This is a little advertising that IBM does at the end of some of the sponsored TED talks, but it’s absolutely inspring on a number of different levels.
1. The Big Idea: I’ll start of with the quote in the beginning. “US traffic accounts for 45% of the worlds air pollution.” That in itself is staggering, but not surprising. The big idea behind IBM’s technology is that they have developed a way to charge (toll-booth free & convenient for the driver) a “congestion charge” for Stockholm, Sweden. This is to ensure that those who drive are paying for the convenience (and pollution) that they account for. It’s like sub-metering energy or water consumption. Once people realize that others aren’t …
This is my first time posting to HOK Life – hello to all!
I thought I’d dive in (ha) by sharing an update on the condition of our oceans in just the century since the invention of plastic (the history of plastic can be found here)…
The picture above shows an actual sample of the ocean near an area of the ocean affectionally called “The Garbage Patch.” Many think that this is like a floating garbage pile – a physical location of trash. Instead, it’s more like a rich depository, a sample of the incredible concentrations of plastic that now pervade our entire planet. Natural waste has collected here since there was a here …
Hello everyone!!
I have an issue. I don’t know if you share it with me.
I feel that sometimes the architectural exercise that we do every day and that drives our lives crazy stands very far from the idealistic concept of architecture as an “art expression.”
I forget due to the stress and the business-oriented job that we do, that through architecture we can create ART.
Art that is visible, palpable, reacts to the place where it is, to the light, to the wind, it shelters us… it can be an artistic exercise that collaborates with so many other disciplines and shares with us, the users, its protagonism.
Have you forgotten it same as me?
Yesterday I watched a video that reminded me off all that. A video that …
The Jean Canfield Government of Canada Building, designed by HOK in joint venture with Bergmark Guimond Hammarlund Jones in PEI, delivers on the federal government’s pledge to embrace new technologies, methodologies, partners, and means of delivering service to Canadians. Thoughtfully planned, the JC building has revitalized an underused neighbourhood, uses design to reflect the local flavour of the community, encourages employees and residents alike to use the space and sets the standard for environmentally-progressive government buildings.
The following video explores how the design team successfully met the federal government’s objectives of sustainability, supportive work environments, and connectivity, and highlights HOK’s integrated design approach to the project.
Click to …
About a year ago, we were fortunate enough to have Rebecca Nolan, Associate AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, join HOK’s St. Louis office as a senior vice president and managing principal. Her one-year anniversary seems the perfect time to spotlight Rebecca in our first Inside the Designer’s Studio post of 2010.
On the “very special kind of ambiguity” that has been designed into HOK:
On the importance of diversity in the practice of design:
On creating an environment for people to do their best work and ”selfless leadership:”
Thanks Rebecca!
Previous edition of ITDS: George Hellmuth – HOK Co-Founder
This holiday season, we are drawn to the uplifting stories of individuals whose resilience is an inspiration.
Our 2009 holiday e-card honors the creative spirit of Andrew Reach, an HOK architect whose career took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with a debilitating spine disease. Today, Andrew is an accomplished digital artist whose work inspires all of us.
Sometimes, adversity illuminates a new path.
Here’s to the new decade…
Hello everybody!!! Maybe I’m naive or just a dreamer, but I truly thought our world leaders would make a REAL deal out of the Copenhagen!!! Of course, after what happened it was like a bite of the dusty reality!!!
I would like to have your opinion about this matter – please answer my questions:
1. Can we expect anything from the world leaders?? Shall we wait for actions from them???
2. Can we do something about it??? Are you willing to do something???
3. Being American, do you realize your country has the big power to change things? Do you think people in general in the US care?
4. Do you think HOK really cares and does all we can? Do you think HOK could do more?
I …
In 1987, HOK Co-Founder George Hellmuth, FAIA (1907-1999), who retired in 1980, sat down to reflect on his career. Here are a few clips from the interview:
I like his quote about marketing an architectural practice: “There’s no way in God’s world you can get work in a hurry, on command. Nobody can get it! You’ve got to buy the field, cultivate it, plant your seed, tend it and then go out and pick it – all of which takes years.”
George was a masterful marketer, and in 1944 he wrote a 23-page memorandum on how to create a recession-proof architectural office. In his 1984 book, Architecture in the Real World: The Work of HOK, author Walter McQuade highlighted some …
If your holiday travel plans will take you through the city of Indianapolis, you’re in for an uncharacteristically uplifting experience. The Col. H. Weir Cook Terminal at Indianapolis International Airport (the first from-the-ground-up terminal constructed in the U.S. since 9/11) is light, airy, dramatic, fun – and a showcase of sustainability.
During a recent visit to Indy, I brought along my camcorder and recorded some perspectives of the building and its occupants.
http://www.vimeo.com/7938311
If this is the future of air travel, I’m encouraged.
When I wrote about Eric Lewis my prior TEDx post, I was supposed to continually update you with video’s from the conference/gathering here in Atlanta. However, I’ve been waiting to write about the lecturer’s so that I could include video footage which was taken by Unboundary.
Ciannat Howett is the director of Sustainability for Emory University and has done quite a bit for the development of the way Emory operates everything from buildings, to courses, to social events. She is a wonderful speaker and you should definately check out this video.
I love it when she talks about the expectations of the students and reveals that it’s much less about Emory marketing, and more about Emory Education and defining …
The team designing a zero emissions office building met virtually on September 29 to brainstorm about the exterior walls. HOK participants included Bill Valentine and Dave Troup in San Francisco, Mary Ann Lazarus, Tim Gaidis and Tyler Meyr in St. Louis, and Jeff “heard but never seen” Sanner in Chicago. Joining the charrette via “Thunder” from the The Weidt Group in Minneapolis were Chris Baker and Vinay Ghatti.
The video quality isn’t exactly Ken Burnsesque, but the clip does provide a fairly rare opportunity to watch some really talented designers bounce ideas off one another:
Previous ZEB posts (in chronological order):
- Onward to Zero Emissions
…
Like any cinematic production, our video experiment at Greenbuild ‘09 elicited a fair share of blooper moments. We’ve compiled a few outtakes and humorous quips below.
Check out a complete selection of Green Aha! moments on YouTube and Life at HOK.
It was a truly an inspiring moment to witness Al Gore speaking to the 30,000+ participants at Greenbuild 2009. He began by mentioning that the “Green” movement is a non-partisan initiative and that he is a retired politician – possibly as a disclaimer or possibly to engage those still living in the mindset of 1999. The sustainable movement has evolved greatly in the in the last decade and this “disclaimer” voiced to me a rallying cry that speaks to all that make simple daily decisions based on creating a better tomorrow.
I wish I could relay the message as eloquently as Gore, so I have included a clip of his speech.
It shares a comparison of old building habits and practices that …
Our first crop of Green Aha! moments harvested at Greenbuild ‘09 range from:
the Simple…
to the Illuminating…
to the Downright Quirky…
Even our very own Barb got in on the action, accompanied by a special “prop.”
Keep checking out our Green Aha! feed from Phoenix on YouTube and Life at HOK.
This is a report on the zero emissions building design charrette that took place on September 17. HOK and The Weidt Group participants in San Francisco, Toronto, St. Louis, Berkeley, Calif., and Minneapolis saved carbon emissions from air travel by using Cisco Telepresence Technology, Polyvision THUNDER Express, WebEx and HOK’s Advanced Collaboration Rooms to meet virtually.
The team designing the a zero carbon emissions office building has made lots of progress since my last ZEB post. With the final meeting fast-approaching and an affordable carbon-free solution on the horizon, it’s time to crank out some posts to catch you up on what they’ve been up to.
Finally, a Focus on the Building …
“Mary Ann and the Green Aha! Moments”
Armed with a low-carbon camcorder, two director’s chairs and a boatload of salsa mix, this quirky band of environmentalists is heading to the Great Southwest.
Our plans include rubbing elbows with Al Gore, Sheryl Crow, Anica Landreneau and dozens of other celebrity performers/speakers at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Phoenix. We’re also on a mission to gather Green Aha! moments on video (not since An Inconvenient Truth has there been such raw anticipation for an environmental production).
Here’s a short video preview of our approach:
If you’re planning to be …
In celebration of ‘the Fifth of November’, aka ‘BIM Day’ I thought I’d post some ideas of what BIM (Building Information Modeling/Management) might look like in the future. This could be 20 years or 30 years, or never, but we should never stop thinking ‘what if’. In fact, recently I’ve been thinking about the possibilities so much that I’m getting scared that I don’t really know nearly as much as I should.
At any rate, I’m going to post possible future-casting ideas for the way in which we could be using BIM in the future to harness the power of the ‘building in vitro’. Some of these ideas are simply and process software related, but a majority of the focus is …
This guy is blowing my mind – and the minds of people all over the world. I recently saw a documentary on his work and himself on tv, but this video just captured the incredible nature of his crazy-awesome talent. What a way to see our world!
Stephen Wiltshire was born and raised in the UK, he was diagnosed with autism at age three. Soon his talent and interest for drawing came to be evident, specifically his desire to draw cityscapes. Now, Stephen has gained notariety for his uncanny ability to draw stunningly detailed panoramic views of cities after only brief rides in a helicopter over the city.
The drawing shown in the …
HOK is turning the tables at Greenbuild ‘09. Instead of adorning our booth with OUR story, we’re creating a platform for telling YOURS. That’s right, it’s Open Mic Night at next week’s big conference and expo in Phoenix.
During the show, we will be inviting individuals to share their Green Aha!, the moment they first realized the importance of living and/or working “green.”
We will broadcast those inspiring tales at our booth, as well as uploading them to a YouTube Channel so others can share the experience. The most profound Aha! moments will win a free signed copy of The Green Workplace.
See you at Booth #3442. I’ll be the guy …
HOK has come a long way since making sustainability a core value in 1993. As Chairman Bill Valentine says in this new video (see if you can spot the Life at HOK bloggers): “We are not there but we are making giant strides.”
HOK President Bill Hellmuth talks about one of his favorite projects: the Sheraton Timika Eco-Hotel in New Guinea, “where the neighbors are the people who ate Michael Rockefeller.”
We recently came across evidence that Nora Akerberg, senior project manager in HOK St. Louis’ Interiors group, also worked on the Sheraton Timika project:
Here’s Nora’s description of the photo: “It was 1993 and we were in the town of Agats, which is located in the Irian Jaya province of Indonesia on the island of New Guinea. My five friends were enjoying a lazy afternoon chewing their betel nut. We had just come up the river after sourcing some small villages for local artifacts for the Timika hotel project.”
Previous edition of …
It’s a pretty typical Wednesday around the St Louis Office today – people are running in and out of meetings, travel arrangements are being made, deadlines are being met. Okay, it’s a little unusual I guess, we’re going through a rather large-scale desk rearrangement – everyone is getting a new home in a different part of the office!
As I was walking through the back hallway, I came upon our very own Rachel Peine and Donald Tate, the guy who handles all of the very important miscellany around our office and helps things run smoothly.
Apparently Donald had moved one too many heavy boxes of architects’ stuff, because I was privy to a quick …
It was a sad day for HOK’s Corporate HR team in St. Louis when they had to pay-up on a bet owed to the HOK LA Office.
Historically, the HR departments in all HOK offices have a standing tradition during any sports play-off series. The losing team in the series must parade around their respective HOK office wearing something representing the winning team. Because the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the LA Dodgers during the NLCS playoffs, the St. Louis HR department had to face the music. See their humility firsthand in this video!
Not to be outdone by Chicago, HOK WDC hosted a book-launch party for our own Leigh Stringer and her fabulous book The Green Workplace on Tuesday, October 6.
The event was held on the green roof of 700 Sixth Street, one of DC’s first LEED C&S Platinum buildings (designed by HOK, of course). The building’s developer, Akridge, gracefully allowed HOK to use the roof deck (and downstairs lobby when the fall wind and a few sprinkles picked up), as well as providing tours of the space on the fourth floor (currently tracking LEED CI Gold!). Food was …
[Click image to view 1960s TV commercial]
A favorite from my 1970s childhood, the Game of Life contained all the board-game adventure this little boy could want. A hyperactive spinner wheel. A twisting, terrained board. The opportunity to nab a wife, kids and (if all went well) a lucrative doctor’s salary.
The ultimate goal, of course, was to secure a wealthy retirement in “Millionaire Acres.” But potential pitfalls could send you to a humiliating destiny known simply as the “Poor Farm.”
It was exhilarating.
Originally introduced as The Checkered Game of Life by Milton Bradley himself in 1860, the game has gone through quite a few refinements in the past 150 years. Dollar values have skyrocketed to …
