HOK, a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm, announced today that architecture and interior design firm BBG-BBGM's New York and Shanghai employees have joined the company.
BBG-BBGM’s primary business has been hospitality design, with a focus on luxury hotels and resorts. The addition of BBG-BBGM's people to HOK's practice in New York and Shanghai positions HOK among the world's leading hospitality design firms.
"The addition of a premier hospitality design firm to our already strong hospitality group provides immediate benefits for HOK's clients worldwide," said Bill Hellmuth, AIA, HOK president. "We have tremendous mutual respect for each other and share a passion for exceptional design and project delivery. We each are committed to creating great spaces that respect their communities, delight guests and bring value to owners. This is an exciting time for HOK's people and clients."
"HOK is a wonderful fit for us," said Louis R. Hedgecock, AIA, LEED AP, a former managing partner at BBG-BBGM who has joined HOK as a principal in New York. "Coming to HOK, which has such a robust global infrastructure and highly collaborative culture, gives our people increased opportunities for professional growth and the ability to design significant projects all over the world. We expect a seamless transition."
"We're excited about the prospect of continuing to create excellent hospitality experiences for clients all over the world," said Julia Monk, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, a founding partner of BBGM and a managing partner of BBG-BBGM who joins HOK in Shanghai. "The global hospitality market is growing quickly. Joining HOK expands our global reach to meet the market's demand. The timing is perfect."
"We are practicing in a truly global marketplace," added Carl Galioto, FAIA, HOK's New York managing principal. "Our goal is to be the leading expertise-based design practice in every market in which we operate. The combination of BBG-BBGM's people with our hospitality design experts immediately positions HOK as a worldwide leader in hotel and resort design. Each client will benefit from our collective expertise, whether they are designing new properties or renovating and repositioning existing facilities."
HOK's expanded hospitality interior design group is led by Monk in Shanghai, Christina Hart, ASID, IIDA, LEED AP, in New York and Randa Tukan, IDC, LEED AP, in Toronto.
In addition to Hedgecock, Hart and Monk, BBG-BBGM partners who have joined HOK include Gregory Cranford, AIA, Marc Gross, AIA, LEED AP, and Marie-Paule Petitjean, AIA, LEED AP, all based in New York.
BBG-BBGM's hospitality experience includes Suite 5000 at the Mandarin Oriental in New York; the Atlantis Sanya, the MGM Grand Sanya and the St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort & Spa in Hainan, China; The Peninsula Shanghai; the Rosewood Abu Dhabi Hotel and Residences in Abu Dhabi, UAE; the St. Regis Hotel and Residences Bangkok; the Smyth Hotel in New York; and the renovation of The New York Palace Hotel and the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.
HOK's global portfolio of hospitality projects includes the Doha City Centre Hotels in Doha, Qatar; renovation and re-branding of Delta Hotels and Resorts across Canada; the Intercontinental Hua Hin Resort in Hua Hin, Thailand; the Four Seasons Shanghai in Shanghai, China; the Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai; the Marriott Chicago River North Hotel in Chicago; the Marriott West India Quay in London; the Hilton Columbus Convention Center Hotel in Columbus, Ohio; and the New Songdo City Sheraton Incheon Hotel in Incheon, South Korea.
The New York and Shanghai offices of BBG-BBGM have joined HOK. The Washington, DC, office of BBG-BBGM will continue as BBGM.
HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. Through a network of 24 offices worldwide, HOK provides design excellence and innovation to create places that enrich people's lives and help clients succeed. For four consecutive years, DesignIntelligence has ranked HOK as a leader in sustainable and high-performance design.
Related Stories
| Dec 11, 2013
Wyndham unveils hotel prototype for its Hawthorn Suites chain
The extended-stay hotel prototype reduces development costs by 46% for franchisees and enhances the overall guest experience.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Dec 10, 2013
Modular Pedia-Pod: Sustainability in healthcare construction [slideshow]
Greenbuild 2013 in Philadelphia was the site of a unique display—Pedia-Pod, a modular pediatric treatment room designed and built by NRB, in collaboration with the editors of Building Design+Construction, SGC Horizon LLC, and their team of medical design consultants.
| Dec 9, 2013
Tips for designing higher education's newest building type: the learning commons
In this era of scaled-down budgets, maximized efficiencies, new learning methods and social media’s domination of face time, college and university campuses are gravitating toward a new space type: the learning commons.
| Dec 9, 2013
ULI: Real estate market in 2014 will be 'recovering from the recovery'
The U.S. commercial real estate market is gradually “recovering from the recovery” and will “gain momentum” in 2014, according to ULI CEO Patrick L. Phillips.
| Dec 9, 2013
Does technology help or hinder innovation?
Whether digital technology will help or hinder workplace insights remains a topic of ongoing debate. FastCo.Design features insights from business scholars on both sides of the issue.
| Dec 9, 2013
What is life cycle cost optioneering?
Life cycle cost optioneering is a way of assessing alternative design options, analyzing their long-term capital and operational costs to identify those with the lowest price tag, over the entire life cycle.
| Dec 6, 2013
French concert hall includes integrated musical elements [VIDEO]
La Métaphone, a concert hall in Ognies, France, is a 1,980-sm facility with the unique characteristic of being a structural musical instrument. The solar-powered building incorporates musical elements in its walls, which can be played by musicians inside or outside the facility.
| Dec 6, 2013
Goettsch Partners selected 2013 AIA Chicago Firm of the Year
Architecture firm Goettsch Partners (GP) has been named the 2013 Firm of the Year, as conferred by the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Chicago). The award is the highest honor a firm can receive from the chapter.
| Dec 5, 2013
Maximizing the impact of online marketing
Because most professional services firms exist to help their clients reduce risk and navigate an uncertain future, they tend to approach the world of online or digital marketing with some caution. Here are four tips for maximizing the impact of online marketing.
