SmithGroup, one of the nation’s leading integrated design firms, has hired Juan Fernandez as a principal and workplace studio leader at its Dallas office. In his new role, Fernandez will collaborate with experts across the firm’s Workplace Practice to strategically design commercial office buildings, corporate headquarters and corporate interiors that help drive productivity and enhance employee well-being.

“Today’s business leaders find themselves facing multiple disruptors and they need a design partner who can help them find lasting solutions,” says Lise Newman, director of SmithGroup’s Workplace Practice. “Juan’s business acumen and collaborative team-building approach will be invaluable to our clients as they address the uncertainties of this new era of work.”

Fernandez brings more than 15 years of experience directing the design and development of corporate headquarters and commercial office space for high-profile clients in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He comes to SmithGroup from the Dallas office of commercial real estate firm CBRE, where he served as a senior project manager. Prior to leading projects as an owner’s representative, he worked as a designer for over five years with a focus on retail, corporate workplace and government office projects.

Throughout his career, Fernandez has demonstrated the ability to assemble high-performing, multidisciplinary teams that are essential to the success of fast-paced corporate office projects. He has delivered inventive solutions for diverse workplace clients including Reata Pharmaceuticals in Plano, Texas; SCP in Dallas; and Peloton Interactive in Plano, Texas.  

“Juan’s experience as an owner’s representative gives him a unique understanding of the challenges our clients are facing in the Dallas-Fort Worth market,” says Jay Rambo director of the Dallas office. “He knows how to build high-performance teams that can develop solutions that are innovative, beautiful and good for the bottom line.”

SmithGroup’s recent workplace projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth  area include the corporate headquarters for Wingstop Inc. in Addison, Texas; Independent Financial Headquarters in McKinney, Texas and workplace interiors for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Business Center in Fort Worth, Texas.   

Fernandez graduated with Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. He served as a chairperson for the Zoning Board of Adjustment for the City of Arlington and the vice president of the Duff Elementary School PTA in Arlington, Texas. A native of El Paso, Texas, he currently resides in Arlington, Texas.