant of our own practice. ”
With over 30 years of experience dedicated to healthcare architecture, Haas has earned a national reputation for achieving improved alignment between evolving operational demands and the architecture, and for his inclusive approach to the process. Haas is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the Texas Society of Architects and an active member of the Academy of Architecture for Health of the American Institute of Architects. He returns regularly to his alma mater, Texas A&M University, where he was named 2007 Outstanding Alumni, to participate in the Health Industry Advisory Council.
Haas is spearheading WHR’s effort in Denmark, where the firm established an office in Copenhagen in 2013. Under his leadership, WHR has secured the commission for the Bispebjerg Laboratory and Logistics Building and is leading one of three teams shortlisted for the New Bispebjerg Acute Care Hospital competition. Other recent and current projects include Platte Valley Medical Center Medical Office Building II, Brighton, Colorado; UC Health Campus Master Plans, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Houston Methodist Sugar Land Medical Center, Master Plan, Surgery Addition, Six-Story Bed Tower Addition, Women’s Tower Renovation and Laboratory Expansion Project, Sugar Land, Texas; Memorial Hermann Medical Center – The Woodlands Campus Master Plan, The Woodlands, Texas.
