HCM is constantly growing and improving. One way we’re staying ahead of the curve is by bringing on exceptional leadership to oversee our expanding reach. Our latest addition to the team is Mary Morissette, who recently joined us as Principal of HCM’s new healthcare practice in Denver. Get to know her in this Q&A.
What about the opportunity at HCM are you most excited for?
I am most excited about working with HCM’s talented design professionals to expand our deep healthcare roots into Denver and the Rocky Mountain region. Healthcare is a challenging market to break into, but I am confident that our skills and expertise, along with our well established presence in Denver will have positive results.
How do you see HCM’s multi-studio approach influencing your work in the healthcare studio specifically?
I have spent a significant portion of my career working for multi-studio or multi-discipline architectural firms, and see tremendous value in this structure. The ability to design projects from a diverse perspective provides greater value to our clients. At the same time, the ability to deliver projects from a multi-studio perspective provides greater value to our staff.
When approaching a project from a diverse perspective, we are able to generate a broader range of design solutions, and understand how the facility may be used from different points of view. An obvious relationship is senior living and healthcare – but I have found that education has a direct relationship with healthcare as well.
What’s your most unique leadership trait?
Excellent communication and consensus-building skills, along with my abilities to carefully plan projects from initial contract negotiation, programming and planning through design, construction administration, and occupancy.
I have been fortunate in my career to work on projects from pursuit to completion, enjoying true teamwork with the owner, design team, contractor and all the individuals necessary for a successful outcome. First and foremost, I like to have fun while delivering great architecture.
Tell us about the project you’re most proud of.
While my career has focused on healthcare projects, I have also completed education and criminal justice projects, with both judicial and detention facilities in my portfolio. The project I am most proud of is the Lindsey Flanigan Courthouse at the Denver Justice Center. I served as the Project Manager for the courthouse facility of this multi-building campus. A new courthouse and detention center were urgently needed due to extensive functional and physical deficiencies in the existing City & County of Denver building.
A new justice center was important to the City’s successful growth, and a very high profile civic project. In 2005, Denver voters passed a $378 million bond for the development of the new courthouse, detention center, and parking structure west of Denver’s Civic Center. The courthouse is a 318,000 GSF, $130 million facility located on the DJCC campus at 14th & Elati Streets in Denver. The building was occupied in 2010.
If you could give one piece of advice to budding architects, what would it be?
Get licensed.
If you had to pick a personal motto/charge, what would it be?
Do what you say you are going to do.
What’s your current (or next) favorite show to binge watch?
Game of Thrones. I hope to watch the 67 previous episodes before the final season starts in summer 2018.