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

| Dec 19, 2011

HGA renovates Rowing Center at Cornell University

Renovation provides state-of-the-art waterfront facility.

| Dec 19, 2011

Chicago’s Aqua Tower wins international design award

Aqua was named both regional and international winner of the International Property Award as Best Residential High-Rise Development.

| Dec 19, 2011

Summit Design+Build selected as GC for Chicago recon project

The 130,000 square foot building is being completely renovated.

| Dec 19, 2011

USGBC welcomes new board directors?

Board responsible for articulating and upholding the vision, values, mission of organization.

| Dec 19, 2011

Davis Construction breaks ground on new NIAID property

The new offices will total 490,998 square feet in a 10-story building with two wings of 25,000 square feet each. 

| Dec 19, 2011

Survey: Job growth driving demand for office and industrial real estate in Southern California

Annual USC Lusk Center for Real Estate forecast reveals signs of slow market recovery.

| Dec 16, 2011

Goody Clancy-designed Informatics Building dedicated at Northern Kentucky University

The sustainable building solution, built for approximately $255-sf, features innovative materials and intelligent building systems that align with the mission of integration and collaboration. 

| Dec 16, 2011

Stalco Construction converts Babylon, N.Y. Town Hall into history museum

The project converted the landmark structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places into the Town of Babylon History Museum at Old Town Hall.

| Dec 14, 2011

Belfer Research Building tops out in New York

Hundreds of construction trades people celebrate reaching the top of concrete structure for facility that will accelerate treatments and cures at world-renowned institution.

| Dec 14, 2011

Tyler Junior College and Sika Sarnafil team up to save energy

Tyler Junior College wanted a roofing system that wouldn’t need any attention for a long time.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


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