Dorris Hwang Promoted to Senior Associate: Advancing Holistic, Sustainable Designs

For Dorris Hwang, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, EDAC, the path to healthcare design began long before she joined Wilmot Sanz—it began in a hospital emergency department. As an architecture student volunteering on-site, she witnessed firsthand how the built environment could influence the emotions and well-being of patients, families, and caregivers. That experience shaped her purpose: to design spaces that support people during their most vulnerable moments and uplift them through thoughtful, healing design.

Driven by the belief that healthcare architecture should nurture both human and environmental well-being, Dorris has built her career around the idea that design can serve as a catalyst for care—improving how people heal, connect, and experience the world around them.

Now serving as Senior Associate and Technical Enclosure Director, Dorris continues to advance Wilmot Sanz’s commitment to excellence through her integrated approach to design. She describes her philosophy as “holistic design to improve ecological and human health,” a perspective that guides her work from concept to construction.

Her passion for sustainability extends beyond energy efficiency—it encompasses the life cycle of materials, the health of building occupants, and the stewardship of resources that future generations will inherit. Dorris thrives on collaboration with forward-thinking clients who share this vision, designing solutions that balance environmental responsibility with the unique needs of healthcare delivery.

Among Dorris’s most meaningful contributions is her work on the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, a transformative project that converted a secure corporate headquarters into a vibrant, patient-centered care environment. Working closely with clinicians, administrators, and design partners, she helped reimagine the building into a place defined by light, openness, and comfort.

Through adaptive reuse, biophilic design, and strategic integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, the project demonstrates how sustainable design can enhance both experience and efficiency. The result is an environment that feels restorative and connected—one that supports patients and caregivers alike while meeting the highest standards of performance and care.

For Dorris, success is measured not just in project outcomes but in the impact her work has on people and the planet. Her dedication to sustainability, collaboration, and continuous learning reflects the values at the core of Wilmot Sanz’s practice.

“Every healthcare environment we design,” she says, “is an opportunity to create positive change—for patients, for providers, and for the ecosystems that sustain us.”

As she steps into her new role, Dorris looks forward to expanding the firm’s sustainable design initiatives, mentoring emerging professionals, and helping shape healthcare spaces that are innovative, resilient, and deeply human.