You think I have flipped with my new addiction to the ‘open space’ of biomimicry. But below, a FastCompany article/series called ”Case Studies in Sustainability: The Designer’s Accord“ is yet another cool dose, this time with IDEO, an incredible thinking-powerhouse in their effort to redesign the internal structure of the USGBC. My dream is that HOK can muster the courage to look at how we are organized…and how we might become more resilient and organic…more nimble…inclusive…able to adapt and evolve with the speed of this new world economy.

A regenerative HOK would be our greatest contribution to sustainability.
 

Our clients clearly need this and I know if we listen carefully …

Here at HOK we work very closely with the Biomimicry Guild - heck, I sit right next to our resident “Biologist at the Design Table”, Taryn Mead.  We’ve done many projects together, and they’re great collaborators – They’re always on board with whatever we’re planning.

It is only fitting, then, that we get on board with what they’re now planning – The Great TV Rebellion of 2010.  Sponsored by the Biomimicry Institute, they are encouraging children (young and old) to get off of the couch and into the natural world for Earth Week. So – TAKE THE PLEDGE and turn off your electronic devices and go interact with …

Another installment in our series about the inspiring women of HOK (not to say that our men aren’t inspiring, too!): Meet Jeannette Thompson, Business Communications Specialist in the HOK Planning Group. While Jeannette calls St. Louis her home, she supports the HOK network throughout the world. You also know her as one of the Life@HOK blogstar team and future American Idol judge! Jeannette is a true superstar and I hope you enjoy getting to know her a bit better.

Q: What’s a typical day in the life of Jeannette Thompson?

A typical day involves a morning routine that is anything but typical, …

This is a report on the zero emissions building virtual design charrette that took place in HOK’s Advanced Collaboration Rooms in San Francisco, Toronto and St. Louis on 31 July 2009. Lots of video clips at the end!

This meeting began with a restating of the goal of designing a zero emissions building design that will reduce the energy requirements for a traditional St. Louis office building of 150,000-200,000 square feet by 70-80 percent. They will use on-site renewable energy sources to get the rest of the way to zero emissions.

Because energy conservation typically costs less than energy generation, the team is using off-the-shelf technologies to design a building that consumes 17-18 KTBUs …

I can’t believe it has already been a week since our incredible visit to Helena, Montana, with our friends at the Biomimicry Guild.  Never…ever…ever…ever did I think I could be more moved by the potential for the Alliance.  I wish all our HOKers and everyone else reading this could have been there to plug in. Maybe we need a good virus!

One of the best discussions we had was about how nature extracts elements from water and reuses everything. We brainstormed new green industry opportunities for river cities — and talked specifically about how to extract critical elements from the Missouri River.  

I don’t know if it’s an eerie coincidence or divine …

I have the incredible fortune to be in Montana right now with a unique ensemble of biomimicrists, a planner, an architect and an engineer, all of which despite their diverse backgrounds, are birds of a feather. As part of HOK’s alliance with the Biomimicry Guild, we’re here cooking up some big ideas for our clients today and tomorrow. It is so exciting to be a part of this convergence that is forging a new path, based on some very old principles, for a more sustainable future. One thought for the day which came from Gerry Faubert “…designing uni-functional buildings is like designing a city with only one-way …

It is an exciting time to do what we do. In a couple weeks I will be back in India with our Lavasa team seeing first hand this series of communities taking shape. Each time we go, the collaboration with our clients and partners at the Biomimicry Guild and Buro Happold is enriched with new ideas for a more sustainable future and new breakthroughs for how we can incorporate nature’s genius into solutions for the built environment.   There is an energy now in the design community that you can’t help but be excited about.  Just check out the …

We’ve read about it. We’ve implemented it into our projects. We even have an exclusive alliance in relation to it. On Thursday morning, with Janine Benyus (co-founder of the Biomimicry Guild) in town for a lecture series at Washington University, biomimicry took over the HOK St. Louis office.
 
In advance of the arrival of the esteemed Benyus and her studies in the world of biology, several members of the St. Louis office created a biomimetic product gallery to entice other colleagues in the design studio to contemplate bio-inspired design. Items included PAX Fan prototypes, Stocoat Lotusan self-cleaning paint, Columbia Forest Products PureBond hardwood plywood, even a Speedo Fastskin FSII brief (the …

I know. I promised to try and frequently blog and post pictures from Greenbuild. I failed. Not for lack of effort. More like lack of time. Maybe next year.

As I look back on this trip, the most amazing thing about this event is the people – a people inspired by change. Everyone is cordial, welcoming and friendly. Everyone’s looking for answers to the growing questions surrounding sustainable design. Many answers are provided.

With my first trip to Greenbuild in the books, I’d like to walk you through it from my perspective as an exhibitor and not an attendee.

Monday, November 17, 2008
6:20 am – Flight leaves for Boston via DC. Much coffee needed.
11:15 am – Flight lands in Boston. Tim Gaidis and …