SmithGroup has hired Richey Madison as a principal and higher education studio leader at the firm’s Los Angeles and San Diego offices. He will partner with college and university campus leaders to find design solutions that will help them successfully transition to a new post-pandemic era.

“Richey brings a wealth of experience in high-profile campus planning, higher education and science & technology projects across the U.S.,” says Bonnie Khang-Keating, director of SmithGroup’s Los Angeles and San Diego offices. “His in-depth understanding of how to create engaging campus settings that support student and institutional success makes him an ideal leader to partner with our Southern California clients.”

With more than 25 years of experience, Madison comes to SmithGroup from the Irvine, California office of Stantec where he served as a regional leader for the higher education and science & technology markets.

His focus on building authentic relationships, collaborating across disciplines and passion for student success has resulted in innovative solutions for diverse higher education campuses including the University of California, Davis; California Polytechnic University; San Luis Obispo and the University of North Texas, Dallas.

Madison has extensive experience in the spectrum of delivery models for academic clients including design-build, progressive design-build and public-private partnership (P3). Comfortable with significant, complex projects, Madison served as principal-in-charge for the recently completed Phase 1 of the Green at West Village Student Housing project at the University of California, Davis. The 1.3 million square foot project is one of the largest P3 student life projects completed in the U.S.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced higher education leaders to respond to significant changes over the last year, says Chris Purdy, director of SmithGroup’s Higher Education Practice. “Richey brings a comprehensive understanding of both campus planning and higher education design that help his campus partners make strategic decisions and find solutions that will enable their campuses thrive in this new era.”

Madison will guide teams in the Los Angeles and San Diego offices, collaborate with experts from across SmithGroup’s national Higher Education Practice to help clients find innovative design solutions. SmithGroup’s current higher education clients in Southern California include the Claremont Colleges, Caltech, University of California, Irvine, University of Southern California, and San Diego State University.

Dedicated to the development of a diverse, next generation of architects, Madison is involved in the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architect’s (NOMA) Pipeline Summer Architecture Camp which introduces young people to the architectural profession through sketching, model making and walking tours.

Madison graduated with Bachelor of Architecture from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He is a licensed architect and a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA).