2013 40 Under 40: Robert Nixdorf, 40

Vice President, WSP Flack + Kurtz, San Francisco

By Jessia DuBois-Maahs, Contributing Writer May 14, 2013

Robert Nixdorf, PE, LEED AP, 40

Vice President, WSP Flack + Kurtz, San Francisco

Pennsylvania State University, BS Architectural Engineering

Robert Nixdorf’s experience encompasses large, complex projects of all types including sports, cultural, academic, hotels, commercial, retail, and government facilities. He began his career working on electrical design teams for a number of complex, high-profile projects, including Safeco Field, home to the Seattle Mariners, and Lincoln Financial Field, home to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, with 17 years of experience at WSP Flack + Kurtz, Nixdorf continues to develop an impressive and diverse portfolio of projects. His most recent work, the San Francisco 49ers stadium, is designed to seat 68,500 people and is being constructed on an aggressive schedule. When it opens in 2014, it will be the newest stadium in the NFL and will boast the highest sustainability standards in any football arena. In addition, Nixdorf’s work on the Transbay Tower will consist of 61 stories of commercial office space and, at 1,000 ft, it will be the tallest building in San Francisco. The project is currently in early stages of design and broke ground in March 2013. When he’s not busy at work, Nixdorf spends his free time running, exploring the world of photography, or chasing his toddler son, Markus, around the house. When given the opportunity, Nixdorf and his wife, Stefanie, participate in volunteer events such as helping local elementary schools and cutting and collecting grass to feed animals at the Oakland Zoo to impart a sense of volunteerism in their young son.