flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Career development, workplace environment programs key to retention at HMC Architects

Career development, workplace environment programs key to retention at HMC Architects

Architecture firm take a multifaceted approach to professional development.


By By Robert Cassidy | October 4, 2012
Four HMC professionals who were recently promoted to Associate talk about their
Four HMC professionals who were recently promoted to Associate talk about their mentors. Left to right: Matt Endsley, 29, Busine
This article first appeared in the October 2012 issue of BD+C.

“We take a multifaceted approach to professional development,” says Pasqual V. Gutierrez, AIA, Director of Architecture. Among HMC’s career development programs:

• IDP Forum, held once a month for those employees who are fulfilling the Intern Development Program. “We use the AIA Emerging Professional Companion in combination with specs of real HMC projects, so that they learn about specifications but also our HMC protocols,” says Gutierrez.

• After-hours study programs for employees preparing for the Architectural Registration Exam are supported by senior architects. 

• Accessibility Workshop: a five-hour program held in odd-numbered years for employees—and clients—who need to meet state licensure renewal requirements for Mandatory Accessibility coursework.

• Access to 1,040 hours of the AIA Virtual Convention for 80 licensed architects at the firm to view and earn AIA/CES learning units.

The Emerging Leaders Forum is a two-year “corporate overlay experience” program for mid- and upper-level management-track staff to hone their corporate governance skills. Emerging leaders engage in reading assignments, community service, and professional practice mentoring sessions to help them refine their practical skills while providing insight into executive management.

At the top level, Principals, Associate Principals, and Senior Project Managers are provided a reimbursable allowance for conferences and books, plus each studio managing principal receives a discretionary fund to administer education and training for technical and administrative staff.

In what may be a unique offering, HMC recorded a thousand hours of its own lunch-and-learn “Back2Basics” learning workshops—covering such topics as BIM and cost controls—and contracted with the AIA to make them available online to HMC staff for continuing education credits.

Two employee-initiated forums meet after hours to explore issues in design, take field trips, make presentations, and enter competitions, all on their own time.

Every September, HMC’s ArchLab takes a group of 20 or so employees into the woods for a weekend retreat to dig into sustainability. “We don’t talk about LEED,” says Gutierrez. “We talk about high-performance architecture and the strategies you need to deliver it.”

More at: www.BDCnetwork.com/HMC/Careers. +

Related Stories

| Sep 18, 2012

MBMA partners with ORNL for whole building energy efficiency study

The results are intended to advance energy efficiency solutions for new and retrofit applications.

| Sep 18, 2012

MKK opens office in North Dakota

MKK is currently working on seven projects in North Dakota, including a hotel, restaurant, truck stop, office building, and apartment complex.

| Sep 18, 2012

Firestone Building Products launches new website

Deep product information and innovative customer support tools are highlights.

| Sep 13, 2012

Leo A Daly Company promotes Kraskiewicz to senior vice president

Kraskiewicz, who most recently served as chief operations officer for the Leo A Daly division, will guide brand management, business development, operations and financial performance for 18 offices worldwide.

| Sep 13, 2012

Acentech adds audiovisual expertise to Trevose, Penn. office

Artese focuses on advising, overseeing, and maintaining the client’s vision for the project from the initial kick-off meeting to the final commissioning of the completed systems.

| Sep 13, 2012

Margulies Perruzzi Architects completes office design for Pioneer Investments

MPA updated the office design and additional support space consisting of five floors at Pioneer’s Boston office located at 60 State Street.

| Sep 12, 2012

Harvesting new ways to eliminate waste at the USDA

After installing 20 high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers in restrooms throughout the USDA headquarters; the USDA reports seeing an immediate 50% reduction in the use of paper towels.

| Sep 11, 2012

RTKL appoints Lance Hosey as Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President

Author and authority on green design to spearhead RTKL Performance-driven DesignSM initiative.

| Sep 11, 2012

McQuade appointed CEO of Tishman Construction

McQuade will focus on driving the growth of the company into new markets and expanding market share in its current areas of operation.

| Sep 11, 2012

Ecosystem Management & Associates joins HDR

EM&A staff will do business as part of HDR Engineering and HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Construction Costs

Data center construction costs for 2024

Gordian’s data features more than 100 building models, including computer data centers. These localized models allow architects, engineers, and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds. This table shows a five-year view of costs per square foot for one-story computer data centers. 


Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.



Healthcare Facilities

Watch on-demand: Key Trends in the Healthcare Facilities Market for 2024-2025

Join the Building Design+Construction editorial team for this on-demand webinar on key trends, innovations, and opportunities in the $65 billion U.S. healthcare buildings market. A panel of healthcare design and construction experts present their latest projects, trends, innovations, opportunities, and data/research on key healthcare facilities sub-sectors. A 2024-2025 U.S. healthcare facilities market outlook is also presented.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021