Whitney Fuessel Elevated to 2026 AIA College of Fellows
HKS is proud to announce that Whitney Fuessel has been named to the American Institute of Architects’ esteemed College of Fellows, AIA’s highest membership honor. Only three percent of AIA members earn FAIA designation, which recognizes exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society.
Fuessel, a Partner at HKS, serves as Regional Practice Director, Health, in our Houston office. In nearly a decade with the firm, she has been instrumental to award-winning health care projects and research initiatives, such as Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center O’Quinn Medical Tower at McNair and FleXX: a study of flexibility in outpatient settings. Fuessel also leads pro-bono efforts such as the Mbale Regional Referral Neonatal Unit, a project she initiated by traveling to Uganda with donated baby goods and medical supplies to witness local conditions and listen to community voices.
For the new Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital – a 1.3 million-square-foot facility currently in development to serve a historically underserved community in Harris County, Texas – Fuessel led over 100 community events, engaging and gathering input from more than 100,000 residents. These efforts contributed to the project earning the 2025 Gold Touchstone Award for evidence-based design from the Center for Health Design.
FAIA recognition is an “extraordinary honor,” said Fuessel, who stressed that the primary goal of her career is to uplift people and communities.
“Architecture has the ability to level set for everyone,” she said. “People deserve to have access to health care, to food, to all kinds of basic needs. The built environment can help accomplish that.”
Heath May, HKS CEO and Chairman, said, “Whitney Fuessel’s elevation to the AIA College of Fellows reflects her profound impact on the architecture profession and the values we hold here at HKS. From her design leadership to her ability to unify teams to achieve meaningful outcomes, Whitney exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose and passion. This recognition isn’t just a celebration of her career – it’s an acknowledgment of how she’s shaped the built environment and inspired those around her.”
“This recognition isn’t just a celebration of her career – it’s an acknowledgment of how she’s shaped the built environment and inspired those around her.”
Heath May,
HKS CEO and Chairman
