J. David Hoglund
J. David Hoglund, FAIA, LEED AP, is a pioneering architect and thought leader whose four-decade career has transformed senior living environments worldwide. Guided by the belief that design can elevate the human experience—particularly focused on society’s most vulnerable—David has led the design of over 250 senior living and affordable housing projects across 35 states, Canada, and Asia. His visionary work, including the groundbreaking Woodside Place in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, revolutionized dementia care and inspired a global movement toward more humane, dignity-centered environments.
A former president of Perkins Eastman and a global leader in aging-focused architecture, David helped grow the firm into an international practice with 23 studios and over 1,000 staff. His projects, research, and writings on senior living are essential references in the field, earning more than 150 design awards, including 35+ AIA Design for Aging Review awards and the AIA DFAR 10-Year Award.
David graduated from the University of Illinois with a Master of Architecture in 1981 with a Ryerson fellowship and a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His research on senior housing in Northern Europe led to his first book Housing for the Elderly: Privacy and Independence in Environments for the Aging which won a Progressive Architecture award.
David has taught at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design for 15 years and continues to guest lecture and mentor emerging designers at Perkins Eastman and through his guest lectures at the University of Southern California. Through his leadership, teaching, and profound empathy, he has made architecture a tool for dignity, independence, and quality of life.
