Daniel Brents

Biography: Daniel Brents, FAIA, AICP Daniel Brents Consulting Houston, TX Daniel Brents is an architect and planner whose experience includes numerous office developments and 12 hotel projects totaling nearly 12,000 keys. With experience as an owner’/operator’s representative as well as an architect, he is focused on achieving a dynamic balance of economic and technical feasibility. He was previously a partner at Gensler, where he led an architecture studio that engaged in the design of office buildings, retail facilities, hotels and convention complexes. His group was the firm’s most active hospitality design studio and was responsible for some of Gensler’s largest hotel projects. For example, he served as the Principal in Charge and team leader for the $270 million Hilton Americas Downtown Convention Hotel in Houston. In that capacity, he was the architectural team’s single point of responsibility to the Owner, a public entity, and to Hines, the project developer. He had a similar role for the design of the San Antonio Grand Hyatt Convention Hotel, which included both hotel and residential units. Prior to joining Gensler, he was Disney’s Vice President of Architecture and Planning for the real estate development of the 4,800-acre, $4.5 billion resort at Disneyland Paris. In that capacity he was responsible for the development of hotels, related facilities, land acquisition, infrastructure planning and design, and government liaison. The project includes six hotels, built simultaneously, with a total of 5,188 keys, at a cost of $685 million. Mr. Brents has served on thirteen ULI Advisory Panels and recently chaired a ULI/Houston Technical Assistance Panel. He is a registered architect, a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. He has a Bachelor's degree in Architecture and a Master's degree in Urban Design. He was recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus of Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture and served on the Dean of Architecture’s Advisory Council. (February 2013)