Michael Azarian – Courtesy: Kimmerle Group
By Joshua Burd
Kimmerle Group has set out to bolster its health care platform in the region with the recent hiring of a design industry veteran.
The architecture and planning firm, which is based in Harding Township, announced last week that it hired Michael Azarian as a managing director of its health care studio. He has more than 35 years of experience in health care construction and takes a senior leadership role as part of the firm’s expansion in the industry.
Azarian will look to grow the practice throughout New York and New Jersey and beyond, with a focus on primary to tertiary care trauma main frames, as well as enhancing the design of off-campus medical office buildings and outpatient care centers, Kimmerle said in a news release. Those services will focus on ground-up construction and existing building renovations, as well as serving as a liaison between the architect and the owner.
The new role also calls for Azarian to oversee and coordinate all efforts of the firm’s health care project team in order to ensure that the owner’s project goals are being met and that each project is properly staffed.
“Michael’s vast breadth of work and experience in the health care field supports our ongoing health care expansion,” said George J. Kimmerle, the firm’s founder and president. “He has a deep understanding of the intricate and ever-changing health care landscape, and has successfully managed projects in all phases of planning, design and construction.
“Michael has earned several awards for his work in the health care sector and is highly respected within the field. We are excited to widen our regional presence with Michael at the helm.”
Azarian has served on the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter’s Health Facilities Committee, the news release said. He has also held a teaching post for urban health and environmental design at New York University and has been invited as a guest critic at Harvard.
