Ernest F. Cirangle
Ernest F. Cirangle, FAIA, LEED AP, received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1971. In his early career years, he worked in Boston and San Francisco for firms including Cambridge Seven and SOM. In those early formative years, he also received the 1973 Hirons Travelling Fellowship and the 1978 Rotch Travelling Fellowship. These fellowship journeys introduced Cirangle to Europe’s architectural treasures, the nuanced work of Finland’s Alvar Aalto, and Japan’s rich culture of design – all greatly influencing and enriching his approach to architecture.
In 1982, Cirangle joined HOK in San Francisco, becoming the Design Principal for the HOK Hong Kong office from 1990 through 1999, then the HOK Los Angeles Design Principal from 1999 through 2020. During his 38-year tenure at HOK he served on both the Design Board and Board of Directors, helping to guide the direction of HOK’s global architectural practice.
Throughout his career Cirangle has led the design of aviation, transportation, residential, hospitality, corporate, educational, and healthcare projects throughout Asia and the Southwest United States. He has successfully designed award-winning architecture for multiple building types, for a diverse group of international and domestic clients. Cirangle’s design approach seeks inspired solutions that integrate complex programs, being responsive to environmental conditions, while tailoring his designs to the unique needs and culture of each client.
His international work includes Japan’s Tokyo Telecom Center Headquarters, Sendai International Airport Terminal, Chubu International Airport Terminal, Singapore’s Jurong Town Center Headquarters, the Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, and the Embassy House Residential Tower in Beijing. His domestic work includes the Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center, the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, the Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion at Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles, the Prebys Cardiovascular Institute at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla California, the Long Beach Airport Terminal modernization, the Phoenix International Airport SkyTrain 44th Street People Mover Station, and the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center.
Cirangle’s work has received multiple design awards from the American Institute of Architects, been published in Architectural Record, and has been featured on the Discovery Channel. He has shared his design approach in articles, seminars, lectures, and has served as a design studio adviser at the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California. Cirangle was elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2014.
In 2020, Cirangle retired from his full-time position at HOK. He continues to do design consulting, serves as a planning commissioner where he resides in Mill Valley California, remains a guest lecturer and student adviser at the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California, and continues to travel to many of the memorable places that inspired and enriched his perspective on life.