Ed Hodges

Ed practices with an artistic eye and a practical hand, drawing on his early experience as a carpenter to inform and ground his design approach. His philosophy centers on the belief that buildings should represent themselves with distinction and bring genuine delight to the people who use them. Throughout his career at DiMella Shaffer, Ed has worked to embed these values deeply into the firm’s culture, reinforcing his long‑held belief in the enduring importance of the “craft” of architecture.

Ed began his career at DiMella Shaffer under the mentorship of Remmert Huygens, Frank DiMella, Peter Shaffer, and others before returning to the firm in 2001. Bringing experience from national design firms and a strong background in higher education projects, he led a strategic effort to expand and elevate the firm’s higher education practice.

With 32 years of professional experience, Ed was named CEO in 2012 and guided the firm through more than a decade of growth before stepping down from the role in early 2026. He continues to contribute to the practice as a designer and thought leader. In 2015, he added “author” to his list of accomplishments: writing almost weekly for a year, he captured a nearly complete 50‑year history of DiMella Shaffer in the Building Conversations blog.