INNOVATE Issue 05

HKS is managed by a four-person executive committee comprised of (left to right) M. Nunzio DeSantis, Executive Vice President; H. Ralph Hawkins, President and CEO; Ronald L. Skaggs, Chairman; and J. Craig Beale, Executive Vice President.

FALL/WINTER 2006

READERS

DEAR

It’s hard to believe that this is our fifth issue of INNOVATE magazine. The magazine has been a great way to share design industry information and focus on our clients’ projects.

In this issue, the spotlight is on Lamar Hunt and his sons Clark and Dan. The family has been a tremendous supporter of national sports and contributor to the Dallas community. We have also included a variety of feature articles including the new urbanist Walker Creek Elementary School in North Richland Hills; the opening of the hip W Dallas Victory Hotel & Residences; and the transformation of Solana for First American Corporation.

A second focus of this issue is on healthcare. We take a look at designs that enhance the entire healthcare experience for patients, physicians, staff, and visitors – specifically Clarian West Medical Center. Al Gatmaitan, FACHE, president and CEO of Clarian West Medical Center and Norman Morgan, AIA, principal at HKS teamed to write this in-depth article focused on the hospital’s success regarding staff and patient satisfaction, safety, and infection control. George Mann, Texas A&M University professor, and I worked together to write an article that hints at what an architectural office might look like in 2020.

Please enjoy this issue of INNOVATE. Thanks again to all of our consultants and contractor friends for making this possible. We value our strong relationships with you.

Sincerely,

H. Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, FACHA President and CEO

FALL/WINTER 2006

VOLUME 3, NUMBER 1

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FEATURES

DESIGN DETAILS HKS Ranked in Top-10, Abeyta Selected “40 Under 40”, UK Concepts, 3-D Jungle at Edinburg, Hawkins Named CEO of the Year, Heading Southwest.

THE HUNT FOR SPORTS The father and son trio of Lamar, Clark, and Dan Hunt discuss their family’s success in the world of pro football and soccer and what’s next on the horizon.

A NEW-URBANIST MODEL OF LEARNING Step into an urbanist elementary school that focuses on student learning as it relates to the classroom and surrounding community.

VICTORY BEGINS WITH W The newest Dallas hot spot is the W Dallas Victory Hotel & Residences. The tower’s ultra-modern design is the centerpiece of Victory development.

A CLEAR CONNECTION AT SOLANA A creative design solution helped First American Corporation decide on its new home in Westlake. The former headquarters of IBM, Solana has been transformed for FAC. DESIGN MEETS THE HEALTHCARE BOTTOM LINE Today’s healthcare facility designs are focused on the bottom line. Clarian West is an example of design enhancing the entire healthcare experience.

THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM OF THE FUTURE Architectural firms are already preparing for the year 2020. Ralph Hawkins and George Mann share valuable insight on the subject.

credits EDITORIAL HKS Communications; DESIGN HKS GrafxLab; PHOTO cover: HKS, Inc.; pg. 1: HKS, Inc.; pg. 4: cover of magazine: bdWorld Architecture; photo of Eddie Abeyta - HKS, Inc.; photo of students - Texas A&M University; pg. 5: Edinburg Childrens Hospital - Ed LaCasse; photo of Ralph Hawkins - Jane Day Loter, Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News; Nebraska Heart Institute - Paul Brokering Photography; pg. 6/7: HKS, Inc.; pg. 8: HKS, Inc.; pg. 9: (top and bottom) HKS, Inc.; pg. 10/11: HKS, Inc.; pg. 12/13 HKS, Inc.; pg. 15: HKS, Inc.; pg. 16: (left and right) HKS, Inc.; pg. 17: (left and right) HKS, Inc.; pg. 18: HKS, Inc.; pg. 20: (top and bottom) HKS, Inc.; pg. 21: HKS, Inc.; pg. 22: (all photos) Ed LaCasse; page 24: (left and right) Ed LaCasse; page 25: (all photos) Ed LaCasse.

PUBLISHING Innovative Publishing Ink. IPI specializes in creating custom magazines for businesses. Please direct inquiries to Aran Jackson at 502.423.7272 or ajackson@ipipublishing.com 3

HKS RANKED

TOPTEN Continuing to climb the architectural survey charts, HKS is ranked the ninth largest architectural firm in the world, according to BD World Architecture’s Top 200 issue. In regard to market-specific sectors, HKS is ranked number one in healthcare, number two in hotels, number four in sports stadiums, and number nine in leisure. Data was gathered from firms across the globe who were asked to volunteer details for inclusion in the Top 200. The survey is one of leading indicators of the global architectural profession’s development.

design

DE

40UNDER40 Eddie Abeyta, AIA, HKS principal designer was selected one of the “40 Under 40” most prestigious individuals working in the architecture, construction, and engineering fields by Building Design & Construction magazine. “We have worked with many great architects from different firms over the years including Frank Gehry,” said Craig Hall, chairman, Hall Financial Group. “Eddie is the most talented and unusual architect that I have worked with in all of my experience. I would expect that Eddie will become one of the great architects of our time.”

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UKCONCEPTS Texas A&M University College of Architecture students were asked to design a health facility of the future in the United Kingdom. RyderHKS International Ltd. arranged for 23 students to design the Hatfield Hospital for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, just 20 miles outside of London. Project designs for the 920-bed specialized cancer center emphasized sustainable architecture aimed at conserving natural resources. Students also presented alternative healthcare delivery design concepts to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS).

A 3D JUNGLE IN TEXAS When developing a new addition for Edinburg Children’s Hospital in Edinburg, Texas, hospital administrative staff and HKS Architects hired renowned, international artist Roark Gourley who is best known for his artwork at the Smithsonian Institute. Today, a giraffe, lion, toucan, monkey, and pink flamingo, all designed in three-dimensions, are staged in the main lobby entry to intrigue and provide positive distractions for kids and adults of all ages.

TAILS CEO OF THE

YEAR HEADING SOUTHWEST The Stein-Cox Group is becoming HKS Phoenix. This dynamic merger brings HKS to the southwest, offering its architectural services through a unique collaboration that will benefit clients located in Arizona and nationwide. The Phoenix office, specializing in healthcare, corporate, hospitality, and sports projects, will remain locally managed by co-founder, Mo Stein. The Stein-Cox Group, founded in 1987, has completed more than $2 billion in construction including work at the Nebraska Heart Institute and Hospital (shown above), Arizona Heart Institute and Hospital, Sun Health, Banner Health System, and Catholic Healthcare West.

According to management gurus, business leaders bring the team’s vision to life. This insight was taken to task by HKS’s president and CEO, Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, FACHA. In 2006, he was named the “CEO of the Year” in the large firm category by PSMJ, the leading management consulting firm for the architecture/engineering/construction industries. Hawkins was noted for his leadership in expanding the firm geographically and into expanding markets as well as an open-door brand of leadership, mentoring, and training for the firm’s 1,100-plus staff.

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T HE L EGACY O F T H E L A M A R H U N T F A M I LY

L

amar Hunt has been one of America’s leading sports entrepreneurs for over four decades. Hunt’s claims to fame include founding the American Football League (AFL), steadily contributing to Major League Soccer (MLS), and having a continued influence on today’s National Football League (NFL) – even accidentally naming the Super Bowl. Today, his dedication and commitment to sports have been passed to the next generation of Hunts – sons Clark, Dan, and Lamar, Jr., and daughter Sharron Munson.

The family’s passion for sports began with Lamar Hunt. Hunt was the principle AFL negotiator in the 1966 merger between the AFL and the NFL, paving the way for much of the modern growth of the game. Since that time, he has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As the founder and owner of the AFL/NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs franchise, Hunt helped provide Kansas City with a team that became the winningest in the 10-year history of the AFL, earning spots in two of the first four Super Bowls, including a victory in Super Bowl IV over the Minnesota Vikings. Today, Clark Hunt, a 19-year business veteran and lifetime fan, carries the title chairman of the board of the Chiefs.

For more than 40 years, the Hunts have been a driving force in soccer in America – from becoming the lead investor in the Dallas Tornado Soccer Club of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1967 to a charter investor in today’s MLS.

Most recently, the Hunts formed a unique team comprised of their business, Hunt Sports Group, and the Frisco Independent School District, the City of Frisco, and Collin County to build a soccer-specific stadium and 17-field complex for FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas. Lamar, Clark, and Dan not only played vital roles in developing the deal, they also were instrumental in planning and building the new facility.

Pizza Hut Park, designed by the HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, has become the prototypical soccer venue in the United States.

Today, the stadium and adjacent championship-quality soccer fields host youth, national, and international soccer matches.

Of his four children, two – Clark and Dan – are actively involved in the business. Lamar serves as chairman, Clark is vice chairman, and Dan is vice president of Hunt Sports Group, located in downtown Dallas.

“ I feel that Pizza Hut

Park is the finest of the new soccer-specific facilities that have been built so far.

”

– Lamar Hunt

HKS: Lamar, you have played a critical role in organizing the AFL (now, the American Football Conference of the NFL) and MLS Soccer. Are you passing on this tradition to your sons, Clark and Dan? Lamar: Clark and Dan have grown up as sports enthusiasts. I didn’t require them to watch and participate in sports. They just naturally gravitated toward it. Growing up as Kansas City Chiefs fans, the boys were able to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the business of sports. It is one thing to see a game, but it’s another to figure out how to fill the seats and please the fans.

HKS: Lamar, how did you come up with the name Super Bowl?

Lamar: In 1966, Pete Rozelle appointed a committee to firm up the merger agreement between the AFL and the NFL. Following the merger, many details were not yet finalized. I began asking questions like, “Will there be one week or two weeks before the championship game?” and “Where will the game take place?” Another committee member asked, “What do you mean by championship game?” I said, “You know, the final game, the last game, the Super Bowl.” To the best of my recollection, I think that the name came from my children’s Wham-O “Super Balls” that my wife had given them.

From that point, it just stuck.

Although Rozelle continued to call it the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, the media picked up on Super Bowl immediately.

To add class to the Super Bowl name, several years later we added Roman numerals. It wasn’t until Super Bowl IV that the name was more or less formalized. Rozelle seemed to like that addition. Now, the big mistake is that I didn’t have the sense to copyright the name.

“ In all of my years

in pro sports, this has been the most enjoyable construction project with which I have been associated. I attribute much of that to the professionalism of HKS.

”

– Lamar Hunt

HKS: What was it like growing up with a father who is a sports icon? Do you have a favorite memory or story that, in your mind, best describes your father?

Dan: How many fathers named the Super Bowl?

Only one – Lamar Hunt. Another one of my father’s notable achievements is the ultimate incorporation of the two-point conversion rule for the NFL. This was used in college and the old AFL games. He fought for 25 years, following the AFL/NFL merger, to include this as part of the fan-friendly game. Today, through his tenacity, fans enjoy added edge-of-the-

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seat excitement and teams pick up extra scoring opportunities.

Clark: This is an example of why Lamar has been such a success in his career. He looks at the sports business as a long-term venture – not a short, one- to two-year challenge. That’s why he continues to persevere.

HKS: Did you, Clark and Dan, participate in sports growing up? What was your favorite sport? What was the best advice your father gave you about that sport?

Dan: My favorite sport was anything that I won. We played football and soccer, and participated in track. Our dad always gave us soccer balls and footballs. So, that kind of set the stage. My dad was constantly out in the yard playing sports with us. However, one thing that he never did is throw a baseball with us.

Even though he played it, he can’t sit through a baseball game. He’s usually good for about six innings. Today, I’m asked which sport do I prefer, football or soccer. To be honest, I like both of them equally for different reasons. In regard to advice from my father, he always told me to “keep working at it” to be the best player possible.

Clark: I started playing soccer when I was 7 years old. In 1972, I was part of the first generation of Dallas youth to begin to play soccer.

Many of us were encouraged to join the sport with the introduction of the pro soccer team, the Dallas Tornado. Today, my son is already a soccer player at age 4. Like my father, I will tell to him to “work hard at it and be persistent.”

HKS: You are a unique father/son(s) management team. Why do you think the three of you work well together?

Clark: All three of us are very close. You can’t work together every day without having a good relationship with each other. I feel that our success is credited to Lamar. He gives us the space to express our views and contribute in areas throughout the company. To some degree, we have different interests working in the sports business. Lamar is the “idea-aminute” leader who focuses on marketing and promotions, making sure fans are enjoying the game. I’m more involved in the strategy and nuts-and-bolts of the business strategy while Dan has a keen interest in player recruitment and stadium development.

HKS: The recently opened Pizza Hut Park is making its mark on the soccer world. Has it achieved the goals you set? What makes Pizza Hut Park a special place for soccer in this country?

Lamar: I feel that Pizza Hut Park is the finest of the new soccer-specific facilities that have been built so far.

Clark: Pizza Hut Park is a quality facility in every way. The synergy of the park has boosted our fan and corporate sponsor support.

Attendance is up 25 percent from our days at the Cotton Bowl. The facility also lets us better serve our corporate sponsors both in the stadium and on the surrounding soccer fields.

It’s the first complex to combine a significant number of fields for youth soccer, which has been popular for 30 years, and professional soccer in one complex. The stage area, for concerts, also has proved beneficial for yearround use. This combined marketing value has allowed our corporate sponsorships to increase severalfold.

Dan: Having a quality training field has been a huge benefit to the team. Professional soccer clubs from all over the world want to train at Pizza Hut Park. We’ve talked to teams in England, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. These are the international soccer community’s high-profile clubs. In turn, this will result in many international games at Pizza Hut Park.

HKS: Why do you think architecture is important? What is your favorite story about working with HKS? Dan: There isn’t a bad seat in the house. In my travels throughout Europe, the same is not true. Their stadiums often have many encumbered seats. It’s our intimate atmosphere, with a below-grade bowl, which makes it classically American and, most importantly, fan-friendly.

Lamar: We are proud to have had the opportunity to work with HKS to create a worldclass sporting facility that celebrates not only Texas, but the sport of soccer as well. HKS designers knew what they were talking about when it came to ratios, revenue considerations, and fan amenities. They also enhanced the facility with the inclusion of four uniquely designed, weather-protected plaza boxes for the fans, as well as the liberal use of landscaping including trees both inside and outside the stadium. In all of my years in pro sports, this has been the most enjoyable construction project with which I have been associated. I attribute much of that to the professionalism of HKS. HKS: Your family has been involved in the foundation of MLS. What are your hopes for the next generation of Hunts?

Lamar: People think that soccer must draw fans like the NFL does or it’s not successful.

But, that’s not true. Soccer doesn’t need to be played in 90,000-seat stadiums. It can be hosted in smaller, more intimate, and more profitable venues. FC Barcelona recently played three games in eight days across America,

drawing 240,000 people for their “friendly” exhibition games. This shows that there is an audience for soccer in this country. We have to continue to build interest in soccer as well as FC Dallas. Interest wasn’t always there for the Dallas Cowboys or the Kansas City Chiefs.

It takes time to catch on.

Clark: I don’t know if my kids will be a part of the business, but I hope they are sports fans.

Dan and I are beginning our “coaching careers” with my 4-year-old, Knobel. He’s already watching sports on television and screaming, “he shoots, he scores!”

On September 30, 2005, St. Mark’s School of Texas dedicated the Norma and Lamar Hunt Family Stadium, honoring the couple who is tantamount with athletics as well as with St. Mark’s. The new, state-of-the-art athletic facility was a gift from Clark and Dan, both St. Mark’s alumni, and other school supporters.

Pizza Hut Park details: Top: Restaurant and Bar, Below: Front Gate.

Serving as an important part of the St. Mark’s community for 40 years, the Hunts have earned a reputation of being St. Mark’s most enthusiastic fans. They often were known to serve soft drinks and cook hamburgers in support of the Lions under Friday night lights, produce highlight films for the boys and their families, serve as volunteer stats-keepers, and regularly provided cookies and hot chocolate at away games.

This goes to prove that once a sports fan, always a sports fan. Whether it’s small-school sports held on a hometown field or the pro leagues at a professional stadium, fans can bet that the Hunt name will continue to be synonymous with the steady growth and popularity of sports.

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A NEW

URBANIST MODEL OF

LEARNING BY: MARK VANDERVOORT, AIA, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HKS EDUCATIONAL GROUP

---z

Elementary students in Texas will be taking out their notebooks this year – their Intel Centrino wireless notebooks. A byproduct of the latest generation of thinkers, the school’s approach to learning and urbanist setting is built to inspire students and faculty alike.

a true neighborhood environment,” said Gietama. “The Hometown development is intertwined with pedestrian-friendly, treelined boulevards and wide sidewalks and inter-connected parks, plazas, and playgrounds with plenty of green space.”

The new Walker Creek Elementary School in North Richland Hills is designed around long- and short-term flexibility to accommodate various activities, groups, and varied models of learning. Its learning environment is meant to be experimental and inspiring to those learning, working, and visiting.

The elementary school is located across the road from the future city recreation center, performing arts center, and city library.

The school is an integral part of the residential community, allowing kids to walk, bike, or be dropped off by parents on their way to work.

A NEW URBANIST NEIGHBORHOOD

LEARNING ORGANIZATION FOR THE FUTURE

Part of a new urban community located in North Richland Hills, the elementary school is located in the heart of the master planned Hometown development – underway by community developer, William Gietema, CEO, Arcadia Realty.

The Walker Creek Elementary School is designed for contemporary learning. The new urbanist approach aligned strategically with the values and educational principles of the school district.

“The new Hometown urbanist design represents the community’s desire to return to

“We asked ourselves, how will learning take place in the 21st century?” said Dr. Stephen Waddell, superintendent of the Birdville

Independent School District. “The answer, for us, was based on Peter Drucker’s learning community model. Instead of a factory model of learning, where students are pushed through school like assembly line parts, the new model focuses on pulling kids through school – considering their individual needs first and foremost.”

Another example, The University of Dayton’s ArtStreet, promotes learning at its housing and arts education complex. “The academic institution addresses how, why, and where students learn,” he continued. “Gathering areas and nooks for collaboration are located throughout the residence hall.”

A CREATIVE DESIGN PROCESS Drucker believes that education is synonymous with change and growth. His theory notes that schools should be learning organizations that continually evolve and recreate themselves to thrive in a changing world.

The Walker Creek Elementary School takes those tenets to task by engaging kids with activities that take place outside of the traditional classroom in adjacent, flexible teaming studios. Informal gathering spaces and other open areas replace traditional corridors and encourage student interaction.

Wireless connectivity allows virtual learning anytime and in any place – whether you’re in the school building, outside, or sitting on a park bench in Hometown.

When considering building their first new elementary school in 10 years, the Birdville Independent School District issued a request for qualifications to design a forward-looking elementary school and followed that with a design competition. The selected education design architect was HKS, Inc. Waddell managed a design process that allowed the infusion of new ideas. He invited many staff and community stakeholders to participate as design committee members. He even involved keynote speaker Ian Jukes, an educational futurist, to prime the group and challenge everyone to think outside the box.

The committee participated in an intensive series of design work sessions to brainstorm a conceptual school plan.

FUTURISTIC EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES The new elementary school took its cue from other innovative facilities that Waddell visited prior to being hired as the Birdville Independent School District superintendent.

The IBM Palisades Executive Conference Center in New Jersey was one of them. “I knew that I wanted our school to include aspects of this facility,” said Waddell. “It is one of the most technologically advanced conference destinations that I have visited.”

The conference center also incorporates the outside environment into its learning culture.

Outside gathering areas and landscaped, manicured grounds provide a soothing backdrop for learning.

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To make sure that these progressive ideas were implemented in the future, Waddell hired a new school principal based on her forward-looking management style and work plan.

Involving teachers, students, parents, and community members, from the conceptual design phase through project opening and ongoing involvement in school operations, has fostered a true community-based school.

“This school is designed so that the community can use it after hours,” said Waddell.

“Community and library rooms up front, for example, are open to learning opportunities for adults and meetings after hours, even while other parts of the building are secured.”

THE ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE The new-urbanist design posed a number of challenges for the team. The first design issue had to do with the placement of the elementary school to complement the urban setting. Given that the building was in the center of Hometown development, it had to be aesthetically pleasing from all sides. To meet the challenge, designers created a village-like, public street side and a private park-like, green side.

Zoning mandates affected design decision.

The building had to be located at the corner of the site, requiring designers to rethink the typical elementary school layout of the parent pick-up and drop-off area. Today, the parent drop-off and playground areas co-exist through the use of a common space, the patio.

book, Working on the Work, are conversing with Schlechty through blogs to improve educational processes at Walker Creek Elementary School.

“The focus of the book is engaging students with work that they want to do,” said Marta White, principal, Walker Creek Elementary School. “Instead of focusing solely on the teacher or students, we are centered on the work and the environment in which work is completed. This new school lets us test Schlechty’s theories by taking learning outside of the traditional classroom. Being wireless, we can teach in a peer or group environment literally anywhere inside or outside of the building.”

“During mid-day, the patio is gated off from vehicular access to serve as a paved play area,” said Jess Corrigan, AIA, principal-in charge, HKS, Inc. “There is no parking available on the patio, which helps preserve a safe, child-oriented environment. It is often used for community events like barbeques, art fairs, and school carnivals.”

The building has two wings, academic and public. The one-story public wing houses the gym and cafetorium. The two-story classroom wing is organized around multipurpose classrooms and flexible teaming areas centered in grade-level pods.

“To promote flexible use, the teaming spaces are outfitted with mobile furniture to change configurations – accommodating scaleable interaction and various groups, activities, and schedules,” added Corrigan.

THE RESULT Noted educational guru, Phillip Schlechty is weighing in on the new school environment.

Each week, educators who are reading his

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V

ICTORY BEGI

If Dallas’s city motto is “live large, think big,” the W Dallas - Victory hotel and residences serves as a beacon to the area’s “live in luxury, think big” lifestyle.

It’s the new place to be and be seen.

From its cowboy-cool living room that showcases a glowing glass wall to its glass-floor Ghostbar balcony, the W offers its guests a unique and memorable experience from start to finish. Dallas-based HKS, Inc., a top-five national architectural firm, took the honors of designing the city’s latest star.

W Dallas - Victory, positioned at the forefront of Victory Park, a 72-acre master planned mixed-use development, transforms a desolate brownfield site into a place with strong identity and contrasting character.

According to HKS designer Eddie Abeyta, metaphorically, the W tower serves as the campanile, or bell tower, to Victory’s public plaza. “Positioned at the southern edge of Victory’s plaza, the W transforms what was

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characterized as an undefined space into a dense urban place.

“The tower evokes a modern, progressive expression that reshapes the Dallas skyline,” continued Abeyta. “It speaks to the future of Dallas with its modern, progressive architecture which is in contrast to many of the existing downtown buildings. Its cantilevered projecting wing allows the building to poetically meet the sky. The hotel, with its sweeping glass curves, speaks of attitude, sophistication, and style.”

The project was completed through a partnership among Hillwood, Gatehouse Capital Corporation, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Shopworks was the hotel interior designer, while MorrisonSeifertMurphy was the north tower’s condominium interior design architect while Cadwallader Design, Inc. designed the south condominium interiors.

INS WITH

T

he 252-room, hip hotel offers energetic ambience including a vibrant living room lobby and a signature restaurant. Rising above the hotel’s top floors, to the north and south, are 144 luxury condominiums.

Other distinctive characteristics of the property include a full-service Bliss Spa, an infinity edge pool on the 16th floor, fitness facility on the 17th floor overlooking downtown, extensive meeting space, and the area’s most chic ultra-lounge, Ghostbar.

Guests can sip cocktails and step outside to take in the stunning panoramic views of Dallas on a glass-floor observation deck.

Residents have access to 24-hour room service, daily maid amenities, and concierge services. Guests and owners will share many of the same perks including the spa, pool, meeting spaces, and, of course, the Ghostbar.

The hotel’s service philosophy – “Whatever/Whenever ® (as long as it’s legal).”

W Dallas - Victory marketing manager Kristin Walker notes that guest dreams and desires are fulfilled with whatever they want, whenever they want it. “Whether it’s a bathtub filled with hot chocolate or a wedding dress delivered by helicopter, we’re taking service to the next level,” she said.

Hotel staff make sure that guests know when an overnight package has arrived through text messaging, take care of the pooch, and offer a sweet dreams pillow menu that offers full body, neck roll, firm PrimaLoft, or 100 percent goose down feather pillows.

The orientation of the W Dallas – Victory south tower also caters to guests with perfect

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views of the surrounding city while preserving sightlines for north residents above the hotel, according to Abeyta. “The interior design is meant to complement and accentuate the building’s exterior.”

Materials and finishes from Texas’s rich history are incorporated into W hotel rooms.

Rustic limestone, snakeskins, pony skin, and leather mix with the glamorous new Dallas of glass, mirror, and steel.

“By using polished concrete floors with contrasting plush shag carpet in the living room and crystal chandeliers that look like rain, a space is created that people feel comfortable visiting in jeans or a wedding dress,” said Kimberly Nunn, hotel interior designer for Shopworks. “Visitors and guests are led into the building with a glowing glass wall that bisects the space. The entry porte-cochere defies a typical large hotel

experience with its intimate garden and hanging basket chairs.”

Like the hotel spaces, residential interiors incorporate premium finishes, providing a stunning backdrop for stylish living and entertaining. Flexible floor plans flow seamlessly into oversized terraces or private rooftop gardens. Interiors are spacious with 10-foot ceilings and are appointed luxuriously with gourmet kitchens and top-of-the-line appliances.

MorrisonSeifertMurphy founder and condominium interior designer Lionel Morrison, FAIA, employed a purely modernist approach to create clean, elegant, and highly livable W residences. “We incorporated deep terraces for each unit creating true outdoor rooms.

“Whether it’s a bathtub filled with hot chocolate or a wedding dress

The indoor spaces relate to the terraces, enhancing the spaciousness and light quality of the residence.”

What began as the north tower project quickly expanded to an additional south tower due to sold out residences. “We knew the spaces would be developed at a later date,” said Jonas Woods, president of Hillwood Capital, the development company for Victory. “We just didn’t realize how soon.”

The south tower is expressed with the same architectural elements of the north tower but in a contrasting way to form its own identity.

For example, the south tower features a slightly darker exterior palette and punched windows with balconies that allow residents to mix and mingle outdoors.

According to interior designer, David Cadwallader, from Cadwallader Design, the

W’s south tower units are designed with a classic modern approach with an emphasis on comfort. “Amenities and upgrades are part of the condo dweller experience. Sleek but practical kitchens allow for a wide range of cabinet finishes and upgrades while bathrooms are designed for elegant comfort and spacious storage.”

“The W is an exciting, new concept,” said Woods.

“It is the first hotel-branded, residential development in Dallas.

It lends itself to the psychographic of the young-minded, fashionable, fun, and energetic Dallas crowd – located in an area that promises to be one of the most exciting new neighborhoods in the country.”

Airlines Center as well as a Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) station, an urban park, unique public spaces, and a plethora of high-end office, retail, dining, and entertainment options within Victory.

“When Ross Perot Jr., chairman of real estate developer for Hillwood, saw the piece of property, he had a vision,” continued Woods.

“The site was a phenomenal location for an urban development, next to Uptown, the West End, and the Design District. Today, his vision is a mixed-use development that is five times larger than originally expected with an ultimate value of more than $3 billion.”

The W Hotel is steps away from the American

delivered by helicopter, we’re taking service to the next level. ”

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A

C

ONNECTION SOLANA at

Maguire Partners, a California-based developer, is always up for a challenge. When client First American Corporation (FAC) asked for 700,000 square feet of space in a market where only 400,000 square feet was available, the firm had to get a little – well, a lot – creative.

The solution – build (and pay for) a connector that seamlessly ties and connects four buildings into one consolidated location. Having met that, and a few other challenges, the owners signed a 10-year deal and completed the largest office transaction in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 2005.

“We had been considering a move to a campus location,” said Dennis Ouellette, senior vice president, First American Real Estate Information Services, Inc. “As a company, we wanted to consolidate all of our regional operations into one location that offered large enough floor plates to organize business units while offering multiple conference spaces and training areas.”

Today, First American’s operations in two Dallas locations and offices in Las Colinas and Lewisville as well as Sterling, Va., are consolidated at the Solana Westlake campus.

The Fortune 300 Santa Ana, California company that offers real estate related financial and information services began a phased move into their new home in June 2006.

“The company’s goal was to relocate to a building with large floor plates and contiguous space – allowing them to work easily from team-to-team and department-to-department.”

Allen worked with Dallas-based architectural firm HKS to design the four-story, glass-enclosed bridge that connected four buildings and provided the needed adjoining square footage.

While that solved the square footage issue, brokers still had to work with existing tenants with long-term leases at Solana. Maguire worked to terminate two existing tenant leases and relocate a third tenant to create a block large enough to accommodate the company.

But, it took more than that. Architects had to modify part of the campus employee dining building to accommodate First American Corporation executive and other upper management spaces.

Solana was originally developed in 1988 as a 900-acre master planned building park hosting offices, retail, restaurants, a fitness center, and a day-care center in addition to a 198-room Marriott hotel. Its main tenant was IBM’s regional offices until the computer and data processing firm began to downsize its operations in the 90s. To fill the void, developers scrambled for tenants that today include Lucent, Pfizer, Sabre, Verizon Wireless, and Wells Fargo.

“First American realized early on that Westlake was the best environment for their employees,” said Tom Allen, partner of Maguire Partners. “The company wanted all its workers at a single location with more amenities. Solana offers covered parking, daycare, restaurants, a fitness center, a walking/jogging track for workers, and shuttle buses to go any place on campus.”

“The two-decade-old exterior still remains timeless, appealing to today’s tenants,” said Jeakins. “However, the interior was another issue. The former IBM layout hosted a private office environment. The new office space had to complement its FAC Santa Ana corporate headquarters while incorporating an open plan work place with large floor plates.”

“Many of First American Corporation’s employees were located in an 11-story building near downtown Dallas,” said Dan Jeakins, AIA, principal-in-charge, HKS, Inc.

According to Frank Effland, senior interior designer at HKS, the goal was to create an 80 percent open office plan to allow unobstructed work areas and consolidate 19

support areas such as conference spaces and copy rooms. “Our commercial interiors group held a brainstorming session to collaborate on innovative ideas for the fast-track project.

From the meeting, a signature design element was developed - an interior monolith.”

The monolith ties the building together by providing a floor-to-ceiling icon at a similar location on each of the building’s floors. One of four colors, from apple green to mustard gold, uniquely identifies each building. The element, located on an angular location dissimilar to the building’s rectilinear stance, provides visual interest for employees and visitors walking inside and outside of the glass-enclosed areas.

“Gallery areas, with natural daylighting and views to nature, are offered to employees allowing them to take a break or eat lunch.” said Effland. “It’s like stepping into a garden room – with fountains, Koi fonds, mature trees, and lush greenery.”

To further promote a healthy workplace environment, fire exits have been converted to open up to nearby gallery spaces that have colorful finishes and are immersed in natural light. The new, upgraded stairs tempt elevator-takers to burn calories while enjoying the nearby scenery.

The project hallmark is its four-story connector, linking at floors two through five. This architectural centerpiece, designed

by Rick Keating, now with Keating Khang Architecture, is a simply stated focal point of the campus. Set elegantly on four columns, picturesque landscaping flows underneath and throughout the area. Diagonal structural elements create visual interest from floor to floor while horizontal banding provides a

view to the outdoors and maximizes energy efficiency.

According to the developer, the complex features more capacity than most companies will ever use. Allen should know; he served as developer for the original campus in the 80s.

“Solana was designed and built to house the high-tech side of IBM’s operations,” he said.

“All of the latest technological advances were incorporated into the building to help its reuse well into the future. Instead of four watts of electricity per square foot, the building offers 10. Multiple telecommunications lines and alternate power sources allow the buildings to operate 24/7 – even in the event of catastrophes.”

In August 2006, the firm’s phased move was complete, bringing together approximately 2,400 FAC North Texas employees. “The move has transformed our work environment,” said Ouellette. “Our new location also allows us to tap into an employee base that includes Hurst, Bedford, Euless, and Fort Worth. Our employees and potential recruits are taking note of our career opportunities in addition to the campus environment that offers them on-site training and numerous amenities – all in a soothing, scenic environment.”

“Solana is a smart solution for First American,” said Jeakins. “They are now in a neighborhood consisting of like-minded companies. It’s also an environmentally conscious move. Instead of going somewhere else to build a new building, First American opted to reuse existing buildings. Now, they are housed in Class A office space in a pastoral setting that is inspiring for workers and clients alike.”

“It’s like stepping into a garden room – with fountains, Koi ponds, mature trees, and lush greenery.”

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CLARIAN HEALTH SETS THE STANDARD IN CREATING A HEALING SANCTUARY

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hen Clarian Health Partners signed on as one of the first healthcare systems in the United States to incorporate the Center for Health Design’s Pebble Project concepts into its new comprehensive cardiac critical care unit more than five years ago, the stage was set for change.

The Pebble Project concept, based on implementing and testing elements of a healing environment, enabled hospital executives to rethink and retool their operations.

The healthcare system’s chapter of change continues with the completion of two of its latest groundbreaking community and specialty hospitals, Clarian West Medical Center and Clarian North Medical Center in Avon and Carmel, Indiana, respectively.

While healing environments have been a part of healthcare projects for decades, the design concepts are now being clearly measured in terms of accountability and profitability based on safety, infection control, staff retention, and patient satisfaction.

GROWING DEMAND FOR HEALTHCARE ACCOUNTABILITY Spurred by the public’s growing demand for accountability in healthcare, Clarian Health Partners’ vision is to be the preeminent leader in providing quality and comprehensive care for its communities.

Beginning in January 2006, Indiana was the second state, following Minnesota, to implement a medical error reporting system. By January 2007, any Indiana resident will be able to go on-line to learn about the significant medical errors that occur in any hospital throughout the state.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative is also striking national change. This year, the CMS is implementing a program to determine hospital patient satisfaction scores across the country. Instead of each hospital determining its own survey method, the CMS developed a 25-question survey that will be sent, answered, and analyzed, creating standardized patient satisfaction measurements.

Throughout the Clarian system, change is evident.

From elevating a safe healthcare environment to retaining its top-notch staff, the health system is clearly changing hospital care.

ELEVATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT Designing spaces that increase staff efficiency; reduce stress, injuries, and fatigue; and increase the time spent with patients not only helps hospitals hire and retain staff, it has the potential to reduce medical errors, saving facilities millions of dollars annually.

Clarian West Medical Center took this concept to task.

Today, after one year and a half of operation, it has experienced a rate of less than one lost work day due to on-the-job injuries per 10,000 hours worked.

Clarian West has also achieved a total fall rate of 1.1 falls per 1,000 patient days. This rate is better than the total fall rate listed with the Institute for Hospital Improvement (IHI), which is two falls per 1,000 patient days.

The quieter, gentler overall environment is enhanced through controlled sound, wood-like or carpeted flooring, minimal overhead paging, calming water features, and indirect and natural light.

Clinical pathways, such as doorways, are enlarged to allow staff to easily transport patients within the hospital.

Larger bathroom entries allow two staff members to help patients with toilet activities, if necessary. Also, rooms are designed to bring equipment directly to patients, reducing patient transport.

The acuity adaptable room, with its patient, staff, and guest zones, defines areas of care, creating less confusion for everyone in the patient room. This standardization means the caregiver can go from one room to another without having to adjust to different room designs.

Clarian West executives also believe that increased communication decreases medical errors. Whenever a nurse has to search out supplies or medication, he/she opens the door to interruptions and error. The new hospital consolidates charting, meds, and supplies in one location, which reduces errors, provides more time for direct patient contact, minimizes walking, and reduces fatigue for the medical team.

Locating computerized charting stations outside each patient room allows caregivers, patients, and families to easily discuss and document patient care. Instead of walking to and from nursing stations, doctors and nurses can easily and efficiently chart patient care information near their patients, which again, decreases errors.

Specialized physician service centers, located adjacent to each of the nursing units, also encourage communication resulting in increased patient safety.

Instead of sharing spaces for charting patient information, private, glass-enclosed spaces are designed for the medical team. The areas are fully equipped with computer terminals and PACS workstations.

DESIGNING TO INCORPORATE INFECTION CONTROL The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than two million patients get sick

By Al Gatmaitan, FACHE, President & CEO, Clarian West Medical Center and Norman Morgan, AIA, Principal, HKS, Inc.

each year from infections caught in the hospital. Of those two million, approximately 90,000 die as the result of their infection.

to the Society for Human Resources Management, the average rate of turnover nationally, for all positions, is 16.8 percent.

The decision to build all-private patient rooms at Clarian North and Clarian West paves the way for enhanced infection control by improving patient flow (i.e. patients don’t need to be moved repeatedly to accommodate those needing privacy or isolation). In addition, negative pressure technology deployed in multiple patient rooms on each floor gives caregivers a visual cue and automatically alarms in facilities management if negative pressure has ceased.

All of this recruiting and hiring is undertaken without the use of recruitment firms or agencies. Before the hospital opened, Clarian West placed a well-executed video on its website (west.clarian.org) promoting the new facility.

According to the CDC, hand washing is the single most effective means of preventing the spread of infection in hospitals. Using this statistic, Clarian located hand-washing sinks at the entry of each room and throughout the unit in addition to locating alcohol-based sanitizer dispensers outside of each room to prevent the spread of germs. As a result, hand-washing rates are well above the national average.

Healthcare associated infection, an infection caught from other patients during a hospital stay, are a serious concern. The hospitals’ all-private rooms prevent airborne and cross contamination patient-to-patient and patientto-staff as well as promote patient privacy and control. The installation of the latest, most sensitive air filtration system also combats airborne infection.

Environmental surfaces of nearly any kind are possible breeding pools for infectious organisms. To prevent the spread of germs, hospital isolation rooms are providing a source of containment. Additional isolation rooms are part of Clarian West’s design. The hospital hosts two isolation rooms on each of its 32-bed units, which helps lessen the spread of viruses throughout the hospital.

RETAINING GREAT STAFF In 2006, Clarian West Medical Center has posted a turnover rate of less than three percent, exceeding the expectations for a greenfield or start-up hospital. According

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The website allowed Clarian Health to promote the new facility as a hospital that embraced a healing sanctuary approach to healthcare, one that touched the prospective employee’s innate sense of being a caregiver.

The website discussed the hospital’s vision and values and provided insight into its philosophy of care as well as the benefits of joining the Clarian team. It also allowed a virtual tour of the hospital through stills and animations. From that website publicity and word of mouth, the hospital received over 5,000 resumes.

Even today, when new recruits are asked how they heard about Clarian West, the typical response is “from a current employee.”

Nurses know that they are valued at Clarian West. The space is designed to recruit new nursing talent as well as retain its valued 20to 30-year experienced nurses. Decentralized nursing stations are located throughout the facility, allowing nurses to spend more time with patients. The charting stations are designed with views to patient rooms as well as supply areas and computers for patient charting.

A caregiver-friendly design, and specialized physician service centers, also help recruit and retain hospital physicians. Every space at Clarian West and Clarian North hospitals is designed to enable conversations and relationships to happen naturally between caregiver and patient, caregiver to family, and caregiver-to-caregiver.

In addition to traditional break rooms with microwaves and refrigerators, Clarian West has a replenishment room where staff can rest in quiet, a meditation retreat overlooking the

lake, and a rose garden for reading or just simply relaxing. There is also a physician retreat that includes exercise equipment.

MAKING PATIENTS HAPPY Clarian West Medical Center is a healthcare campus that does more than support a healing body. It calls to the senses by providing walking trails, trees, and gardens that flow naturally from wooded spaces to open areas and a quiet pond.

Results from Clarian West’s patient perception surveys during the second quarter of 2006, facilitated by NRC+Picker, found that the hospital’s adult inpatient areas including intensive care units, scored in the nation’s top 10 percentile of hospitals. Its outpatient surgery and other units were also in the top 10 percent. NRC+Picker’s database includes approximately 900 hospitals nationwide.

Clarian West Medical Center and its parent system use best practices data to deliver superior care for patients.

Some small improvements resulted in quantum leaps in quality. Its premise is to create a sanctuary of care that incorporates a healing environment, enables technology, and promotes a relationship-based care philosophy.

To incorporate all three concepts, the hospital was designed creating a Disney-like front-stage and back-stage approach to design.

Similar to Disney, Clarian West believes that there are spaces for public view and others that need to remain private. The hospital floor plan distinguishes these spaces as service, public, and patient, separating them vertically by floor and horizontally with behind-thescenes spaces. For example, if a visitor is in a public area, they will not see supplies being transported to the unit or a patient being wheeled from one area to another.

This on-stage/off-stage concept is taken one step further in each unit. All support services, such as supplies and charting, are located internally, where people cannot see them.

To allow technology to be seamlessly integrated into the building – creating a less intimidating environment for patients – computers and monitors are carefully placed for patient and staff convenience, and support and supply functions are hidden behind doors.

A HEALING SANCTUARY With its hotel-like amenities and finishes, the

healing hospital includes all private patient rooms with DVD and CD players, Internet access in patient rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows in patient rooms, room service-style menus and ordering options for patients, in-room refrigerators for families, garden sanctuaries, outdoor patios, music in the lobby and waiting areas, and healing-themed staff break rooms.

All Clarian West patient rooms are private with home-like finishes such as textured artwork, wood cabinets, and wood laminate flooring. The large windows and natural colors help create a true sanctuary of healing for patients. In addition to professionally produced artwork, the pediatrics unit at Clarian West includes picture frames for patients and siblings to create artwork and decorate the walls during their stay.

In additional to traditional waiting areas, the hospital includes distinct rooms designated for watching television, playing games, reading a book, or simply enjoying the outdoors.

Quiet nooks are also located throughout the hospital for patients, families, and visitors to gather. Families waiting for a patient in surgery receive a pager so that they may feel free to enjoy the entire campus without the fear of missing an update on their loved one.

If they want to grab a bite to eat, the Garden Café, Clarian West’s public dining area with a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows, is available.

MEASURING THE BOTTOM LINE When it comes to cost, there is a premium to designing not just a hospital but also a healing sanctuary. These costs range from 10 to 20 percent. However, if you look at the extra cost over the life of the building (30 years or more) versus the annual operational statement (depreciation and interest expense), the extra cost on the annual budget is fractional.

But, the return on investment for thoughtful design is great. Recruitment expenses are less or non-existent, workers compensation costs are decreased, and patient falls and complications per case mix are low.

Of all of these benefits, the greatest ones are quality outcome and patient, staff, and family satisfaction. Clarian West Medical Center is proving that healthcare providers can excel at both in a facility designed to be less like a hospital and more like a healing sanctuary.

THE

Architectural

Firm of the FUTURE A LOOK AT

2020

By: Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, FACHA, President & CEO, HKS, Inc. George J. Mann, AIA, Professor of Architecture, Texas A&M University and Founder of the Resource Planning & Development (RPD) Group

In 2020, the population of planet Earth is estimated to reach 7.6 billion people – up 1.1 billion from today. Imagine what some of the world’s top news items might be: “Over One Billion Hydrogen Fueled Cars on the Road,” “4 THz Microprocessor Home Computer Unveiled,” and “Biomimicry-Inspired Smart Buildings Advance Global Energy Conservation Efforts.”

From the beginning of time, architects have played a vital role in shaping environments all over the world. To keep up with continuous changes in technology, the environment, and diverse populations, firms of the future must plan ahead and continue to embrace visionary progress. While no one can predict the future, many trends continue to surge to the forefront of architectural education and practice.

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(NOT AS USUAL)

Business

Over the last several decades, the United States has continued to move away from its traditional manufacturing base and evolve into a service-based economy.

According to Eastbridge Consulting Group, by 2020, the economy will include 80 percent service-producing businesses and 20 percent goods-producing businesses. The 1990s trend toward more small businesses (with fewer than 100 employees) and mega businesses (with more than 1,000) will continue.

Medium-sized business will decline as a percentage of businesses with many being downsized, merged, or acquired. Large firms will have a network of offices spanning the globe that are better able to serve and respond to client needs. These offices will alternate between collaborating, cooperating, and even competing with one another.

Diversity, Diversity, Diversity

Architectural schools are reflecting the world’s diversity.

According to the U.S. Department of Education and the Higher Education General Information Survey, in the 1970s, more than 88 percent of university architectural students were males. Today, of the United States’ 36,000 master and bachelor architectural students, more than 40 percent are women and 28 percent are minorities, according to the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and Greenway research study. Students from all over the world are arriving in great numbers for graduate studies in U.S. colleges of architecture.

However, the U.S. will begin to compete for these students due to the number of overseas universities underway in China and India.

Diversity is going to prove positive for the next decades’ architectural firms.

Having a diverse staff will make it more likely that various language expertise and capabilities exist within the firm. In many areas,

the ability to speak the local language will be essential to successfully undertake projects.

Cultural sensitivity to differing customs, traditions, holidays, religions as well as sensitivity to gender differences will be essential.

Cubed Out During the past several years, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has sponsored a series of panel discussions, entitled FutureWork, at a variety of venues to educate architects and interior designers about the future of the workplace. One FutureWork expert predicts that telecommuting centers will flourish in urban settings, allowing workers to avoid stressful commutes.

Rather than sterile, rented cubicles, however, these centers will follow the model of cyber cafés and will serve as social think tanks.

When workers aren’t engaged in teamwork in café-like settings or holding meetings while strolling through nearby parks, they will work in soundproof pods furnished with armchairs, surround-sound stereo, and flat-panel screens.

However, office environments aren’t a thing of the past. Architectural practices will still promote on-site teamwork and camaraderie.

The New Workforce

The growth of the national labor force will slow significantly over the upcoming decades, which will result in shortages in all industries including architecture. According to DesignIntelligence, while more students are entering design schools than ever before, fewer of them are pursuing traditional career paths upon graduation, especially since design school graduates can earn bigger salaries in other design-related industries. To meet the shortage in upcoming decades, companies will begin to use more non-traditional employment such as part-time employees, flex time, job sharing, at-home workers, and contracted employees in addition to outsourcing to foreign entities.

The good news is that clients are now seeing design as a strategic business value and are willing to pay for architectural results.

“To meet the shortage in upcoming decades, companies will begin to use more non-traditional employment such as part-time employees, flex time, job sharing, at-home workers, and contracted employees in addition to outsourcing to foreign entities.”

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The Flat Service Playing Field According to Thomas Friedman’s book, The World is Flat, European and American individuals and businesses drove early globalization. Today, individuals from every corner of the globe are being empowered. When China formally joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, the door flung wide open for entrepreneurship for the country with the 1.3 billion-person population. According to Friedman, China will not just be known for manufacturing. They are gaining and will continue to move into the service industries. India, with its one billion-plus population, in comparison with the United States’ 300 million, is also moving forward to open its economy. Indian employees are not just answering customer service phones for Michael Dell. These eager and educated new hires are developing software, forming news bureaus, and teaming up with U.S.-based accounting firms.

The service-based architectural firm will continue to expand globally. As the global pie grows, so will opportunities to expand into new international markets. The bottom line, according to Friedman, is that it won’t be as easy as it has been in the last 50 years. “Each of us, as individuals, will have to work a little harder and run a little faster,” he states.

Just as two-dimensional CAD techniques replaced manual drafting in the 80s, threedimensional building modeling will finally reach its potential ...

More (High) Technology FROM

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Just as two-dimensional CAD techniques replaced manual drafting in the 80s, threedimensional building modeling will finally reach its potential, allowing architects to create intelligent 3D models. This technology will allow architects and consultants to develop, share, manipulate, analyze, and explore a comprehensive virtual representation of the evolving building design while simultaneously generating the coordinated data necessary for construction in real time.

Contractors and owners will use the new digital database for estimating, ordering, commissioning, facilities management, and decommissioning within the framework of an integrated design/build/operate process. BIM will add a fifth dimension to architecture by allowing scheduling and cost to evolve along side the design and construction – versus operating as separate and autonomous tasks.

The bottom line results will include error reductions, minimized redundancies, and shortened project design times.

Information Technology (IT) will continue to drive our industries and business budgets.

While much of today’s IT budget is allocated for general infrastructure and financial management and reporting, spending is expected to shift to communications and collaboration technologies as companies seek to improve knowledge management and customer service. That’s one finding of a wide-ranging Economist Intelligence Unit study sponsored

by Cisco Systems that offers a take on how IT will affect the business in 2020. Virtual

file storage is one immediate improvement on the horizon.

This website-based storage system will eliminate the need for individual firms to host massive in-house servers. It also promotes access (by permission) for shared information.

Green COMMUNITIES According to the U.S. Green Building Council, in the year 2020, it is projected that more than 30 percent of all new non-residential construction will be completed under LEED standards. It is estimated that green, sustainable communities will continue to replace aging, non-efficient infrastructures in cities across the world. Parks, walking and biking trails, sports facilities, and environmentally clean transportation systems are just a few of the amenities in our new-world surroundings.

Architects anticipate that future designs will take lessons from nature, such as learning how to passively maintain comfortable temperatures and convert sunlight to energy through biomimicry. Passive survivability will also be an industry standard for many building types. As the term implies, buildings will be designed to maintain critical life-support conditions for its occupants if services such as power, heating fuel, or water are lost for an extended period.

Best Place to WORK PRACTICES Once people join the firm, it is vital to retain them. They must see it as a place of personal growth. Formal programs of staff development and continuing education need to take place regularly. In fact, the architecture firm of the future will resemble a college of architecture and vice versa. Due to continuous changes in technology, the cost of training employees is estimated to go up 500 percent by 2020. According to DesignIntelligence, workers will forego career-centric thinking and look for firms that fit with their holistic lifestyle.

Instead of looking for perks, like free gym memberships, tomorrow’s employees will be more concerned with the value of their employment as a whole, not just in terms of money.

Educating (and Hiring) Future Architects The demand for graduates majoring in architecture exceeds supply. Smart A/E/C firms are aligning themselves with colleges of architectures, providing real studio projects, giving lectures, offering scholarships and endowments, hiring interns, and maintaining a visible presence in the schools.

The globalization of the field is also globalizing education.

Texas A&M University is collaborating with the University of Tokyo on the Global University Program in Healthcare Architecture in order to jumpstart architecture programs at other schools of architecture around the world.

Many other U.S.-based universities are teaming with global architectural schools to promote the profession and their enrollment.

A New Age

(of Employees)

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of the Census, the average age of the general population is rising. The elderly (65 and over) are the fastest growing segment of the population, increasing 88 percent by 2020 compared with a 28 percent increase in the rest of the population. Another Census report notes that by 2030, 10 states are projected to have more people who are age 65 and older than under age 18.

Many potential retirees will need to work past 65 to fill a financial gap caused by disappearing retiree health benefits and the uncertain future of Social Security.

Employers looking for educated, experienced talent will take them up on the offer.

Many potential retirees will need to work past 65 to fill a financial gap caused by disappearing retiree health benefits and the uncertain future of Social Security.

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We have enjoyed the relationships we built with HKS and Birdville ISD on the Walker Creek Elementary School Project!

www.keyconstruction.com

Contact: Steve Whitcraft (817) 306-7979 stwhitcraft@keyconstruction.com

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