Hans believes that it isn’t enough to simply make decisions in a client’s best interest. He believes it is essential to listen to clients ideas and then to explain why a particular approach should or shouldn’t be taken. That’s how you build trust and that’s the key to repeat business - when a client returns to the firm, based on performance on a previous job. While the importance of relationships is an enduring quality to Hans’ work, sustainability has emerged as a critical issue that must be incorporated and addressed in every aspect of a project. 

Hans’ passion for the mountains transcends the professional into the personal. In 2005, while based out of Smith + Andersen’s Toronto office, Hans was engaged to work on two new buildings at the Banff Centre. This experience opened up the Rocky Mountains for Hans, and he moved west shortly afterward. Now Managing Principal of the Calgary office, Hans and his family spend the majority of their time in and around Golden and Kicking Horse – skiing in the winter, and mountain biking/hiking in the summer. Hans has owned property in Golden since 2010, and his daughter races for the Golden Kicking Horse Alpine Team. As one of Smith + Andersen’s core values, sustainability is central to our designs on every project – a commitment Hans and his family also carry out personally through sustainable living and wildlife education.