With over 20 years of experience, Susan is an invaluable leader to our healthcare practice and our clients, many of whom think of Susan as an extension of their own staff. She joined PAYETTE in 2004 and has designed significant healthcare facilities for many of the top hospitals in the country. Her designs are often recognized for their sensitivity to the psychological needs of patients, staff and families—for comfort, clarity, simplicity and efficiency. In her work, she often initiates a LEAN design process that involves current state departmental assessments, vision/goal setting and interactive user engagement. Signature clients that Susan has worked with include Mass General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, Boston Children’s Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Recently elevated to the American College of Healthcare Architects, Susan has spoken, regionally and nationally, at the top healthcare conferences, served on the Boston Society of Architects’ Board of Directors and chaired the architectural design jury for the AIA Honor Awards in 2022. Susan has also held teaching positions at the University of Virginia and Boston Architecture College, making her an important mentor for young architects. Susan was also a mentor to the Virginia Tech Boston Studio at PAYETTE in 2022.
An advocate for EDI and social justice in design, Susan is a founding member of our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and helped author our EDI Action Plan. In support of this important plan, she has also been instrumental in developing a targeted recruitment plan for the firm to build relationships and the employment pipeline at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
EDUCATION
M.Arch., 2001, University of Virginia, School of Architecture
B.S., Architecture, 1998, University of Virginia
