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 30, 2011

BBS Architects & Engineers completes welcoming center at St. Charles Resurrection Cemetery

The new structure serves as the cemetery's focal architectural point and center of operations.  

| Sep 30, 2011

Kilbourn joins Perkins Eastman

Kilbourn joins with more than 28 years of design and planning experience for communities, buildings, and interiors in hospitality, retail/mixed-use, corporate office, and healthcare.

| Sep 30, 2011

Design your own floor program

Program allows users to choose from a variety of flooring and line accent colors to create unique floor designs to complement any athletic facility. 

| Sep 30, 2011

AAMA offers electronic technical documents with launch of virtual library

This new program offers a system for members to purchase annual licenses in order to offer electronic versions of AAMA publications in an effort to make AAMA’s technical information resources more readily available to their employees.

| Sep 29, 2011

Submit your Great Solutions

Profiles of Great Solutions will appear in December 2011 issue of Building Design+Construction.

| Sep 29, 2011

Busch Engineering, Science and Technology Residence Hall opens to Rutgers students

With a total development cost of $57 million, B.E.S.T. is the first on-campus residence hall constructed by Rutgers since 1994.

| Sep 29, 2011

CEU series examines environmental footprint and performance properties of wood, concrete, and steel

  Each course qualifies for one AIA/CES HSW/SD Learning Unit or One GBCI CE Hour.

| Sep 29, 2011

Kohler supports 2011 Solar Decathlon competition teams

Modular Architecture > In a quest to create the ultimate ‘green’ house, 20 collegiate teams compete in Washington D.C. Mall.

| Sep 29, 2011

AIA Dallas names new executive director

  AIA Dallas one of only a few chapters in the U.S. to be led by an accomplished architect.

| Sep 29, 2011

Potter honored with SMSP honor

  The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) recognized Alfred K. Potter II, FSMPS, senior vice president with Gilbane Building Co., with the 2011 Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award (MAA). 

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