Don J. Ghent, Jr., AIA, CSI, DBIA, CMAA, LEED® AP BD+C, is Principal and Technical Director at Gensler in Washington, DC. He earned a bachelor and master’s of architecture at The Catholic University of America. As a technical director for Gensler’s SE Region, Don is responsible for overseeing quality control standards and the development of on-going design review processes including technical document development, specific design details, and specifications. He is also a member of the firm-wide Design Build Leadership Council.
Don’s technical know-how and intimate knowledge of delivery and security standard issues make him an ideal technical leader. Don has more than 34 years of experience managing base building architecture and interior design projects for government and private sector clients. As a firm-wide thought leader on the issues surrounding fast-track delivery, blast, and security standards, Don brings depth of understanding for secure facilities design and design with AT/FP. He is the author of the blast and security programs for difficult sites such as the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; the FBI Washington Field Office; and the Pentagon Remote Delivery Facility—a project in which he developed a design-build solicitation package for the $60 million effort.
Don has a wealth of project experience. Some examples with square footage, include: Clifford Chance, Washington, DC 80,000; Latham & Watkins, Washington, DC1 50,000; Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, Washington, DC 142,000; Confidential Charitable Organization, Washington, DC LEED® CI Gold 140,000; The Cato Institute, Washington, DC 48,000; Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, Washington, DC 109,000; Goodmans LLP, Toronto, Canada 180,000; NAVFAC, Naval Support Installation Carderock Division; RDT&E (Research, Development, Test & Evaluation) Facility West Bethesda, MD, LEED® NC seeking Silver 36,500; Department of Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, VA LEED® ID+C seeking Silver 705,000; U.S. General Services Administration, Headquarters, Washington, DC; 1800 F Street Modernization; LEED® ID+C seeking Platinum 805,000; George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, The Mason Inn Hotel & Conference Center. LEED® NC Gold 148 keys/140,000; and Northwest Housing VIII-A Student Housing Complex LEED® NC, seeking Gold 217,000; Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Prince George’s County, MD 2,000 keys/2,500,000; and Patriots Plaza, Washington, DC Phase 300,000 Phase II & III: LEED® CS Gold 700,000.