Bill Hellmuth, AIA, officially took over as HOK’s Chief Executive Officer on April 19, with longtime CEO Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, moving to chairman as part of a planned succession process that the firm first announced Jan. 25.
Hellmuth, who is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C., studio, has been HOK’s president since 2005. The firm will be led by a design principal for the first time since 1990, when Gyo Obata stepped down to assume the role of chairman. Hellmuth brings insight on managing the creative process—balancing the art and the business to generate the best design solutions and most value for clients. He will continue in his role as HOK’s firm-wide president and design principal for projects in the Washington, D.C., area and worldwide.
“Design excellence will define our future,” said Hellmuth. “I joined HOK in 1991 for the opportunity to be part of a practice that had the opportunity to do the best design work of its time. We’re now creating design solutions that address some of the world’s greatest challenges. We’ll continue broadening the scope of our creativity and problem solving and using design thinking to strengthen our design culture. This will continue to attract the best people and clients to HOK.”
Read more about Bill Hellmuth and his vision for the future of HOK in this Q+A profile.
HOK has current projects in 75 countries, and it has designed major urban plans, buildings and interior environments. Current and recent projects include the 80-story Capital Market Authority Tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; the Porsche Cars North America Experience Center and Headquarters in Atlanta; the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) in Anaheim, California; and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm with 24 offices worldwide. DesignIntelligence consistently ranks HOK as a leader in sustainable, high-performance design and technology innovation.
Related Stories
| Jul 11, 2013
Bill to borrow more for college spending in Michigan criticized due to ‘higher-ed bubble’
An amendment to a Michigan appropriations budget authorizes an increase in state debt to pay for state university construction projects. But some experts see a “higher education bubble” on the horizon, and said more taxpayer debt for more buildings is a bad idea.
| Jul 11, 2013
Skanska exits U.S. Chamber of Commerce over LEED controversy
Skanska USA resigned from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the Chamber’s decision to support the American High-Performance Buildings Coalition.
| Jul 11, 2013
DOE releases stricter energy efficiency standards for new federal buildings taking effect in 2014
The Energy Department released stricter energy efficiency standards this month for new federal buildings.
| Jul 11, 2013
Pennsylvania legislators work on bill to update demolition codes following fatal building collapse
Pennsylvania lawmakers are working on a bill to update demolition codes, in the wake of a fatal building collapse in Philadelphia in June.
| Jul 11, 2013
Lawsuit challenges modular apartment project in New York City
A plan to build pre-fab apartment buildings at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, N.Y., has been challenged by a lawsuit filed by the Plumbing Foundation in Manhattan Supreme Court.
| Jul 10, 2013
SmithGroupJJR hires Don Posson as Co-director of Sustainable Design
SmithGroupJJR has hired veteran mechanical engineer Don Posson, PE, CCP, CPD, LEED AP, as the firm’s co-director of sustainable design.
| Jul 10, 2013
World's best new skyscrapers [slideshow]
The Bow in Calgary and CCTV Headquarters in Beijing are among the world's best new high-rise projects, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 10, 2013
TED talk: Architect Michael Green on why we should build tomorrow's skyscrapers out of wood
In a newly posted TED talk, wood skyscraper expert Michael Green makes the case for building the next-generation of mid- and high-rise buildings out of wood.
| Jul 9, 2013
Where are they now? 40 Under 40 alumni make their mark in D.C.
Every month we’ll be touching base with past 40 Under 40 honorees to see what’s been happening in their professional and personal lives since winning the award. This month, we feature two outstanding professionals: HKS's Shannon Kraus and Roger Chang from Westlake Reed Leskosky.
| Jul 9, 2013
AISC releases Design Guide on Blast Resistant Structures
Design professionals now have a valuable new resource on blast resistant structures with AISC Design Guide No. 26, Design of Blast Resistant Structures.
