Hal Hayes
AIA
Studio Professor
Hal Hayes is a Studio Professor at Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture, and principal of h3 Architecture in New York City. He holds a B.Arch. from Carnegie Mellon and is a registered architect in New York.
Hal has taught fourth year design studio at Carnegie Mellon since 2008, focusing on both Occupancy and Systems Integration curricula; he also teaches multi-disciplinary theater design in the Schools of Architecture and Drama. Other academic experience includes teaching architecture design studio at Roger Williams University, he is a regular design juror at NJIT, Columbia & NYIT and also was a board member and on the selection panel of the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design’s Arcus Endowment.
Devoted to both the education of young architects and design in practice, Hal Hayes focuses on nurturing, cultivating and expanding the creative talents and skills of his students while preparing them for careers in the professional world. His studio pedagogy is based on parallel development of real-world projects that he is either personally or professionally involved in; the participation of clients, users and professionals working on these projects is incorporated in the studio’ exploration and design process, culminating in review presentations to the client and project team and/or publication of the body of work.
His design experience is diverse, with a particular focus on large, complex buildings, urban developments and megastructures. His professional experience has been similarly diverse, working in large architecture firms, medium-sized collaborations and private practice. His early career was spent in the New York office of SOM where over eight years he rose to associate and the design and planning leadership of architecture and urban design projects and competitions. Recruited by HOK, he spent the next six years in that firm’s London and New York offices where he led design and planning for transportation and urban design projects in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa as vice president and discipline leader for aviation, transportation and a lead urban designer. He is an international expert in the design and planning of airport terminals, leading over 30 projects at 20 airports on four continents amounting to over 30 million square feet of terminal construction.
A devoted alumnus, Hal is also involved in other University related activities, including screening and advising of prospective students as part of the Carnegie Mellon Admission Council, and is a Loyal Scot. He enjoys staying in touch with his former students, and is frequently called on for reviews, references, advice and counseling on subsequent academic work, job search and professional practice & ethics.
His charitable and community activities include being a fellow and pro-bono consultant to the New York Municipal Art Society, and he is a founding member of New York’s Organization of Lesbian & Gay Architects. Hal is also an avid supporter of the performing arts as a recurring member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Special Events Committee, a founding board member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Dancers Responding to AIDS Fire Island Dance Festival committee.