Brian McKenna
Boston – Brian McKenna recently joined CannonDesign as the health practice leader in its Boston office. As a principal, he will strengthen the firm’s Boston health practice.
McKenna joins CannonDesign with 20 years’ experience as a healthcare architect, most recently as an associate principal with Boston-based TRO Jung|Brannen.
He has successfully led teams for health projects of all sizes throughout New England, including over 200,000sf of inpatient programs and outpatient centers for Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, that earned him three Partners in Excellence Awards from Partners HealthCare.
Notable projects include the Vernon Cancer Center at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Slotnick Inpatient Pavilion, and the Blum Emergency Department. Recently he led the design of a 500,000sf outpatient care facility for the Canandaigua VA Medical Center in Canandaigua, New York.
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“Brian is well known locally for design excellence, and he brings to CannonDesign a rare understanding of both the design and construction worlds,” said Lynne Deninger, CannonDesign’s Boston Office Practice Leader. “He understands healthcare’s rapidly evolving realities and will be an excellent resource to health organizations looking to adapt to the many factors influencing change in the industry. I have no doubt Brian will accomplish exceptional things as he builds upon our firm’s 30-year history in Boston.”
“It’s an exciting time to be a healthcare architect,” adds Brian. “There’s a lot of uncertainty occurring in the health industry, and clients are looking to architects to solve more than just traditional real estate challenges. By harnessing research and design thinking, we’re able to help clients understand the root causes of their challenges and develop holistic solutions that prepare them for the future. I’ve admired CannonDesign’s ability to do this, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the firm’s continued success.”
Brian began working in the health sector immediately after graduating from Roger Williams University with a degree in architecture when he joined Spinal Technology Inc, a well-known spinal orthoses fabricating company. As the director of research and development, he led the startup of the company’s CAD/CAM laser scanning technology, making the company the first in the industry to use CAD/CAM for fabricating spinal orthoses. Throughout his career, he has challenged conventions and used lean methodologies to help clients improve processes, navigate uncertainties, and achieve fiscal goals.
Brian holds a Massachusetts Hospital Association Lean Certification and has led several mapping sessions and Lean 2P/3P events. He’s a registered architect in five states.
