passionate practice

Haas Modern Architecture + Design is an architecture and interior design firm based in the Tampa Bay area specializing in providing full design services for small-medium commercial and medium to high-end residential projects.  Centrally located, HMA+D can serve most locales bringing the expertise of working in diverse built environments and municipalities throughout the state. HMA+D has completed projects in Tampa, Clearwater, Orlando, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Fort Myers, Naples and Plantation, Florida.

It is very rare that a design project has the same set of goals and circumstances.  Virtually all projects, whether ground-up or renovations, have their own set of unique design and construction opportunities and challenges.  HMA+D brings it's wealth of experience in designing and construction detailing of various building types and scenarios.  See Testimonials.

Being a smaller sized firm, you can be sure that your project will get the direct attention from senior leadership that it deserves.  HMA+D prides itself with allowing our clients to be involved in the design process as much, or as little as they desire. We believe collaboration between the client and architect can maximize design opportunities and foster creative solutions.   

The strength of a design lies in the steps it takes to create the final outcome.   At HMA+D, we believe that the success of the design comes from a thoughtful inquiry into design possibilities.  "One size fits all", or superficial solutions rarely foster a design that is valued or stands the test of time.  We evaluate the needs of each project and tailor the design process for appropriateness.  The design process also sets clear expectations of the deliverables and deadlines for the client.  

At HMA+D, our clients can be as involved in the design process as much as they feel comfortable.  Some clients may prefer to offer ideas and feedback frequently during the process, while others allow HMA+D to freely explore ideas and concepts and present them at more limited intervals.  Either way, we aim to listen intently to our client's desires and educate them along the way about the value that good design brings to their project.

As founder and principal of HMA+D, Richard M. Haas brings over 30 years experience in architectural design of commercial, residential, retail, restaurant, and life science buildings to the practice.  Mr. Haas is a registered architect currently licensed in the State of Florida.  He is also licensed in the State of New Jersey but is not currently active.

Richard is a graduate of the University of South Florida School of Architecture and Community Design (SACD) where he received the Master of Architecture degree in 2006.  Richard received his Liberal Arts Degree from Hillsborough Community College.

Mr. Haas is also an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida School of Architecture teaching Materials and Methods.  Over the years, he has sat on various academic design juries and was an adjunct instructor of Architectural Design, History and Theory at Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry Campus. 

In the spring of 2013, Richard M. Haas received the Emerging Architect Award presented by the University of South Florida (SACD) School of Architecture and Community Design for his visible trajectory towards significant contributions to the architecture profession.

Learn more about USF SACD

As former principal and co-founder of H2W Studio LLC, Richard M. Haas received the American Institute of Architects Tampa Bay 2011 Honor Award for Design Excellence for the design of the Radio/Tele Soleil Radio Station in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.   Working with the non-for profit Help Brings Hope for Haiti (HBHH), H2W Studio donated their design services to the Catholic Diocese of Port-au-Prince.  

For two consecutive years (2005-2006), Richard M. Haas was chosen as one of four finalists of the USF SACD prestigious Garcia Award.  

Jin Baek: Nothingness: Tadao Ando's Christian Sacred Space

Selected architectural drawings provided by Richard Haas (acknowledgements xi) 

• American Institute of Architects Florida Chapter Scholarship 2005
• H. Dean Rowe Scholarship 2004
• Milo Smith Scholarship 2004

Ask ten different people to define the term "modern" and you’ll most likely get ten different answers. Historically speaking, modernism was a movement breaking from the classical ideas of centuries past, fueled by the shifting paradigms of the industrial revolution.  And art and architecture were by no means exempt from the change.   Through the pioneering work of the early 20th century architects such as Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Richard Neutra (Kaufmann House - image shown here) to name a few, some of the strongest tenets of modern architecture evolved.

• Clarity of an idea (plan)
• Form follows function
• Importance of space and light
• Honesty of structure and materiality
• Purity and simplicity of forms
• Minimal decoration
• Connection with natural context
• Application of technological advances

Modernism is the foundation of the firm's design philosophy. However, we don't let that limit aesthetic outcomes to just those of the historical Modern era.  We allow the tenets to be a guide in exploring creative and innovative solutions of space, form, and materiality.