William (Bill) Hellmuth, FAIA, the chairman and CEO of HOK, passed away on April 6, 2023, after a long illness.
An extraordinary architect and leader, Hellmuth designed dozens of award-winning buildings across the globe and, as president and later chairman and CEO of HOK, raised HOK’s profile within the design community and beyond. During his leadership, HOK was listed as one of the world’s most influential companies by Time Magazine, repeatedly earned mention in Fast Company’s list of most innovative companies and was annually ranked the world’s largest design firm specializing in both architecture and engineering.
While proud of HOK’s accomplishments, Hellmuth kept his focus on the future and was happiest while brainstorming ideas with clients and HOK project teams. He was elected president of HOK, Inc. in 2005. When tapped to become CEO in 2016, Hellmuth accepted the role on the condition that he could remain the design principal for HOK’s Washington, D.C., studio and firm-wide design leader. A year later, he also was named chairman.
Susan Klumpp Williams, managing principal of the D.C. office, worked alongside Hellmuth for more than 30 years. She recalls how he would impress clients with his commitment to their projects even while overseeing the firm’s global strategies and operations.
“They never expected him to be so hands-on. But that is something Bill took great pride in,” said Klumpp Williams. “He was happiest when working with one of our designers at their desk. His passion for design and our profession inspired those of us who had the privilege of working closely with him.”
A few of Hellmuth’s most notable designs include the 75-story Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Headquarters in the UAE; the U.S. Embassy Chancery and Office Annex in Moscow; the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi; the Sheraton Inn Timika Guest House in Irian Jaya, Indonesia; Msheireb Downtown Doha mixed-use community in Qatar; King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center and Residential Community in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Rhine Ordnance Barracks Medical Center Replacement in Kaiserslautern, Germany; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Morgan State University’s Jenkins Hall Behavioral and Social Sciences Center in Baltimore; and the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia.
Related Stories
Apartments | Jun 27, 2023
Average U.S. apartment rent reached all-time high in May, at $1,716
Multifamily rents continued to increase through the first half of 2023, despite challenges for the sector and continuing economic uncertainty. But job growth has remained robust and new households keep forming, creating apartment demand and ongoing rent growth. The average U.S. apartment rent reached an all-time high of $1,716 in May.
Apartments | Jun 27, 2023
Dallas high-rise multifamily tower is first in state to receive WELL Gold certification
HALL Arts Residences, 28-story luxury residential high-rise in the Dallas Arts District, recently became the first high-rise multifamily tower in Texas to receive WELL Gold Certification, a designation issued by the International WELL Building Institute. The HKS-designed condominium tower was designed with numerous wellness details.
University Buildings | Jun 26, 2023
Addition by subtraction: The value of open space on higher education campuses
Creating a meaningful academic and student life experience on university and college campuses does not always mean adding a new building. A new or resurrected campus quad, recreational fields, gardens, and other greenspaces can tie a campus together, writes Sean Rosebrugh, AIA, LEED AP, HMC Architects' Higher Education Practice Leader.
Standards | Jun 26, 2023
New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings
The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.
Green | Jun 26, 2023
Federal government will spend $30 million on novel green building technologies
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest $30 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to increase the sustainability of federal buildings by testing novel technologies. The vehicle for that effort, the Green Proving Ground (GPG) program, will invest in American-made technologies to help increase federal electric vehicle supply equipment, protect air quality, reduce climate pollution, and enhance building performance.
Office Buildings | Jun 26, 2023
Electric vehicle chargers are top priority for corporate office renters
Businesses that rent office space view electric vehicle (EV) charging stations as a top priority. More than 40% of companies in the Americas and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) are looking to include EV charging stations in future leases, according to JLL’s 2023 Responsible Real Estate study.
Laboratories | Jun 23, 2023
A New Jersey development represents the state’s largest-ever investment in life sciences and medical education
In New Brunswick, N.J., a life sciences development that’s now underway aims to bring together academics and researchers to work, learn, and experiment under one roof. HELIX Health + Life Science Exchange is an innovation district under development on a four-acre downtown site. At $731 million, HELIX, which will be built in three phases, represents New Jersey’s largest-ever investment in life sciences and medical education, according to a press statement.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jun 22, 2023
NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars release conceptual designs for ‘stadium of the future’
Designed by HOK, the Stadium of the Future intends to meet the evolving needs of all stadium stakeholders—which include the Jaguars, the annual Florida-Georgia college football game, the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, international sporting events, music festivals and tours, and the thousands of fans and guests who attend each event.
Architects | Jun 22, 2023
Keith Hempel named President of LPA Design Studios
LPA Design Studios today announced the promotion of Chief Design Officer Keith Hempel, FAIA, to president of the 58-year-old integrated design firm. Hempel, who joined LPA in 1995, has been an integral part of the firm’s growth, helping to develop an integrated design process that has produced industry-leading results.
Industrial Facilities | Jun 20, 2023
A new study presses for measuring embodied carbon in industrial buildings
The embodied carbon (EC) intensity in core and shell industrial buildings in the U.S. averages 23.0 kilograms per sf, according to a recent analysis of 26 whole building life-cycle assessments. That means a 300,000-sf warehouse would emit 6,890 megatons of carbon over its lifespan, or the equivalent of the carbon emitted by 1,530 gas-powered cars driven for one year. Those sobering estimates come from a new benchmark study, “Embodied Carbon U.S. Industrial Real Estate.”
