Stephen Parker, AIA

A dedicated behavioral health planner and mental health design subject matter expert, Stephen is a proponent of “architect as advocate” for colleague, client, and community alike, and he believes strongly in leadership through service. Advocating by design for humanity at its most vulnerable, elevating communities in crisis, and serving those that suffer in silence, Stephen is driving purpose across Stantec’s boundaryless Mental + Behavioral Health Practice with projects from the Arctic to Australasia. Stephen has served a diverse client base, including the Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, helping develop the VA’s new Inpatient Mental Health Design Guide. Stephen is an Associate Member of the American Indian Council of Engineers & Architects and served as Co-covener of the AIA Strategic Council's Mental Health + Architecture during the pandemic. Stephen serves as Associate Director for the Design in Mental Health Network headquartered in the UK, is a Founding Member of the Center for Health Design's Behavioral & Mental Health Environment Network and is a US representative to the International Union of Architects’ (UIA) Public Health Group. Stephen was named a Future Leader by Behavioral Health Business, received the HFSE George Pressler Under 40 Award, is an ENR Top 20 Under 40 Young Professional and a SAGE David Green Memorial Award recipient. An AIA Bethune Fellow and former YAF National Advocacy Director, Stephen has served at all levels of local, state and national AIA positions, is an AIA Young Architect Award recipient and is listed as Healthcare Design’s Best Under 40 by the AIA Academy of Architecture in Health. During his downtime, Stephen enjoys building a three-generation house and volunteering at home and abroad, most recently designing mission hospitals in Kenya and India.