While stuck on a plane recently I spent a little time catching up with Dwell on flipboard. One link led to another and then I came across this craziness. An island made out of legos. I’ve been our blog reporter on the lego beat it seems, keeping pulse of interesting items related to this toy we’ve all had a chance to enjoy at some point in our lives in some way. What do you think? Could you ever have an island, counter or piece of furniture in your home made out of legos? Long live legos! Image above is a print screen from the Dwell online article.
Lego what?
May 17th, 2012 by Ashley Dias, Dallas officeHarvey Launches into Research at KA Conference
May 15th, 2012 by Brian Briscoe, Dallas office
Thought leaders from all over the world came together at KA Connect 2012 to share case studies, best practices and ideas about how they organize information and manage knowledge in their firms. Tom Harvey, FAIA, MPH, FACHA, LEED AP, principal with HKS, Inc. and president of the Center for Advanced Design Research & Evaluation (CADRE), presented “Launching into Research: HKS and CADRE.”
Harvey founded CADRE to develop and implement relevant original research in the areas of architectural and engineering design solutions having an impact on end users, including occupant well-being and user effectiveness; operational performance; and sustainability of the built environment. Throughout his 35-year healthcare architecture career, he has influenced the healthcare environment with design research studies that reveal how architecture affects safety and patient visibility, improves patient outcomes and satisfaction, increases operating efficiencies, reduces nurse walking distances, simplifies design and reduces costs – while providing the highest standard of care.
KA Connect 2012 is a knowledge and information management conference for the AEC industry. This year’s conference, held April 11-12, 2012 in San Francisco, focused on three intersecting trends driving the future of practice : research, marketing and technology.
Click here to view the video presentation by Tom at KA Connect 2012.
Operation HKS Cares organizer blogs from DC
May 11th, 2012 by Louretta Denton, Dallas office
Operation HKS Cares provides Christmas care packages to US soldiers oversees each year. Recently Operation HKS Cares organizer, Louretta Denton, traveled to Washington DC to visit firsthand the heart of the nations military. Louretta also received a Joint Task Force medallion with Cassie Kennedy. Below are Louretta’s daily blogs.
April 11, 2012
DFW @ 7:00am. You know me, better early than late. While waiting for departure time we saw several soldiers . They said they were going to Afghanistan for 9mo tour. One said this was his third tour.
Arrived @BWI about 1:15. The drive from airport was full of Cherry blossoms and very beautiful. When we got to the ArmyNavyClub and checked in, this place is very nice, our room was great.
Went to the Mall for awhile and it is amazing. So much of the history of what made America the greatest nation in the world is within walking distance of where I am standing. It is a strange feeling standing in the middle of memorials and monuments of how our nation was formed. Because there have been soldiers defining the fate of our country since the beginning, I sometimes wonder, what the earliest ones would think about the job being done today?
We saw the castle, Smithsonian Info center, beautiful .
HKS Los Angeles Places 2nd in Annual Charity Bowling Tournament
May 11th, 2012 by Mandy Flynn, Los Angeles office
HKS participated in the 3rd annual Charity Bowling Tournament sponsored by Haworth and Interior Office Solutions. The HKS team “Multiple Strikes” won 2nd place and $300 for the charity of their choice, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Society helps people affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, and providing programs and services that help people with MS and their families move their lives forward.
Fifteen teams of architecture firms, interior design firms and brokers took part in the event on April 24th at Bayshore Lanes in Santa Monica, and overall $1000 was raised for various charities. Jennifer Escudero, Alex Aujero, Glenn Barton, Mandy Flynn and Stella Kim from the Los Angeles office participated. The team previously won third place last year, and is currently preparing for their first place win next year.
HKS Atlanta office – featured on Inhabitat.com
May 11th, 2012 by Stephanie Pepin, Orlando office
The HKS Atlanta office renovation has been featured on the Inhabitat.com. The website is dedicated to the future of design and tracking innovations, technologies and materials that are pushing architecture and design towards a more sustainable future. HKS is recognized as a global architecture firm with a growing reputation for sustainable design. To add to our credentials, the office in Atlanta was awarded LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors.
Kudos to those who worked on this project!… our sustainable efforts are being recognized throughout the design community. See the link below for the full article, and more photos.
http://inhabitat.com/hks-atlanta-renovates-their-office-to-be-leed-gold-for-commercial-interiors/
Interior design for non-profits
April 2nd, 2012 by Trish Martineck, Dallas officeAs a designer, Lisa Adams is compelled to improve the lives of others. She is being recognized with a Spirit Award for her philanthropic efforts working with Design for Dignity (D4D) and will be honored at a ceremony on May 10 at Venue One in Chicago. More than 450 people throughout the Midwest are expected to attend.
click here to view the full article and video.
click here for more info on Designs for Dignity.
Harvey Talks Research at KA Connect Conference
March 19th, 2012 by Trish Martineck, Dallas office
KA Connect 2012 is a knowledge and information management conference for the AEC industry. This year’s conference, to be held April 11-12, 2012 in San Francisco, will focus on three intersecting trends driving the future of practice: research, marketing and technology.
Thought leaders from all over the world will come together to share case studies, best practices and ideas about how they organize information and manage knowledge in their firms.
Tom Harvey, FAIA, MPH, FACHA, LEED AP, principal with HKS, Inc. and president of the Center for Advanced Design Research & Evaluation (CADRE), will present “Launching into Research: HKS and CADRE.”
Click here for more information on the KA Connect Conference.
College Planning & Management Magazine frontpage features HKS Interiors project
February 29th, 2012 by Brenna Lang, Orlando office
Universities around the nation are making huge strides in the design of their student facilities. College Planning & Management Magazine’s front page features the University of Central Florida’s Technology Commons I & II that breaks the mold of typical student technology labs. A design build effort by HKS and Charles Perry Partners, Inc., this multi-functional collaborative space is filled with some pretty cool technology, and has a design that invigorates the student mind. For more information, check out page 54 of this article.
Cowboys Stadium among ’50 Sports Venues to Visit Before You Die’
February 20th, 2012 by Heather Hunter, Dallas office
Have you been wanting to beef up your bucket list? Here’s a great start…
Check out HKS’s Cowboys Stadium among ’50 Sports Venues to Visit Before You Die’.
click here to see the full article.
Don’t Be Pulled Left or Right; Keep Moving Forward
February 8th, 2012 by Ralph Hawkins, Dallas office
As politicians pull us left and right, the American businessperson is simply trying to stimulate and grow his or her business. The real estate, design, and construction industry continues to go through a perfect storm. Banks are not yet lending large amounts for real estate transactions, the government has decreased capital improvements and the housing market has yet to rally. However, there are points of light occurring with public-private-partnerships, private investments, and different funds that are building projects. Read more on D Magazine’s RealPoints blog: