Inspired by SOM’s legacy of innovation, Scott designs spaces that incorporate emerging technologies in balance with human needs. Since joining SOM in 1998, he has championed the studio’s interdisciplinary approach to design, which brings engineers, planners and myriad specialists into the creative process from the earliest sketches. Scott is an avid outdoorsman—he draws inspiration from nature, infusing his work with biophilic design elements.
The intelligence and complexity of the natural world inspires and informs our ideas for new architecture. In our studios, we bring designers of all kinds together to explore how our work can take cues from nature, to be similarly intelligent and sophisticated.
Scott is an expert in creating elegant solutions from complex design parameters: from Central Place Sydney, an emerging tech hub and one of the city’s most significant developments in recent years; to the Shenzhen headquarters of WeBank, China’s first online-only bank; to One Bangkok—the largest private development in Thailand’s history—a 16-hectare urban district in the heart of one of Asia’s fastest growing cities. Scott was part of the design team for Terminal 3 at the world-famous Changi Airport in Singapore, consistently ranked among the world’s best airports, known for its soaring living walls and kinetic, light-filtering roof. Currently, Scott is leading the redesign of the Chicago Loop’s busiest transit station and a significant expansion of Terminal 2 at O’Hare International Airport.
An authority on skyscraper design, Scott is a Board Trustee of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. He is currently co-leading an on-going studio with the University of Michigan exploring more sustainable uses of the most common materials used in construction today.
