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Design Fellowship VI Recap: The Fair Park “Stroll”

Friday, August 31st, 2012

 

As promised here’s a look at the first team’s proposal for a re-envisioned Fair Park.  The team members include James Banda (Dallas Office – Healthcare Architecture, Becky Luthman (Chicago Office – Healthcare Interiors), Clayton Holmes (Dallas Office – Commercial/Hospitality), and Bart Mangold (Student, SCAD).  What if you could layer activities across the entire park and create an entirely new identity?  See what the “Stroll” team says:

Despite resting only one mile from the CBD of Dallas TX, Fair Park has a reputation of being an unsafe, isolated and segregated site.  Although considered one of Dallas’ signature parks, Fair Park lacks any significant recreational green space that one usually associates with a Park.  The Park fails to fully engage its two primary audiences:  local residents looking for regular access to a neighborhood hub, and regional visitors looking for an inviting, innovative destination unique to North Texas.    

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HKS Named #1 Best Place to Work for Large Companies in Los Angeles

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

 

Honorees, left to right: Niel Prunier of HKS Architects, Inc.; Cathleen Bucholtz of True Partners Consulting; Nick Hedges of Leads360 Inc.; Devon Zopfi of Vaco Los Angeles LLC; Dena Hall of Ryan LLC; Ming Chan of The1stMovement; Bell de Souza of Mansour Travel; Bob Lamont of North Highland; Aaron Brown of New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Southern California.

 

HKS was named the #1 Best Place to Work in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ). The company was recognized at an awards luncheon at the JW Marriott Los Angeles on August 16, 2012, where Associate Niel Prunier was present to accept the award for HKS.

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2011 HKS Design Fellowship VI Recap: Re-Envisioning Fair Park

Thursday, August 23rd, 2012

Women's Museum at Fair Park - Fellows site visit

HKS Design Fellowship VII (HKSdf) is right around the corner so we thought we’d recap HKSdf VI and highlight the work of all the talented design fellows.  To get to know a bit more about them check out their application entries on Facebook here. (If you’re not already familiar with the HKSdf, see what it’s all about here.)  Now, on to the design problem.  Here’s what the design fellows received just prior to their arrival:

“Since its inception as the grounds for the Dallas State Fair in 1886, through its (more…)

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Emergency Departments and Their LINK to the U.S. Supreme Court

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

HKS LINK magazine is a new quarterly publication focused on communicating our knowledge and expertise about the latest issues and trends that impact our clients. The name LINK was chosen because it conveys conversations and connections of all types – among and between clients, professional colleagues, industry experts, students – all seeking fresh and current information.

Each issue will concentrate on one topic, giving the reader easily digestible information and something of value as a takeaway. All issues of LINK can be found on our website under the News section http://hksinc.com/mag/link/issue01.aspx, so check back often.

In the premier issue, LINK discusses the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the individual mandate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and the impact of the act on emergency departments across the country. In the article, “The PPACA: Will it Affect ED Operations and Design?” the experts of HKS Team ED share their insights and vast knowledge about the PPACA and the changes that might take place now and in the near future.

Additionally, you will find ways to increase the efficiency, flexibility and security of emergency departments in the article titled, “Designing Today’s ED: 6 Steps to Improve Patient Care.”

In “Dreams Really Do Come True,” read about how ED concepts developed over 10 years ago by HKS are now becoming a reality.

Finally, HKS Team ED Designer and Director David Vincent, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, shares a very personal story about how ED design became his passion.

We hope you’ll enjoy this, and future issues of LINK.

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Hunter Speaks as a Panelist

Monday, July 9th, 2012

HKS Architects, Inc. participated in the Bisnow LA Construction and Development Summit on June 25th at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. In addition to hosting an exhibit, HKS LA Managing Principal Scott Hunter spoke as part of a panel of local AE professionals on the current and future state of Los Angeles construction and development. 250 attendees listened as Hunter and 3 other panelists (Andrew Millar, Hensel Phelps Construction; Tony Moayed, Tricorp Construction; and Chris Barton, Hudson Pacific Properties) provided insight into the future of construction for LA. CBRE senior managing director Robert Peddicord moderated the session.

Hunter told the audience that the firm’s LA office has grown 50% in 18 months by doing diverse projects. Not all are large-scale, but developers are starting to scout for projects, and the market is coming around slowly. However, the financial condition of government clients is still a concern. Case in point, HKS was awarded a major renovation of the federal building in Westwood, only to have the GSA pull the plug.

Hensel Phelps executive development manager Andrew Millar manages the area from San Diego up to the Santa Barbara County line. Two years ago, nothing was being budgeted, even in the private sector. Now, he’s got numerous projects in the budget stages, with growth driven by hospitality, high-rise residential, and healthcare. What keeps him sleepless in SoCal? The RFP process: going through design competitions and spending millions to chase a project; money the firm will never recoup.

According to Hunter, one of the challenges is designing creative space for tech or entertainment tenants that are looking for one-story bow-truss buildings with parking in front, while their developers can only make mid-rise buildings with structured parking work. Moayed and Millar agreed that one answer is design-build. Having a team from the start working on costs and efficiencies is better than trying to work in a vacuum. According to Millar, you’re getting real-time data and construction feedback, so it’s a better end product for the owner.

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Operation HKS Cares organizer blogs from DC

Friday, May 11th, 2012

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 . 

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HKS Los Angeles Places 2nd in Annual Charity Bowling Tournament

Friday, May 11th, 2012

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.

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HKS Design Fellowship Fellows Announced

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Where has the time gone. Another year and another great set of Design Fellows for 2011. Take a look for yourself by clicking here.

I’m so excited for what the weekend of November 11th is going to have in store.  Last year proved to be invaluable; blending both student and young designers to create magic in both creativity and energy.  This year will be no exception.

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What Really Matters

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Building and strengthening the firm’s design culture while spreading the value of design to local communities is the vision of the HKS Design Fellowship. The Fellowship – founded in 2006 – brings together the firm’s brightest design-minded talent from all over the world and pairs them with students to work on a specific design problem in the community. The goal: cultivate emerging design talent, excite and stimulate new ideas, and deepen the design philosophy across all of HKS’s offices in an effort to continue to raise the quality of design. Going beyond an isolated design exercise, the charrette seeks participation from key community stakeholders. The product of each year’s event is a deliverable that may be used to help further the issue being addressed. The 2010 HKS Design Fellows worked – on a pro-bono basis – with Omar Jahwar, founder and chief visionary officer of Vision Regeneration, to design a new inner-city community center expansion aimed at reducing crimes committed by teens in South Dallas/Oak Cliff.  HKS Design Fellowship drawings and documents are being used as marketing materials for Vision Regeneration’s fundraising efforts.  The center is projected to open in 2013.

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2011 IIDA Orange County Haute Couture Fashion Show

Friday, May 20th, 2011

HKS Architects, Inc. was honored by the IIDA at the 11th annual Orange County IIDA Haute Couture Fashion Show. The event was held April 21 at Samueli Theater in Costa Mesa, California. HKS won an award for “Best New Construction” for their Frank Lloyd Wright concept and dress design within the program’s theme “Form Follows Fashion.”

“Form Follows Fashion 2011” celebrates the most recognized and distinguished architects throughout history. Orange County’s interior design and architecture firms, independent designers and students competed in a runway showdown using only materials and finishes typically used in commercial interiors. All materials are donated by textile and furniture manufacturers. HKS’s fabrics were donated by Momentum Textiles and Archi.Txture.

The 11th Annual Haute Couture Fashion Show benefitted both the IIDA Southern California Chapter Student Scholarships Free Arts – a non-profit organization that integrates the healing and therapeutic power of the arts into the lives of children and youth, and Working Wardrobes – a non-profit Orange County organization that helps adults in crisis to confidently enter the workforce through career development and wardrobe services.

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