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
| Apr 26, 2013
Decaying city: Exhibit demonstrates the fragility of the man-made world
Theater set designer Johanna Mårtensson built a model cityscape out of bread only to watch it decay.
| Apr 25, 2013
Colorado State University, DLR Group team to study 12 high-performance schools
DLR Group and the Institute for the Built Environment at Colorado State University have collaborated on a research project to evaluate the effect of green school design on occupants and long-term building performance.
| Apr 24, 2013
More positive momentum for Architecture Billings Index
All regions and building sectors continue to report positive business conditions
| Apr 24, 2013
North Carolina bill would ban green rating systems that put state lumber industry at disadvantage
North Carolina lawmakers have introduced state legislation that would restrict the use of national green building rating programs, including LEED, on public projects.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 23, 2013
Building material innovation: Concrete cloth simplifies difficult pours
Milliken recently debuted a flexible fabric that allows for concrete installations on slopes, in water, and in other hard to reach places—without the need for molds or mixing.
| Apr 22, 2013
Top 10 green building projects for 2013 [slideshow]
The AIA's Committee on the Environment selected its top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
| Apr 19, 2013
Is LED lighting keeping its promises?
Lighting experts debate the benefits, drawbacks, and issues related to specifying LED fixtures.
| Apr 19, 2013
Must see: Shell of gutted church on stilts, 40 feet off the ground
Construction crews are going to extremes to save the ornate brick façade of the Provo (Utah) Tabernacle temple, which was ravaged by a fire in December 2010.
