HOK’s 2022-2023 report on advancing our environmental, social and governance priorities.
I’m pleased to share that HOK made excellent progress on our environmental, social and governance priorities last year. This is a pivotal time for diversity, equity and inclusion, the planet and our communities.
In this report, you’ll learn details about how our global team is taking action through our projects, operations, culture and communities.
HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council continues to foster greater inclusion through expanded recruitment programs, mentoring initiatives, scholarships, discussion series and more. Our leadership has never been more diverse and our commitment to DEI principles has never been stronger.
On social responsibility, our staff volunteered over 1,000 hours and donated more than $100,000 to community causes in 2022 through HOK Impact. We always want to be a force for good.
For environmental sustainability, we’re targeting carbon neutrality across our project portfolio by 2030 and working to eliminate embodied carbon by 2050. In 2022, HOK’s projects achieved a 63.6% reduction in energy use intensity, exceeding the AIA average by more than 13%. We’re striving for net zero energy and emissions across our offices.
Our governance policies uphold the highest ethical standards through extensive training and a culture of integrity. As a 100% employee-owned firm, our leaders all have a personal stake in our collective success.
At HOK, we’re driven by the belief that design can make the world more sustainable, equitable and just. That is our driving purpose. Though our journey is ongoing, I’m proud of the strides we’re making together.
Thank you for taking the time to read this report.
Susan Klumpp Williams Co-CEO
A commitment to opportunity has always been part of HOK’s DNA. We want our project teams to be as diverse as the clients we serve. Our diverse teams bring rich perspectives that help us design better solutions for our clients and their communities.
Led by three co-chairs—Kimberly Dowdell (Chicago), Shiva Mendez (San Francisco) and Damon Sheppard (Washington, D.C.), our 20-person Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) is made up of volunteers of various ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations and experience levels. Regional offices have local DAC Champions.
The DAC develops strategies and drives tangible results that promote an inclusive work environment and equitable design approaches. They work in tandem with HOK Impact, which we launched over a decade ago as one of the architectural profession’s first corporate social responsibility programs.
The recent years have brought more momentum—and even more resources—to our DAC’s efforts to foster a more equitable, representative firm and profession. We strive to help Black, Indigenous and People of Color, and all who have been marginalized within the architecture and design field, believe that they belong and can achieve their full potential at HOK.
Recognizing the systemic racial injustice that has inequitably shaped our society’s places, we have also accelerated our efforts to transform the built environment to be more inclusive of all people and equitably serve the health, safety and well-being for all users.
The DAC is tracking our progress toward meeting increasingly ambitious goals. We want to understand exactly where we may fall short and what we must do to improve.
Every two years we conduct an Employee Career + Opportunity Survey to collect input that will help us create a more diverse, inclusive workplace.
The Los Angeles Business Journal named HOK’s Los Angeles studio as one of its 2023 Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Honorees. Our Los Angeles staff is more than 50% women and over 50% persons of color. Three out the four members of its executive leadership team are women.
We still have much to do. But we’re proud to share in this report the progress our global Diversity Advisory Council and so many others across the firm are making to bring diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging into everything we do.
HOK is committed to improving diversity and inclusion at every level of the firm. Since 2015, we have been tracking and working to increase the representation of diverse employees in leadership roles across all areas of our firm.
In 2021, HOK set aggressive new diversity goals for leadership positions, emerging leaders, our board of directors and our core boards overseeing design, management, technical and marketing functions. We have since realized or surpassed most of these goals, leading to our recent pledge to meet new challenge goals by 2025. Our Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) is working closely with firm leaders to establish even more ambitious diversity goals moving forward.
In 2023, HOK demonstrated our progress and ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion through several historic leadership appointments.
Eli Hoisington and Susan Klumpp Williams became our new co-chief executive officers, succeeding Bill Hellmuth.
As the first woman CEO in HOK’s history, Klumpp Williams acknowledged her pioneering role: “This is an opportunity to underscore the power of diverse leadership. It also demonstrates HOK’s dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion across the firm. I’m eager to contribute to this ongoing transformation and further HOK’s commitment to ensuring that all our staff have equitable experiences in their career growth.”
Also in 2023, Misty Yanko was selected as HOK’s new chief financial officer—the first CFO in our history to be promoted from within. One of three women now in HOK’s C-Suite along with Co-CEO Klumpp Williams and Chief Legal Officer Lisa Green, Yanko brings over 15 years of HOK finance experience to her new role.
Additionally, Marti Stubblefield was promoted to director of human resources, drawing on over 30 years of expertise in HOK’s HR group. And Kimberly Dowdell took on the newly created role of director of strategic relationships.
These leadership appointments in 2023 demonstrated our success in developing talent within HOK and our ongoing transformation to enhance diversity at the highest levels of the firm. Today, women represent half of our total workforce and a third of HOK’s board of directors.
Though we have made significant progress, our DAC continues to work with firm leaders to set and achieve even more ambitious diversity goals across our markets and regional offices moving forward.
Each of HOK’s regional practices has developed diversity goals with target metrics. By requiring them to report their progress to the firm’s board of directors every six months, they are held accountable for continuous improvement. We will continue to promote actions toward achieving these goals.
At HOK, we’re committed to fostering a sense of belonging among our employees through initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
In 2020, we launched mandatory unconscious bias training for all employees, led by global workplace expert Dr. Shirley Davis. This training is part of the onboarding process for new hires, and our HR team and hiring managers have completed additional focused training.
Our Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) facilitates ongoing staff discussions and events focused on topics like worklife balance, leadership and equity. Recent activities have included racial justice town halls, social justice book clubs, and educational materials from the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).
In March 2023, we brought together six talented women for an insightful roundtable discussion in honor of International Women’s Day. This thought-provoking conversation was recorded and shared across the firm and externally. Similarly, for PRIDE Month in June 2023, we hosted a panel discussion featuring stories and experiences from six LGBTQ+ colleagues.
The DAC also collaborates with HOK staff to author monthly articles for our HOK Perspectives series, shared on our intranet and website. These stories provide a platform for our colleagues to share their diverse personal journeys related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
In 2021, our London office launched The Friendly Society, an internal platform dedicated to networking, championing and supporting our LGBTQ+ community. In 2023, the group was rebranded as Pride@HOK under new leadership, with goals of increasing understanding, engaging allies, promoting inclusive language and updating policies.
Through training, discussions, storytelling and support groups, HOK is actively fostering an inclusive culture where all employees feel a sense of belonging. We’re committed to building understanding, amplifying diverse voices and cultivating a workplace where everyone can thrive.
HOK recently launched the “Together” mentoring technology platform that pairs experienced employees (mentors) with less experienced employees (mentees) to facilitate career development and knowledge sharing. In 2023, the program had 682 total registrants, up from 504 in 2022. There were 513 mentees and 468 mentors, with 480 active pairings—a 94% pairing rate for mentees.
Participants spanned all of HOK’s global studios and disciplines, with most coming from architecture, planning/ landscape architecture and engineering. The top goals were gaining skills and experiences, expanding networks, and improving communication and management capabilities.
Feedback showed over 85% of mentors and mentees felt they were a good pairing. Qualitative feedback highlighted the value of support, perspective and real-world advice.
Looking ahead, HOK plans to expand the program with onboarding mentoring, group programs and locationbased initiatives. The mentoring program further demonstrates our commitment to employee development, retention and inclusion through knowledge sharing and career growth opportunities.
Based on feedback from our Employee Career + Opportunity Survey regarding career growth and the effectiveness of our review process, HOK’s leadership, with input from our HR team and DAC, completely revamped our annual review process in 2023. We introduced “careers by design” conversations, intended to occur biannually, which focus on aligning individual and firm goals, and creating a roadmap to achieve them.
“She is at the point of great things and just needs peer support to launch her career into its next chapter. She benefited from real-life (not taught in school) experience from those who have had similar career paths and needs to know that what she is experiencing is normal and expected. She is an amazing person.”
“Investing in education and in the future of diverse design professionals is not just about enriching the profession. It’s also about ensuring that our built environment accurately reflects and serves the needs of all our communities.”
Ami Shah Health Education Practice LeaderHOK supports the next generation of diverse design professionals through our Diversity x Design scholarship program. This pipeline is key to our firm’s future and the future of the industry.
Since 2021, HOK has awarded over $270,000 in scholarships to 27 minority and BIPOC design students through this annual program. We have expanded it from eight scholarships in 2021 to 10 in 2023. Our partner schools include HBCUs and those with a track record of educating diverse populations.
The program is building long-term relationships with sponsored colleges and universities. We follow up with many recipients to provide mentoring, internships and employment opportunities. We have also increased recruitment efforts with HBCUs and similar schools.
By investing in the next generation through scholarships, mentoring and targeted recruitment, HOK is demonstrating our commitment to elevating diversity across the design industry. Supporting these students is an investment in our collective future.
HOK has partnered with Indspire, a national charity investing in the education of Indigenous students across Canada. Our commitment includes two annual $5,000 bursaries, an annual $2,500 grant to support Indspire’s Soaring event for Indigenous high school students and volunteer work by HOK’s employees.
In addition to our mentorship initiatives, we host annual market-based leadership summits across regions to facilitate networking and knowledge sharing between market leaders and emerging talent. For example, our 2023 Healthcare Summit was held in Chicago this past May. We also host a robust Subject Matter Expertise (SME) lecture series for our Asia/Pacific studio, with six lectures by industry experts planned for this year. Furthermore, in 2023 our Interiors group hosted three regional ‘Emerging Leaders’ gatherings across the U.S., including the West Coast, Midwest and East Coast to connect and develop emerging talent.
HOK continues to provide financial and other support to organizations including the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the ACE Mentor Program of America, AIA Women’s Leadership Summit and AEC Unites.
HOK’s Kimberly Dowdell (Chicago) is the AIA’s 2024 President-elect, Ralph Raymond (Atlanta) is the 2023 president of the AIA’s Georgia chapter and Brian Smiley (Philadelphia) is the 2024 president-elect of the Philadelphia chapter of the AIA. Femi Oresanya (London) was re-elected to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Council.
Damon Sheppard (Washington, D.C.) serves on the ACE Mentor Program’s national board. In 2023, HOK teamed with the ACE Mentor Program on its Transformative Partnership Program. This new initiative seeks to support ACE scholars in their college years by pairing them with professionals from architecture, engineering and construction who can mentor and guide them as they work toward their degrees and enter the workforce.
HOK strives to be an industry leader in partnering with minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned firms (XBEs) across architecture, interior design, engineering and more. Working closely with XBE partners allows us to build the best, most diverse design teams and share substantial commissions.
In 2020, we launched the HOK Tapestry initiative, an online portal where XBEs can directly submit their qualifications into HOK’s database. This enables our project managers to easily discover new partners and assemble qualified, diverse teams. Over 350 firms have already registered in the portal. In 2023, we invested further in Tapestry, ensuring all project leaders can leverage the tools to create lasting XBE relationships.
“To support greater diversity for the future of our industry, we must identify early opportunities to expose more students of color and young women to the work we do. By participating in initiatives like the ACE Mentor Program, HOK can contribute to broadening awareness to opportunities for careers in architecture, engineering and construction. ACE scholars represent our future pipeline of talent, so we must invest in them.”
Damon Sheppard Regional Leader of Science + TechnologyWashington, D.C.
We also host regular in-person networking and capacity building events to provide insights and programming that empower our XBE partners. By proactively collaborating with XBEs, HOK reinforces our commitment to inclusion and participation across the design industry. Partnering closely allows us to optimize diverse project teams and outcomes.
In some regions, we also participate in formal mentor/ protégé relationships beyond project partnerships to help develop micro, minority and small business colleagues. These relationships utilize HOK’s resources and systems to build capabilities in business forecasting, accounting, HR guidelines, networking, awards and industry relations.
“To make architecture as sustainable and attractive as possible, all voices and perspectives, regardless of age or career stage, must be represented. So, I decided to show up and champion my generation during a time when our input matters most.”
Ralph Raymond Project Architect2023 President, AIA Georgia Atlanta
As an organization deeply committed to ESG leadership, HOK recognizes the built environment’s unique role in addressing today’s most pressing challenges. This is a pivotal time for those designing the spaces where people live, work, heal and learn. Our responsibility to protect human health, safety and welfare has never been more important. To do this, we must broaden our focus on sustainability to include diversity, equity, inclusion and community engagement.
Sustainability has always meant sustaining civilization, species and ecosystems over time. Its three core pillars are ecological health, human well-being and social equity. In recent years, HOK’s teams have balanced all three pillars in each project.
In 2023, HOK received the WELL AP Impact Award, recognizing our dedication to prioritizing health, wellness and equity in projects and across the industry. With the most WELL Accredited Professionals on staff, we are committed to broadening sustainability.
Our work now addresses ecological sustainability while elevating projects to promote inclusion, accessibility and community empowerment. We believe human sustainability is just as vital as environmental sustainability. By driving sustainability across all facets of our organization and client solutions, HOK aims to create regenerative spaces that support well-being for all.
A new Designing for Equity internal platform provides guidelines, design principles and best practices that help HOK’s designers incorporate equitable design approaches into their projects.
This intranet site and its resources emerged from a grassroots staff movement launched in the summer of 2020 to assist our designers in addressing systemic inequities in the built environment.
The Designing for Equity program, endorsed by HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council and global Design Board, is now being led by a firmwide advisory group. In 2023, the team onboarded and trained six Equity Champions across the practice with the intent to test the framework. The Champions are embedded in project teams to test the recommended approach and design principles on five beta projects.
The vision is to develop a design culture and process that make equity an integral part of the design process at HOK. The platform outlines five foundational principles for equity that apply to all HOK projects globally:
1. Partner with the community.
2. Plan for inclusion.
3. Provide equity of experience.
4. Promote health and well-being for all.
5. Champion environmental justice.
Along with t hese principles, HOK’s Designing for Equity platform provides recommendations on making equity a pillar of each HOK office’s design culture and approach. Resources include “precedent studies” demonstrating how our teams have integrated equity into past projects.
By institutionalizing equitable design through this initiative, HOK aims to create more inclusive and empowering spaces that promote justice and human dignity.
In 2019, HOK published Designing a Neurodiverse Workplace, one of the first publications exploring how design can support neurodivergent individuals in the office environment. This pioneering report sparked significant interest, leading to the implementation of neurodiversity strategies across HOK’s workplace design practice.
However, offices are just one environment that can be challenging for neurodivergent people. In the 2023 edition of HOK Forward, our experts share strategies for incorporating neurodiverse principles into other complex settings like airports, hospitals and sports venues that tend to be overwhelming for some people. While design alone cannot remove all barriers, it can make these spaces more welcoming and inclusive.
Titled Inclusive Design for Complex Buildings, this newest HOK Forward examines how designers can create environments that strive to meet the needs of neurodivergent populations in a variety of building types beyond the workplace.
“Creating more accessible environments is not just about ‘doing the right thing.’ It is also good for business. When environments are more accessible to a broader range of people, we create a more diverse and equitable society where everyone can thrive.”
Tom Polucci Director of Interiors
“A big reason I chose to work for HOK was HOK Impact. It’s rewarding to see our people improve their communities through charitable giving and pro-bono projects. Our Houston studio recently teamed with the Make-a-Wish Foundation to turn the dreams of children and their families into reality. Our staff is so enthusiastic and giving. I could not be prouder to work with such a wonderful group of people.”
Barbara Ward Director of FinanceHOK Impact Leader
Our corporate social responsibility program, HOK Impact, works in tandem with HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council to extend the firm’s commitment to equity and inclusion into our communities and across the AEC industry.
HOK Impact encompasses three areas of giving:
◯ Professional services such as pro-bono design and consulting
◯ Volunteer labor
◯ Charitable donations
The group is led by co-chairs Jacqueline Payne (London), Scott Lawson (Chicago) and Rebecca Brandl (St. Louis).
Over the past two decades, HOK employees have volunteered thousands of hours and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through HOK Impact. Last year was no different. In 2022, our people accomplished the following through HOK Impact:
◯ Collectively volunteered 1,031 hours.
◯ Collectively donated more than $109,000.
◯ Benefited over 40 charities and organizations in a dozenplus cities across three continents.
◯ 702 of us volunteered or made financial contributions through HOK Impact.
Inspiring HOK Impact stories from 2022 included:
◯ Our Chicago team participated in the Rebuilding Together program in which 10 volunteers worked on improvements to a home in south Chicago. Our team repaired walls, re-caulked the kitchen and bathroom, removed furniture, replaced hardware, weatherized windows and doors, and installed a basement stud wall—all in one day!
◯ The Atlanta team raised and donated $5,000 to fund little libraries in local public parks.
◯ Our Houston studio worked with the Make-a-Wish Foundation to donate design services for a backyard gazebo that allowed a girl with developmental disabilities to enjoy outdoor moments with her family.
◯ The Hong Kong team cooked, packed and delivered healthy lunches for homeless in Hong Kong (nearly 200 lunchboxes in total) through the May’s Angels organization.
◯ The Toronto team created a Crowdchange fundraising site for ongoing fundraising and updating renovation status at the YWCA First Stop Woodlawn Women’s Shelter.
◯ Our Los Angeles team raised nearly $500 to purchase water bottles for unhoused neighbors during the heat wave. They also sold furniture from the office relocation to raise over $1,000 to support a local community garden.
Sustainable design is a core value at HOK. Under the leadership of Director of Sustainable Design Anica Landreneau, we proactively integrate sustainability into all our projects and business practices. HOK’s sustainable design framework incorporates themes of broad environmental impact, decarbonization, resiliency and adaptation, regeneration and biodiversity, health, well-being and equitable design.
In line with the ethics codes of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and other professional organizations, HOK acknowledges our professional responsibility to promote sustainable design that protects the natural and built environments by setting carbon emissions targets for every project and actively working to produce climateresponsive design. We are committed to engaging clients on their obligations to provide access to clean air, water, sunlight and energy for all; follow sustainable production, extraction, transportation and consumption practices; build environments that support human health and are resilient to climate change; and restore depleted natural resources.
Our teams apply building science and sustainable strategies to design highperformance, healthy and resilient built environments at all scales, from individual buildings to entire cities.
We integrate sustainability across the full building, site and development lifecycle, collaborating with clients during planning, program development, design, delivery and ongoing operations. HOK requires design teams to set sustainable goals and strategies for every project. This involves climate analysis, environmental and energy modeling, life-cycle analysis and identifying opportunities for passive and climate responsive-design, resilient and regenerative design, and design for human health, well-being and equity.
HOK follows a 6-step integrated design process to holistically optimize resource use. From concept to completion and operations, our teams collaborate with clients and occupants to achieve sustainability goals. HOK also incorporates principles from the AIA Framework of Design Excellence, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
+ Place Programming Renewable Systems Operations Integrated Solutions Systems Occupancy Generation 1 2 3 4 5 6
The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Framework for Design Excellence represents the defining principles of good design in the 21st century. Made up of 10 principles, the Framework seeks to inform progress toward a zero-carbon, equitable, resilient and healthy built environment.
Our teams are encouraged to apply these 10 principles on every project:
The AIA’s 2030 Commitment challenges the design and construction sector to reach carbon neutrality for all new buildings, developments and major renovations by 2030.
As an early adopter of this commitment, HOK has reported over a decade of project energy performance to the AIA Design Data Exchange, a platform that monitors and benchmarks industry progress.
In 2022, HOK projects achieved a 63.6% reduction in energy use intensity (EUI), exceeding the AIA average of 50%. This high-performance design avoids 85,369.5 metric tons (94,105 U.S. tons) of CO2 emissions annually, for a cumulative savings of 5,122,170 mtCO2e over an average 60-year lifespan.
“It’s important that we as architects, designers, planners and engineers work with clients on an individual basis to make our projects net zero and have them serve as examples we can hold up to legislators to prove that this is achievable.”Brian Smiley Sr. Project Architect Philadelphia
HOK is committed to decarbonization and transparency across our global architectural practice. We are targeting operational carbon neutrality in our building portfolio by 2030, carbon neutrality in refrigerants and landscaping by 2040, and the elimination of embodied carbon in structural systems by 2050. Our approach is holistic, emphasizing building performance, partnerships and comprehensive lifecycle assessments.
HOK has consistently lowered energy use across our design portfolio by focusing on building performance, without heavy reliance on grid decarbonization, building electrification or renewable energy. Leveraging advancements in clean energy policy and technology, the firm is on track to meet the 2030 carbon neutrality goal ahead of schedule.
Expanding our commitment beyond the design phase, HOK is actively monitoring projects during construction. This more rigorous approach sets the bar even higher, ensuring that both design and construction practices adhere to the highest environmental standards.
In addition to striving for an operational carbon-neutral portfolio, HOK delivers net-zero energy, carbon and netzero-ready projects.
HOK has 17 net-zero or carbon-neutral projects in various stages of design, construction and verification.
HOK participates in the SE 2050 Commitment Program, a concerted effort to reduce and eventually eradicate embodied carbon in structural systems. The ambitious target is to cut embodied carbon by 50% in all projects by 2030, achieving complete elimination by 2050.
Embodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gas emissions generated during the manufacture, transportation, installation and disposal of building materials. This metric is becoming a pivotal factor in selecting structural systems, especially considering that the use of concrete and steel can contribute to over half of a building project’s embodied carbon.
The SE 2050 Commitment Program offers tools and strategies to aid architecture, engineering and construction firms in attaining the carbon neutrality objectives set by the SE 2050 Challenge. The initiative focuses on education, reporting, engagement and advocacy of strategies to reduce embodied carbon.
Mirroring the AIA 2030 Commitment, which sets forth objectives for diminishing the operational energy necessary to power buildings, the SE 2050 initiative envisions a gradual reduction of embodied carbon in structural systems. The ultimate goal is the replacement of current materials with carbon-neutral or carbon-sequestering alternatives by 2050.
As part of our pledge, HOK will publicly share an Embodied Carbon Action Plan annually on the SE 2050 website, in addition to submitting yearly project data to the SE 2050 database.
To date, 18 projects have been reported, and approximately 68% of new construction projects are under active embodied carbon monitoring. The aim is to increase this percentage to 100% in the coming year. A specially designed Life Cycle Analysis Dashboard facilitates detailed tracking of embodied carbon emissions for each project, empowering design teams to oversee progress and pinpoint opportunities to lessen the carbon footprint of future designs.
“HOK is committed to eliminating embodied carbon in our structural designs. By joining the SE 2050 Commitment Program, we’re taking actionable steps to reduce the carbon footprint of our projects today, while working toward the goal of 100% carbon neutral structures by 2050.”
Claire Moore
Directorof Engineering San Francisco
HOK has joined the MEP 2040 Challenge, an effort organized by the Carbon Leadership Forum to eliminate embodied carbon in mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) building systems by 2040.
Participating in the MEP 2040 Challenge enables us to deepen our collaboration with other disciplines to achieve carbon neutrality across all our projects.
The Carbon Leadership Forum issued the MEP 2040 Challenge to develop a data-driven commitment to achieve lifecycle decarbonization for MEP design and manufacturing firms. The challenge acknowledges the role building systems engineers play. It recognizes the urgency in reducing both the operational and embodied carbon of MEP systems, which include mechanical equipment, equipment sourcing and delivery and refrigerants. The program is made up of four action areas: education, reporting, carbon reduction strategies and advocacy.
In addition to delivering large-scale net-zero operational energy buildings, HOK’s engineering practice also works with consultants and manufacturers to provide low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for MEP system components, thereby promoting more sustainable projects and transparent products.
“HOK is uniquely positioned to influence every aspect of the built environment due to our interdisciplinary services and global reach. While we’re making great strides, we must continue to push ourselves, collaborate with groups like the AIA’s Large Firm Round Table and learn from other firms to support each other.”
Anica Landreneau Director of Sustainable Design
To understand the carbon emissions, energy use and other environmental impacts associated with all phases of a building’s life cycle, HOK has established a policy to conduct at least one whole building life cycle assessment (WBLCA) before the construction administration phase of all new building projects. To date, we have completed nearly 50 WBLCAs, encompassing a total area of 13.3 million gross square feet.
HOK also has updated our standard subconsultant agreement to mandate that our consultants carry out LCAs on all new whole-building projects. We also expect and advocate for manufacturers to provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for their products and materials.
HOK supports the movement toward products with reduced negative impacts on human health and the environment. Our baseline specifications are consistent with criteria for water efficiency, LEED version 4.1 and WELL version 2.
Our Sustainable Materials Working Group guides our teams’ selection and specification of more sustainable products. This group manages HOK’s firmwide approaches to material initiatives such as Declare™, EPDs, Health Product Declarations (HPDs) and embodied carbon. We specify products based on a variety of attributes but encourage transparency labels for all products in our libraries.
MATERIAL AND PRODUCT TRANSPARENCY
HOK tracks embodied carbon, green chemistry and sustainable sourcing on materials and products specified for all interiors projects. We set internal targets and benchmark progress against goals related to:
◯ Embodied carbon
◯ Green chemistry
◯ Sustainable sourcing
◯ ENERGY STAR compliance
◯ Flammability
Our 2022 results for interior design materials used in our projects were:
◯ 55% had EPDs measuring embodied carbon.
◯ 43% had third-party healthy materials certifications.
◯ 78% had low-emitting certifications.
◯ 43% had recycled content.
◯ 84% used FSC-certified wood.
HEALTHY MATERIALS INITIATIVES
HOK is a founding member and sponsor of the Health Product Declaration Collaborative, an industry standard for reporting building product content and associated health information. We cosponsored the development of the AIA Materials Matter transparency initiative.
We are a signatory to the AIA Materials Pledge, an aspirational definition of holistically sustainable materials that support human health, climate health, ecosystem health, and social health and equity in a circular economy.
HOK expects our partners—manufacturers, consultants, vendors or other service providers—to support us in pursuit of our sustainability goals. We convey our expectations and policies through clear specifications, continuous communication and collaboration.
HOK has delivered more than 425 sustainably certified projects encompassing 150 million square feet. This includes 382 LEED-certified projects totaling 134 million square feet.
HOK approaches every project with health, well-being and sustainability principles in mind. We incorporate these principles in all projects and track progress from early design through building occupancy. In addition to LEED, we use globally recognized sustainability rating systems such as BREEAM, Green Mark, WELL, Fitwel, Passive House, and Envision to measure, manage and report sustainability performance on projects.
All HOK design professionals must obtain, at a minimum, LEED Green Associate, BREEAM Green Associate or an international equivalent within six months of being hired. We also support all other HOK employees in their efforts to obtain LEED BD+C credentials.
We endorse additional sustainability credentials based on region or practice, including WELL, Passive House, Fitwel and SITES. Many of our design professionals hold multiple certifications.
HOK reimburses employees for test preparation materials, exam fees and credential renewals, and provides paid time for exams. We also offer opportunities to earn LEED and WELL Continuing Education Units through project work.
Employees have unlimited access to training and education resources through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Green Building Education Services (GBES) and other organizations. HOK further supports ongoing education via accredited sustainability lectures and ondemand resources.
425+
sustainably certified projects encompassing
150
382
LEED certified projects totaling million square feet million square feet
134
“We need to use design as a positive force. The goal is to leverage the power of design to restore and regenerate the natural world, which we need to continue preserving while also creating abundance.”Sean Quinn Director of Regenerative Design
We continuously invest in research that drives transformative, sustainable outcomes in the built environment.
Regenerative design engages the continuous and healthy relationships of the environment, building and community. It enhances a site or a region’s ecosystem performance beyond the native habitat. Regenerative design requires whole systems thinking that brings together the needs of people and nature. To push beyond sustainability, we build on HOK’s integrated design approaches to net positive energy, carbon, water, materials and waste through design toward nature-positive impact. This includes biomimicry and biophilia; health and wellness; public interest design; circular economy principles; and ecosystem services.
Our multidisciplinary teams—comprising architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, landscape architects, and sustainability experts—frequently collaborate with specialized firms like longtime partner Biomimicry 3.8. These partnerships, which focus on leveraging the natural and biological systems of a place as design drivers, empower us to address complex challenges that none of us could solve on our own.
In a 2023 LinkedIn Live discussion, Director of Regenerative Design Sean Quinn and JoAnn Garbin, Microsoft’s director of Innovation within CO+I Advanced Development, explored the current applications and future evolution of regenerative design. Key insights from their conversation included the optimistic nature of regenerative design, its quantitative and adaptive characteristics, and its iterative and collaborative approach. They emphasized the importance of correcting past mistakes, moving forward with nature-positive results, and using data to understand and predict environmental functions. The discussion also highlighted the role of collaboration across industries and stakeholders, including participation in initiatives like Biomimicry 3.8’s Project Positive to uncover new regenerative solutions.
Learn more about Quinn’s vision for regenerative design through his keynote presentation at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Annual Summit.
PROJECT POSITIVE
Project Positive is a group of change agents dedicated to raising the bar on what it means to act sustainably. Motivated by a sense of urgency, the group aims to surpass mere reduction goals, focusing instead on science-based targets that benefit ecosystems, employees and communities.
The initiative builds upon the vision of Janine Benyus, co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8: “When a city or manufacturing site is functionally indistinguishable from the forest or wildlands next door, we’ve reached true sustainability.” Achieving this level of integration necessitates designing spaces that perform as effectively as a local, healthy ecosystem.
As a founding member of Project Positive’s Integrated Services Provider (ISP) team, which includes Biomimicry 3.8, EcoMetrix Solutions Group, Jacobs Engineering and HOK, Sean Quinn guides the creative design efforts for buildings and cities, designing using nature’s guidance and creating strategies intended to emulate an ecosystem’s services.
HOK’s Performance Design Lab explores how designers can use environmental and building science and simulation to design high-performance, healthy and resilient buildings. The lab is a cooperative with representatives from multiple disciplines, including sustainability, engineering and architecture. The tools allow designers to simulate environmental dynamics, ecosystem services, operational energy and embodied carbon. This transdisciplinary team informs the project design process through performance-based metrics ranging from individual systems and spaces to buildings and cities.
In addition, Sean Quinn leads partnerships with academia and industry to innovate, expanding capabilities, exploring analysis techniques, creating design strategies and forging relationships that allow deep research and practical application.
C limate Studio
HOK is the founding sponsor and partner of Climate Studio, which began as a collaboration between MIT’s Sustainable Design Lab and software developer Solemma to develop comprehensive design tools for optimizing the environmental performance of buildings. The partnership now includes Cornell’s Environmental Systems Lab and the University of Toronto’s Advanced Design and Research Program. The research addresses operational and embodied carbon from a building to the city scale; human health and well-being; and urban agriculture and nutrition.
E cosystem Intelligence
Through Project Positive, HOK is collaborating with EcoMetrix Solutions Group, a team of natural resource specialists and decision support tool designers. Using its Ecosystem Intelligence (EI) tool, HOK is acting as an early adopter and collaborator, investigating the results of completed projects to demonstrate restorative effects on ecosystem services. We also use the tools on active design projects to create a roadmap for regenerative design and development.
Aviation accounts for more than 12% of total transportation emissions, which is set to double by 2050. Released at high altitudes, aviation emissions have two to four times the impact of comparable ground source emissions.
HOK’s Aviation + Transportation group is collaborating with industry experts to address these issues through advanced air mobility, which includes zero-emission and electric aircraft. The group is examining infrastructure needs for new and existing airports that support electric aircraft, enhance the traveler experience, drive economic growth and positively contribute to the environment and local community.
In addition to our internal tracking database of embodied carbon in our projects’ structural and facades systems, our team is working toward incorporation of the embodied carbon metrics from interiors, MEP and landscape systems. This data is also paired with the operational carbon of a project to allow our teams to view design decisions holistically as they affect the total carbon emissions of a project.
Significant work on our project’s materials specification is ongoing with targeted emission limits by materials incorporated into our project documents. This allows our targets to become a reality in the built structure.
We have additionally paired embodied carbon calculations with our internal parametric optimization tool Stream to use embodied carbon of a system as a key design metric.
RESILIENCY CHECKLIST AND TOOLKIT
HOK is committed to creating climate-resilient and sustainable built environments that can serve communities now and in the future. To address the dramatic climate changes and increasing threats to the built environment, we will soon unveil a resiliency checklist and toolkit to guide resilient and climate-adaptive design. The toolkit will help identify risks and vulnerabilities specific to each project based on climate projections, infrastructure conditions and hazard likelihood for the location. It will advise on resilient design strategies to mitigate risks across a building’s lifespan, enabling projects to better withstand and recover from shocks and stresses. Key questions will assess climate and hazard projections, evaluate susceptibilities and propose nature-based, passive system and backup infrastructure solutions to reduce harm, adapt to evolving conditions and facilitate recovery.
Rising sea levels from climate change will severely impact many major coastal cities, including New York City. How can urban designers address this long-term threat? In a new NYC 2100 project, HOK’s Planning + Urban Design practice explored equitable, resilient design strategies for how cities can adapt to climate change.
Our NYC 2100 study serves as a model study demonstrating how an integrated approach to resilient planning and design can better serve our coastal cities and their neighborhoods, commercial centers and transportation systems.
HOK’s engineering team has developed a parametric modeling and optimization tool called HOK STREAM™ that dramatically accelerates the design process for complex architecture projects. The tool combines several modeling and structural analysis tools to generate a single, streamlined solution for a specific project type.
By blending the architectural logic and poetry with engineering design optimization, HOK’s teams are creating more imaginative, cost effective and sustainable design solutions. HOK is actively using STREAM™ on a variety of project types, including airport terminals, sports venues, laboratories, hospitals and mixed-use developments.
HOK is an industry partner of the Center for the Built Environment (CBE), a research center at the University of California, Berkeley. The CBE works to improve the environmental quality and energy efficiency of buildings by providing information on building technologies and innovative design tools.
HOK STREAMHOK has committed to setting enterprise-wide, science based targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The SBTi is a partnership between nonprofit charity Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The initiative emphasizes the fundamental role businesses play in decreasing GHG emissions and provides guidance on setting science-based targets to chart a clear pathway toward decarbonization. The framework enables companies to set ambitious, transparent and verifiable net-zero targets that support the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
HOK benchmarks our Scope 1 and 2 emissions and will achieve carbon neutrality for these categories starting in 2022, and every year going forward. The firm is also committed to carbon neutrality for Scope 3 travel emissions beginning in 2023 and aims to extend this to all Scope 3 emissions by 2030.
To further our commitment to a carbon-neutral operation and design portfolio, HOK is formulating a comprehensive Climate Action Plan. This plan will outline milestones for reducing Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, address climaterelated business risks and propose risk mitigation strategies. Upon completion, the Climate Action Plan will be submitted to SBTi for validation.
HOK OFFICE DESIGN
It is HOK’s policy that our new or renewed offices with a minimum of a five-year lease should achieve at least LEED-ID+C Gold certification or the equivalent.
Renovations of existing offices:
◯ Certify under LEED, WELL, BREEAM, Fitwel or regionally appropriate rating system at minimum Gold level (or equivalent).
◯ Comply with the local green building code (e.g., IgCC, CalGreen) where equivalent to a Gold certification under a green or wellness rating system.
◯ Meet HOK AIA 2030 targets for energy systems in scope.
◯ Employ HOK specifications for green materials.
◯ Identify opportunities to maximize salvage and reuse of existing furnishings and finishes.
◯ Negotiate “green lease” language with the landlord to ensure ongoing sustainable operations.
New office fitouts:
◯ Prioritize transit-oriented location.
◯ Prioritize location or building with wellness amenities.
◯ Prioritize LEED or WELL certified buildings or existing buildings that meet other criteria for transit and wellness prerequisites for LEED or WELL.
◯ Certify fitout under LEED and/or WELL at Gold level.
◯ Meet HOK AIA 2030 targets for energy systems in scope.
◯ Employ HOK specifications for green materials.
◯ Identify opportunities to maximize flexibility for future reconfiguration.
◯ Conduct LCA to mitigate impact on embodied carbon emissions.
HOK’s new Los Angeles studio, located in the vibrant Arts District of ROW DTLA, stands as a testament to our commitment to sustainability, health and inclusivity. The 20,000-sq.-ft. studio has earned a LEED Platinum rating, showcasing a variety of ecofriendly strategies integrated into its design. These strategies include the adaptive reuse of the building to preserve its historic character, the implementation of energy-efficient HVAC systems, effective daylighting, reduced lighting power density and daylight/occupancy sensors, which have collectively reduced energy consumption by 56% compared with ASHRAE baseline data. Water conservation is also a priority, with the installation of efficient low-flow fixtures leading to a 39% reduction in water use.
Our design approach embraces the creation of inclusive, neurodiverse work environments where everyone can thrive. The new LA office features floating workspaces that are flexible and unassigned, catering to a diverse spectrum of sensory needs and supporting hybrid work models. These spaces vary, offering serene environments to sensoryrich zones.
Promoting health and wellness is a focus in the LA studio’s design, which has secured a Fitwel 1-Star rating. The office houses a wellness room, a multipurpose area and a refreshment station stocked with local beverages. Biophilic design elements include abundant natural light, plants, organic materials and nature-inspired colors, all enhancing the well-being of the employees. The office also facilitates productivity and comfort through assistive technologies, sit-stand desks and adjustable lighting.
In 2022, HOK announced a new flexible work option in which most employees are expected to work in an HOK office on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Employees have the flexibility to decide whether to work remotely or in an office on Mondays and Fridays. We believe this hybrid approach strikes the right balance between in person activities while giving employees the benefits that come from working remotely.
Environmental benefits of this workplace approach include fewer vehicles on the roads for commuting; reduced waste, energy and water use in all our offices; and the ability to downsize our office space as needed in the future.
HOK is in our 68th year as a global design practice. Our success would not have been possible without sound corporate governance and a reputation for acting with integrity. We have set and achieved high standards for how we deliver our work and operate our firm, and we do everything possible to retain that reputation.
In order to practice with integrity, we require unwavering compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and best business practices, as well as adherence to a strict ethical code of business conduct.
HOK’s Corporate Integrity Handbook, first published in 2014, describes detailed policies and procedures intended to promote the highest level of ethical conduct. Chapters include our Expectations (“practice with honesty and integrity”); Professional Conduct (“do what is right”); Workplace (“treat one another with respect”); Information (“handle information properly”); Laws, Regulations and Best Practices; Resources (“seek help”); and Commitment (“do your part”).
Every full-time, contract, temporary and part-time employee is required to conduct business in compliance with this Handbook, everywhere in the world. Every subcontractor to HOK—in any capacity—is also required to conduct business in conformance with HOK’s commitment to integrity.
In 2023, every HOK employee is required to complete two online training modules: Anti-Corruption/Anti-Bribery and Suppliers and Human Trafficking.
HOK is a 100% employee-owned-firm with an entirely internal Board of Directors.
Until the late-1970s, HOK was solely owned by our three founding partners. In an effort to reward key employees and attract new people to drive the growth of the firm and our design portfolio, HOK expanded ownership and launched a stock program exclusively for employees.
Over the four decades since stock ownership was extended beyond the initial founders to employees, HOK has consistently expanded our stock program and the number of employee shareholders has grown more than 18 times. The firm regularly selects employees who are contributing to the success of the firm to become new shareholders. As a result, our leaders have a vested interest in the overall health of the company.
In addition to giving us the ability to reward current and future leaders with stock ownership, being employee-owned gives HOK the ability to chart our own future.
“I feel privileged to be a part of a unique HOK group known as ‘the HOK Boomerangers’—staff who return after realizing how special it is to work in an organization that offers worldclass opportunities for professional and personal development, inspirational leadership, unwavering support to staff and innovative design. Working at HOK is challenging, stimulating and fun. We work with the best, for the best!”
Robyn Gilmour Marketing Principal
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
HOK’s Board of Directors, known internally as the Executive Committee, has overall responsibility for developing and implementing the firm’s strategic objectives and for overseeing all the firm’s activities. This Executive Committee includes:
Carl Galioto, FAIA
President and Managing Principal, New York and Philadelphia
Eli Hoisington, AIA
Co-CEO + Design Principal, St. Louis
Riccardo Mascia, AIA Chief Strategy Officer + Managing Principal, Chicago
Tom Robson, AIA Chief Operating Officer
Susan Klumpp Williams, AIA Co-CEO + Managing Principal, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Tampa and Miami
Four Board-created committees have specific responsibilities delegated to each: the Compensation Committee, the Audit Committee, the Business Strategy Committee and the Operations Committee.
HOK, Inc., the firm’s primary operating subsidiary, also has a Board of Directors that provide leadership and oversight to enable us to achieve our mission and reach our goals.
HOK’s four core boards—Design, Management, Marketing and Technical—provide firm leadership in those specialty areas. These boards develop tools and provide information throughout the firm as part of a commitment to continuously improving the quality of our work.
Our Executive Committee oversees and directs HOK’s participation in initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion; social responsibility; and environmental sustainability.
The Diversity Advisory Council guides our endeavors to establish an inclusive work environment, working with HR and local office representatives.
HOK Impact, our social responsibility group led by three firmwide co-chairs, works to extend our commitment to equity and inclusion into communities and the AEC industry through pro-bono services, volunteering and donations.
Our director of sustainable design, director of regenerative design, leader of resiliency and sustainable design leaders across HOK oversee our environmental sustainability initiatives and progress toward goals like a carbon-neutral portfolio by 2030.
A chief legal officer oversees all legal functions of the firm and advises the Board of Directors.
A corporate compliance officer manages compliance efforts including developing policies, training programs and conducting investigations. Key policies and training cover areas such as anti-corruption, human trafficking and ethics.
HOK is global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. Our 1,600 people collaborate across a network of 26 offices on three continents.
HOK is a collective of future-forward thinkers and designers who are driven to face the critical challenges of our time. We are dedicated to improving people’s lives, serving our clients and healing the planet. Together, we cultivate a culture of design excellence at the confluence of art and science, blending the power of creative expression with a clear sense of purpose.
We bring diverse global expertise to every local project.
MARKET BASED-EXPERIENCE
Our experts bring market knowledge and deep expertise to every design opportunity.
Aviation + Transportation
Civic + Cultural
Corporate
Government
Healthcare
Higher Education
Justice
Lifestyle
Mixed-Use
Renovation + Refurbishment
Science + Technology
Sports + Recreation + Entertainment
WorkPlace
HOLISTIC DESIGN APPROACH
We approach design problems from many different points of view.
Architecture
Consulting
Engineering
Experience Design
Interiors
Landscape Architecture
Lighting Design
On-Site Space Management
Planning and Urban Design
Regenerative Design
Sustainable Design
“There’s a lot of industry chatter about what’s needed to bring people back to the office. We want to make the office as engaging, cool and exciting as possible. But it’s also about giving our people reasons to come in and actively collaborate on projects. We’re building a studio that functions like a family, where everyone has each other’s backs.”
George Blume Principal-DesignAustin
Kimberly Dowdell
Co-Chair
kimberly.dowdell@hok.com Chicago
Shiva Mendez
Co-Chair
shiva.mendez@hok.com San Francisco
Damon Sheppard
Co-Chair
damon.sheppard@hok.com Washington, D.C.
Anica Landreneau
Director, Sustainable Design anica.landreneau@hok.com Washington, D.C.
Sean Quinn
Director, Regenerative Design sean.quinn@hok.com San Francisco
Jacqueline Payne
Co-Chair
jacqueline.payne@hok.com
London
Scott Lawson
Co-Chair
scott.lawson@hok.com Chicago
Rebecca Brandl
Co-Chair
rebecca.brandl@hok.com St. Louis
Lisa Green
Chief Legal Officer lisa.green@hok.com St. Louis
Donovan Olliff
General Counsel
Corporate Compliance Officer donovan.olliff@hok.com St. Louis
Michele L. Van Hyfte
Sustainable Design Leader, Resiliency michele.vanhyfte@hok.com Austin
