Architecture firm Steinberg has rebranded as Steinberg Hart, incorporating the name of the firm's president and CEO David Hart. Hart has served as the firm's president and CEO for the last four years and has helped grow the firm for the last decade. He says the name change is the next step in the firm's ongoing evolution. We sat down with Hart for an exclusive interview to talk about the rebrand, expansion and his goals for the future.

GlobeSt.com: What was the impetus for the name change?

David Hart: We have grown from regional practices to being experts in certain practices, education and particularly higher education being one, as well as mixed-use residential and high-rise residential. We have evolved from being a family-oriented practice, although a pretty good sized one, and this is signaling a shift to a third generation of ownership and leadership in the company. It is a lot of work to transition a firm and have it thrive, and that is really what we have been working on for the last 10 years. Putting my name on the door is a milestone, and we are signaling the continuation of another generation of leadership in the company.

GlobeSt.com: Does the rebrand also indicate a shift in strategy?

Hart: It is an evolution. The way that we look at it is that you reach certain platforms, and we have worked really hard over the last five years to build a high-quality leadership team. We have grown and promoted from within, and we have arrived at accomplishing the goals of building the team that can continue this practice. So, it is shifting from one type of leadership into a growth mode. We are in a great condition to grow each of the offices and open new offices. That is the biggest shift. We have the people in place now to expand our practice. We already have great clients and great projects, so it isn't a quality shift. It is a deepening and broadening of each of our practices. Hospitality is a new practice area for us, and we are doing some great projects and are looking to expand that area. Interiors is another newer area, and we are in the process of expanding that area as well.

GlobeSt.com: You were named CEO four years ago. Why are you just now changing the name of the firm?

Hart: We have very thoughtfully brought me into the operations for five years before I became the CEO, and then I was the CEO for four years before the name change. We have done this in stages and steps so that we continue to serve our clients and we continue to serve our market segments. We also continue to serve our staff and keep them happy. In this case, we really have a lot of shared values, and this is a carry on of those values.

GlobeSt.com: You are obviously focused on growth and expansion. What are your current target goals?

Hart: We really want to set our sights on being the AIA “Firm of the Year” nationally. It is a goal that we have announced to our staff. You could say that every firm aspires to that, but the values that are outlined in the AIA Firm of the Year really align with what we think are important for an architectural practice. We are taking the steps to not sell ourselves as that practice but really be that practice so that we can apply for that award. I would say that is a five-year goal.