EXPANDED CV · Hoffman

ASA AIA RAIC

Ian is a co-founder of Consonant.  He is an acoustic designer, architect, and higher educator, committed to narrowing the gap between aural and visual space, design, and craft.  Educated in classical piano, acoustics, and architecture, he is uniquely qualified to address the complex sensitivities of architectural and acoustic design, at both a technical and creative level.  This pursuit includes a persistent commitment to precedent research, technical analysis, formal investigation, material study, modeling inquiry, and a disciplined habit of critical listening + sketching, to inform his design thinking and understanding of spaces.

Focused on buildings for the arts, Ian has contributed to and led the design, renovation and restoration of many significant buildings for music, spoken-word theater, and performing arts education.  His experience also includes libraries, museums, worship spaces, and recording + production studios. 

Ian is an author, frequent guest lecturer and design critic on the design of performance assembly spaces.  In addition to co-leading Consonant, Ian serves on the faculty of the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, in the graduate program in acoustics.

University of Toronto

Master of Architecture

• Thesis: Temporal Space : Sound as a space-making device for music performance 

Pennsylvania State University 

Graduate Coursework in Acoustics  

• Noise Control, Psychoacoustics + Sound Quality 

University of Hartford

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

• Major : Acoustics & Music (Piano) 
• Minor : Mathematics

• Assistant Professor, Graduate Program in Acoustics, Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University (2016-present)
• Special Graduate Faculty Member, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland (2020-2025) 
• Visiting Studio Lecturer (2015-2023), Department of Architecture, California Baptist University
• Associate Professor and eventual Department Chair, Department of Architecture, Judson University (2008-2016)
• Graduate Teaching Assistant - Environmental Systems, Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design, University of Toronto (2002-2004)  
• Adjunct Professor, Audio Arts & Acoustics, Columbia College Chicago (2000-2001) 

• Co-Founder + Principal Acoustician, Consonant Design (2023-present)
• Associate Principal, NV5 Technology & Acoustics (2022-2023)
• Independent Architect + Acoustic Designer (2014-2022)
• Acoustic Designer + Performing Arts Specialist, Westlake Reed Leskosky Architects [now part of DLR Group] (2005-2008)  
• Acoustics Consultant, TALASKE | Sound Thinking (1998-2004 & 2010-2011)
• Acoustics Consultant, Artec Consultants [now part of ARUP], New York, (1995-1998) 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• Acoustical Society of America [ASA] : Technical Committee on Architectural Acoustics; Technical Program Organizer (2015-2018); Committee on Education in Acoustics
• American Institute of Architects [AIA] : Committee on Design for Education; Committee on the Environment
• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada [RAIC]

ARCHITECTURE LICENSE

• Registered Architect - State of Ohio, with NCARB Certification

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIPS

• United States Institute of Theatre Technology [USITT]
• Theatre Communications Group [TCG]
• Design Communication Association [DCA]
• Society of Building Science Educators [SBSE]

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Co-editor of the Acoustical Society of America publication, Halls for Music Performance, Another Two Decades of Experience : 1982 to 2002                  
• Board Member (2016-2022) and Co-Chair (2019-2022), Robert Bradford Newman Fund for Education in Architectural Acoustics
• Regular article author, paper presenter, session chair, conference organizer, and symposium coordinator for numerous acoustics, performing arts, and design events.    
• Frequent Guest Lecturer + Design Critic, including : University College Dublin, Kent State University, Virginia Tech, Architectural Institute of Prague, Hochshule Anhalt, California Baptist University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Syracuse University, University of Maryland, Morgan State University

Prior to the formation of Consonant Design, Ian contributed to or led the acoustic design, renovation and restoration of many significant building projects : 

Performing Arts Centers + Music Halls

• Esplanade National Concert Hall + Opera House – Republic of Singapore
• Winspear Centre for Music, Concert Hall – Edmonton, Alberta
• Chan Centre, University of British Columbia – Vancouver, British Columbia
• New Jersey Performing Arts Center – Newark, New Jersey
• KKL Concert Hall – Lucerne, Switzerland
• Sangnam Art Hall – Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Coronado Theater – Rockford, Illinois
• Sala São Paulo – São Paulo, Brazil
• River Run Centre – Guelph, Ontario
• Living Arts Centre – Mississauga, Ontario

Repertory + Drama Theaters

• Mead Center for American Theater at Arena Stage – Washington DC
• Chicago Shakespeare Theatre – Chicago, Illinois
• Hanna Theater, Great Lakes Theater Company – Cleveland, Ohio
• Lookingglass Theater – Chicago, Illinois  
• Harvey Theater – Interlochen, Michigan

Academic Arts Buildings

• Oberlin Conservatory, Kohl Jazz Studies Building – Oberlin, Ohio
• Western Illinois University, Simpkins Recital Hall – Macomb, Illinois
• St. Ignatius Academy, Breen Center for the Arts – Cleveland, Ohio
• Paradise Valley Community College – Paradise Valley, Arizona
• Cleveland Institute of Music, Mixon Recital Hall – Cleveland, Ohio
• Oberlin College, Green Arts District Masterplan – Oberlin, Ohio
• Hebrew Union College, Theatre – Jerusalem, Israel
• Cairo American College, Theater – Cairo, Egypt

Outdoor Performance Venues

• Jay Pritzker Music Pavilion, Millennium Park – Chicago, Illinois
• Hilde Center – Plymouth, Minnesota
• Project Niagara Performance Pavilion, Study – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
• Ross Pavilion Design Competition, Finalist – Edinburgh, Scotland 

Worship Facilities

• Northbridge Church – Antioch, Illinois
• Compass Church – Naperville, Illinois
• Emmanuel – Barrie, Ontario
• First Christian Reformed Church – Western Springs, Illinois 
• First Presbyterian Church – Evanston, Illinois