Fani Danadjieva Hansen, AIA
Fani Danadjieva Hansen, founder of DHA, Danadjieva Hansen Architects Inc, established the firm in 1980. Helping clients in the public and private domain to design and construct high quality projects below budget and on time promotes her leadership role as an architect and urban designer and as a powerful force in improving people's lives. Her holistic activities inspire people to create a vision. Her design gives a physical form to that vision. Her construction management talent brings the form to reality within budget.
Her contribution as community leader, designer and construction manager raises the community's awareness of the essential role of the architect, planner and urban designer in empowering people's lives. Her contribution in architecture, urban planning and art empowers by helping people rediscover their community focus, identity and spirit.
Her open and collaborative design process brings people together and builds consensus among interests that are often divergent. Fani's contributions in creating special committees consisting of citizens, City Council members, City Managers and business leaders are a guiding force for many cities' strategic master planning. She brings extraordinary energy and passion to her design work that inspires people to secure funding sources, achieve their dreams and become active participants in the process of revitalizing their communities. She successfully implements her unique approach on more than 300 visionary urban revitalization projects in Northern California that enhance the lives of hundreds of thousands of California residents.
She began her career in Europe, Bulgaria, where she graduated with a Masters Degree in Architecture. Post-graduate studies in Urban Design were completed in Ecole National des Beaus Arts in Paris and UC Berkeley. She is the author of numerous computer programs for campus master planning, health care space planning and costing. Fani received exceptional awards in her field throughout her practice and is a registered Architect in California, Nevada, certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and a corporate member of the American Institutes of Architects. Her work received national recognition in the publication 'This Exceptional One Women in American Architecture 1888-1988' and is exhibited in San Francisco, Seattle, (USA) Paris, France and Berlin, Germany.
Fani founded Urban Art International, which has grown into an international movement that promotes art in urban places throughout the world. The annual competition and exhibitions recognize the world's best poster art and help communities establish foundations for broader urban art initiatives.
'As the Vice-Mayor and then mayor of the City of Pittsburg during the design and development phases of our civic center project, I had the opportunity to work closely with Fani.
Fani had a vision for this project that outmatched even our most optimistic. She took hold of this project and created a vision for the community, gathered the support and input of the community and council and created a wonderful civic space. .all while delivering the final project ahead of schedule and under budget… It certainly doesn't get any better than that.
Joseph Canciamilla, Supervisor, District Five, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. '
'The families seem overwhelmed with the new facility. One family claimed the health of their relative, a critical care patient, improved within one half hour of his move to the Tower from the old facility. There is a whole new outlook, a new spirit among the patients, families and staff'
Penny Marsten Director of Volunteer Services
Gary Valentine Hansen, AIA
Gary Hansen, co-founder of Danadjieva Hansen Architects Inc, with architectural experience in Europe and the United States, specializes in the areas of sustainable systems building design, cost and quality control and consultant team coordination. His commitment has been to enhance the environment through education in architecture, which is profoundly recognized in his strategies for development, urban renewal, and educational projects. His work includes consultation to the U.S. Government and private universities, which include the development of Cost Control Procedures for Stanford University, Master Planning for the University of Alaska, and the development of Hospital Retrofit Design Guidelines for the Veterans Administration. He has also developed design guidelines for the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the design of Club Facilities and works to develop public land efficiently with sponsorships from redevelopment agencies and local governments.
He is licensed as a registered architect in California, Alaska, Canada and the United Kingdom. He is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and is also a Corporate Member of the American Institute of Architects.
Amongst other awards and recognition, he is recipient of a Northern California AIA Award of Honor for Design Excellence, and has been awarded for Energy Conservation.