Asma Sanaee, LEED GA, EDAC, design coordinator, HDR (Arlington, Va.)

Born and raised in Iran, Asma Sanaee relocated to the U.S. to pursue a Master of Architecture + Health degree at Clemson University. In 2016, she joined HDR, where she’s honed her skills working on projects that range in scale and type, including renovations and interior fit-outs. In 2019, she was selected for HDR’s Boost Leadership Program, which is designed to invest in future leaders in the company and expose them to the business side of the practice and provide time with firm executives.

Additionally, she’s helped steer several recent healthcare projects, including a project for the Sheltering Arms Institute in Richmond, Va., where she used research and evidence-based design to develop curated moments that reinforce the continuum of care throughout the facility. The COVID-19 pandemic also led her to engage with the Howard University Hospital COVID-19 Response project, working with the team to evaluate existing clinical and nonclinical conditions to increase capacity and propose a temporary tent structure on campus.

For a project with Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, Va., Sanaee began in a supporting role and has since stepped into a leadership position, working with individual departments at the hospital and participating in multiple user group meetings to help define the client’s needs.

Internally, Sanaee is making strides, as well, implementing a data analytics tool to help the firm prioritize market strategies and adjust capabilities by location, bed utilization, and net patient revenue and organizing professional practice meetings to share knowledge and expertise between different market sectors. She’s an active member of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health Research Initiative and supports the empowerment of women in the healthcare industry through education, programming, and networking. Her passion also led her to be involved with the Women in Healthcare DC Chapter, allowing her to affect her community and local industry, as well.