Woods Bagot has “invest[ed] in talent and diversity,” announcing new leadership for its East and West Coast teams, according to an announcement from the firm. On Thursday, the firm with 16 studios worldwide, named Vivian Lee, FAIA, as its New York Studio executive director, and Matt Ducharme as design leader, West Coast and associate principal based in San Francisco.
“The opportunity to enhance our New York and West Coast teams with industry-leading local talent has come at the perfect time and has significantly bolstered our existing leadership teams,” said Woods Bagot in the same announcement.
Lee’s new position follows her appointment to The American Institute of Architects College of Fellows and her departure earlier this year from the New York–based firm Richard Meier & Partners, where she had worked since 2005 and became a principal in 2018. According to The Real Deal, Lee is the third principal to leave the firm since 2018, when its founder, Richard Meier, FAIA, stepped back from leadership following several sexual harassment allegations. In addition to working on several award-winning projects around the world, Lee also co-chairs the AIA New York Women in Architecture committee.
“Vivian brings an extraordinary pedigree as a designer, leader, and mentor," said Nik Karalis, Woods Bagot's CEO, in an email to ARCHITECT. "She champions for sustainability and advocates for equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
Ducharme joins Woods Bagot after leading award-winning projects in the United States and Australia, including 447 Collins St., a mixed-use tower in Melbourne, with the New York-based firm SHoP Architects. Ducharme has also served as a design director for the international design firm Populous. He received his M.Arch from the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and a B.S. in structural engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
The article has been edited to reflect Matt Ducharme's title as design leader, West Coast and associate principal and to clarify that he completed 447 Collins while working with SHoP, not Populous. A quote from Nik Karalis, Woods Bagot's CEO, has also been added.
