HOK Washington DC Office

Some of you may know that I work in HOK Advance Strategies, a group of specialists within HOK.  We’re a worldwide group that is embedded in HOK offices and located on-site with clients.  I’m part of the Advisory group and sit in the WDC office (in the middle of the interiors group). 

I and the people in my group are not your typical architects and designers (although many are trained as architects…others are MBAs, planners, landscape architects, social scientists, interior designers, etc.).  The Advance Strategies “one-liner” is: As a specialized, multidisciplinary group within HOK, the world’s leading design and services firm, the specialists of HOK Advance Strategies are leaders, analysts, strategists, listeners, communicators, and change agents who use their knowledge and experience to help organizations navigate through complex business challenges.  We have four key areas of focus: workplace solutions, facility planning, real estate strategy, and onsite services. 

To help enlighten you as to what this actually means, I thought it might be interesting to share some of the projects (both billable and non-billable) I’m working on this week. 

• GSA Unit Cost Study – working with our friends at Davis Langdon
• VA Architectural Design Manual (check out their Technical Information Library - HOK did the Sustainable Design & Energy Efficiency Manual and the Interior Design Manual)
• U.S. Capitol Complex Master Plan (can’t tell you more or I’d have to shoot you)
• Confidential government agency campus feasiblity study – working with our friends at Jones Lang LaSalle
• Confidential defense contractor flexible work environment program
• Design competition management for research university in Saudi Arabia
• Book development (check out the blog that goes along with the book: www.thegreenworkplace.com)
• NeoCon East presentation development (come see me speak on Oct 29)

One of the things I love about my job is that it is never boring – between all the project work and learning opportunities, I’m busy all day long and constantly dealing with new challenges and opportunities!  Keep checking back as I update more on some of the things that we “Ad Straders” do on a day-to-day basis.