Download PDF

BIO

Jonathan Meier is a licensed architect and senior aviation design leader with 20+ years of experience delivering complex airport terminals and aviation infrastructure worldwide. His career has focused on the planning, design, and delivery of large-scale international airports and award-winning passenger terminals, including major projects in the United States and the Middle East.

Jonathan has played key roles in the development of several of the world’s most ambitious aviation programs, including projects at Hamad International Airport (DOH), Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), and Zayed International Airport (AUH). His work spans the full lifecycle of airport development — from early planning and concept design through detailed technical coordination and construction delivery.

He specializes in integrating complex technical systems, passenger experience design, and operational requirements to deliver airports that are both highly functional and architecturally distinctive. Known for his ability to coordinate large multidisciplinary teams, Jonathan works at the intersection of design vision, engineering integration, and operational performance, ensuring that ambitious design concepts translate into buildable, world-class infrastructure.

Jonathan currently serves as a Senior Project Manager and aviation design leader, overseeing multidisciplinary teams responsible for major airport programs in the United States. His work focuses on aligning design strategy, technical coordination, and stakeholder objectives to deliver complex projects efficiently while maintaining design excellence.

With extensive international experience and a deep understanding of aviation operations, Jonathan brings a global perspective to airport design, helping clients deliver next-generation aviation facilities capable of serving millions of passengers for decades to come.

CORE CAPABILITIES

Aviation & Terminal Design

  • Large-scale airport terminal planning and design

  • Passenger processing and terminal flow optimization

  • Landside and airside interface planning

  • Gate lounge and concourse planning strategies

  • Airport operational integration

Technical Leadership

  • Multidisciplinary design coordination (architecture, engineering, technology)

  • Complex building systems integration for large infrastructure projects

  • Technical design oversight from concept through construction

  • Design QA/QC and technical standards development

  • Coordination of international design teams and consultants

Program & Project Delivery

  • Leadership of major aviation design programs

  • Design management for large, multi-stakeholder projects

  • Delivery strategy coordination (DBB, CMAR, Design-Build)

  • Construction documentation and technical package development

  • Interface management with contractors and airport authorities

Strategic Design Integration

  • Aligning architectural design with operational performance

  • Translating vision concepts into buildable solutions

  • Stakeholder alignment across airlines, operators, and regulators

  • Delivering high-profile, award-quality airport environments

Global Aviation Experience

  • Middle East mega-airport development programs

  • Large international terminal projects

  • Complex multi-phase airport expansions and renovations

  • Experience working within diverse regulatory and cultural contexts

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Senior Project Manager

HOK — Los Angeles, CA — 2021–Present

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) – New North Concourse, Terminal 3

  • Lead PM for a $500M+ aviation program (HOK as Prime with ~20 subconsultants), delivering a new 6‑gate concourse, apron, connector bridge, and tunnel interface to Terminal 4.

  • Successfully advanced the project through Concept, SD, DD, and CDs on schedule, on budget, and with strong profitability, aligning design ambition with delivery discipline.

  • Led integrated stakeholder engagement with Executive Leadership, Steering Committees, Ops, IT, and Facilities groups, translating diverse inputs into a unified project vision and decision framework.

  • Championed experience‑driven and technology‑enabled design strategies, including a consolidated gate lounge concept prioritizing clarity, visibility, comfort, and connection to place.

  • Directed design‑to‑budget and CMAR pull‑planning efforts, saving approximately six months on the overall construction schedule.

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) – Multiple Active Task Orders

  • Currently managing the Terminal 7–8 Refresh Program, emphasizing place‑making, passenger and staff sense‑making, and operational clarity in advance of the LA28 Olympic Games.

  • Led planning, programming, and visioning for Terminal 9 (Project Definition Book / Basis of Design), aligning architecture, operations, technology, security, and commercial priorities.

  • Facilitated innovation workshops focused on passenger and staff needs, translating insights into actionable planning and design criteria.

Firmwide Research & Innovation Leadership

  • Led development of a federally submitted research proposal for the Autonomous Distributed Airport (ADA), proposing a new airport typology integrating autonomous vehicles, AI‑enabled scheduling, modular construction, and human‑centered design.

  • Positioned HOK as a thought leader in Advanced Air Mobility and next‑generation airport planning through white papers, external partnerships, and internal knowledge development.

Partner

Executive Architects (formerly SVENM) — Dubai, UAE — 2020–2021

  • Led the firm’s transition toward commercially focused, technology‑driven work, establishing new design standards, business strategy, and market positioning.

  • Developed future‑oriented typologies across aviation, cultural, mixed‑use, and exhibition projects through research, competitions, and client engagement.

  • Co‑authored a strategic report on the future of creative and cultural industries for the World Government Summit, integrating design, technology, and societal trends.

Senior Design Manager / Project Manager (Owner’s Rep)

Parsons (seconded to Abu Dhabi Airports Company) — Abu Dhabi, UAE — 2018–2020

Zayed International Airport (Midfield Terminal Complex)

  • Led the Tenant Fit‑Out Construction (TFOC) program for 200+ retail, F&B, and lounge spaces, representing the Airport/Owner.

  • Designed and implemented new governance systems (NOC process, master interface databases, logistics planning) to reduce risk, accelerate delivery, and improve coordination.

  • Aligned architectural standards, fire engineering, operations, and tenant experience within a highly complex operational environment.

Principal Architect (Technology & Systems Integration)

Ross & Baruzzini — Dubai, UAE — 2016–2017

Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)

  • Principal Architect for technology integration on a $32B airport expansion program.

  • Developed a 10‑year technology roadmap and procurement strategy, aligning future‑proof infrastructure with architectural intent.

  • Led research, benchmarking, and design integration of passenger‑facing technologies, operations centers, security, and digital systems.

Project Architect

HOK — Doha, Qatar — 2008–2015

Hamad International Airport (DOH)

  • Managed design and construction administration for a 6M SF terminal complex and multiple concourses.

  • Led airport‑wide special systems integration, balancing operational performance with architectural quality.

  • Developed aesthetic and technical guidelines for embedded technologies, improving passenger experience and long‑term adaptability.

Project Designer

Odell Associates — Charlotte, NC — 2001–2008

PHL Terminal D/E Expansion & Modernization

  • Key designer on major aviation projects including the Philadelphia International Airport D‑E Connector and Texarkana Regional Airport.

SELECTED RESEARCH, WRITING & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

  • Author, Design Is Dead — A critical exploration of how architecture must evolve toward insight‑driven, technology‑enabled, and outcome‑focused practice.

  • Autonomous Distributed Airport (ADA) — Lead author and strategist for a federally submitted research proposal redefining airport planning models.

  • Passenger Terminal Today — “The Importance of Experience‑Driven Design.”

  • Fast Company — “The Airport of the Future Might Look Like This.”

  • Form Follows Tech — Ongoing independent research and writing on design, technology, and systems thinking (on Substack).

  • Creator of experimental AI‑enabled concepts including Innovation Architect and Aeble, exploring insight translation, scope intelligence, and decision support for AE practice.

EDUCATION

  • Master of Architecture, Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI‑Arc)

  • Bachelor of Science in Architecture, University of Virginia

  • Bachelor of Urban & Environmental Planning, University of Virginia

REGISTRATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

  • Registered Architect, North Carolina (#11168)

  • AIA | LEED Accredited Professional

AWARDS

  • 1st Place, Transportation Terminal (Concept) — Rethinking The Future Awards

  • Finalist, Aviation X Lab — Airportal Challenge