FGI Appoints Kirsten Waltz to Board of Directors
FLORENCE, MA – FGI is pleased to announce the appointment of Kirsten Waltz, MArch, FAIA, FACHA, to its Board of Directors. Waltz is Vice President of Planning and Design for Johns Hopkins Health System and brings more than 25 years of architectural experience as well as a longstanding commitment to FGI and the advancement of health care planning and design.
At Johns Hopkins, Waltz oversees master planning, programming, and architectural design for Johns Hopkins Health System and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her experience spans projects ranging from departmental renovations to new hospitals and research facilities. Before joining Johns Hopkins in 2022, Waltz served as Facilities Director of planning and design at Baystate Health and held leadership roles with Steffian Bradley Architects, including managing the firm’s London office.
Waltz has been an active contributor to FGI for multiple revision cycles. She served as one of three chairs of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Outpatient Facilities for the 2018 and 2022 revision cycles. She led development of the 2026 FGI Code for Planning and Design of Hospitals. Her extensive experience with FGI’s consensus-based process, coupled with her interest in using credible research to improve operational and functional outcomes, will bring a valuable perspective to the FGI Board.
“I’ve been fortunate to contribute to FGI’s work over several revision cycles, and I’m excited to serve the organization in a new capacity,” Waltz says. “FGI has an important opportunity to build on its strong foundation while continuing to evolve with the needs of the health care community, and I look forward to helping shape that next chapter.”
FGI Board President Tina Duncan, AIA, CBO, ACHA, welcomed Waltz to the Board and noted the depth of knowledge she brings from both her professional career and her years of service to FGI. “Kirsten has been an important part of FGI’s work for many years, and she understands both where we’ve been and where we have the opportunity to go next. Her leadership, experience, and commitment to evidence-based health care design will be invaluable as FGI builds on its strong foundation and moves into its next era.”
Waltz is a past president of the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Health, is actively involved with the Center for Health Design, and holds Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification.
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About FGI
Founded in 1998, FGI is a nonprofit corporation founded to provide leadership and continuity to the FGI Codes revision process. FGI functions as the coordinating entity for development of the FGI Codes using an interdisciplinary, consensus-based process, and FGI provides education on the Codes that improve their use and application.
About the FGI Codes/Guidelines
FGI develops the FGI Codes (formerly known as the Guidelines), nationally recognized standards for the planning and design of hospitals, outpatient facilities, and residential care and support settings. Updated every four years, the FGI Codes reflect evolving concepts, capabilities, and technologies in health and residential care delivery. The FGI Codes are used widely across public and private sectors; adopted by states for regulatory purposes and referenced in laws, codes, rules, and regulations; applied in private-sector self-regulation and facility planning; and used to promote safe and effective health care design environments.