Ian Zapata

Principal, Director of Design

Corgan

RA, LEED AP

Ian Zapata is Corgan’s Director of Design, leading the growth and recognition of the firm’s design presence and guiding Corgan’s engagement with the design community. With over 25 years of experience, he is known for his ability to create compelling, transformative designs while building lasting client relationships. Ian believes every project—big or small—deserves the same level of attention and care. His thoughtful collaboration and passion for meaningful design make him a true mentor and leader.

He is inspired by the description of cities as “ships that ferry one generation to the next,” a concept that has fueled his love of travel to learn how people have, over time, solved the problems of daily life.  He’s learned that good design is the skillful solution to a problem, but great design goes further—it solves problems while forging meaningful connections with people. At its core, it’s about human experiences, and everything we create is built around that principle.

Ian’s experience spans planning and design for major airport, hotel, office and corporate headquarters projects. He’s led a global practice focused on building transformation and is devoted to advancing our understanding of how we can future-proof our cities, create work destinations that drive engagement, navigate the complexities of ESG, and build a carbon-neutral future. 

Ian earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University. He has served on the board of the Dallas Architecture Forum since 2012, where he has been President of the Board and chair of the Dallas Design Symposium.

Cory Dear

Vice President

Corgan

Studying architecture in both Italy and Portugal, Cory offers a diverse background and believes design should be sensitive to and inspired by place. “When we respond to obvious geographic circumstances, solutions can feel tired, cheesy, or pandering — my favorite contextual clues are typically found in the small details which can provoke surprising results and a chance to be fresh,” he explains.

In his more than sixteen years as an architect with Corgan, Cory has provided a unique perspective by collaborating on designs for multi-dimensional commercial projects including the Wells Fargo and Toyota Headquarters as well as the American Airlines Credit Union, winner of the Texas Society of Architects Design Award. His role as a leader is to propel Corgan’s design output, nurture our culture, and provide numerous platforms for our team members to contribute their valuable input. 

The following beliefs guide Cory’s design practices: 

– Artistic prompts invite non-standard responses. 

– Gray areas support life’s interesting moments (as opposed to black-and-white thinking). 

– Collaboration uncovers diverse design approaches. 

– Deadlines create momentum. 

Cory says the architect choreographs the user experience through sensing how people are constantly “on the move” and ever-growing and changing. “It’s exciting to be a small part of guiding a practice in motion rather than one that is ossified in place and afraid of change.”