One Fine Fellow: FKP Architects Senior Principal Gary Owens Earns Major Industry Distinction

Houston, TX, August 28, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Gary Owens, Senior Principal of FKP Architects, was recently elevated to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows, a distinction held by less than 4% of the AIA’s 85,000 members. Fellowship is one of the highest honors AIA members can earn, granted by a jury of AIA peers for significant personal achievements along with contributions to the profession of architecture. Owens has been with FKP for 26 years and built his career by serving the needs of healthcare institutions and their patients with innovative, supportive environments. He also holds professional certification from the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) and he is a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional.

Owens’ projects in Houston’s Texas Medical Center include the M.D. Anderson Mays Clinic, a 782,000 square foot design-build project that created a new paradigm for clinical care. The Center for Health Design, the organization that promotes design to improve patient outcomes, designated the facility an ICON only five years after opening. Additionally, after a long-standing relationship with Texas Children’s Hospital, Owens led the design of a dedicated Heart Center to unite the cardiology and cardiovascular surgery units, demonstrating his skills in client understanding and stakeholder facilitation at the organizational strategy level.

Owens is a pioneer in the practice of healthcare architecture; he is an advocate of patient safety at the forefront of designing “Safe Hospitals,” which incorporate features identified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to reduce injury, medical errors, or infections while improving care. Often this means rethinking the entire range of medical environments, from intensive care, surgery and emergency to patient rooms, labs and nurse’s stations. Owens first instituted this strategy on the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California, one of the first pediatric hospitals to embrace this philosophy, which resulted in measurably improved care and safety.

"Transformational may be cliched, but that is truly the imprint Gary has and is making in healthcare design. His passion translates into places providing emotional uplift for patients, families and healthcare providers, while supporting processes for safer, more effective care. Our communities are richer and healthier with the environments Gary has created. He is an incredible leader within our profession," commented Diane Osan, Chief Visionary Officer for FKP.

Owens has maintained a strong presence at Texas A&M University College of Architecture, where he is a guest lecturer in healthcare design, is a member in Health Industry Advisory Council and invites students to visit FKP offices and it’s projects. Owens is the fourth architect elected to the AIA College of Fellows from FKP. His colleagues include Chairman and Chief Visionary Office Diane Osan, Senior Principal and Senior Lab Planner Cynthia Walston, and retired CEO James Falick.

About FKP Architects
FKP Architects delivers more than architecture in the healthcare, research, and education market sectors. The firm engages its promise of Transforming business by design® across all core services of architecture, interior design, equipment planning, and operational consulting. FKP clients include top-tier pediatric healthcare institutions, community and academic medical campuses, and life science and higher education institutions. Recent representative projects include Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Campus in The Woodlands, TX; JPS Health Network Medical Home in Arlington, TX; Nemours Foundation Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE; and Children’s Hospital of Colorado South Campus. For more information, visit www.fkp.com.