HOK honored with Los Angeles architectural award

HOK was recently recognized with an architectural award from the Los Angeles Business Council at a celebration that drew hundreds of the region’s leading architects, designers and building professionals.

Nearly 30 projects from across the architectural spectrum were recognized for design excellence and community impact at the event. More than 500 professionals gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the event, keynoted by Los Angeles County Museum of Art Director Michael Govan, the bold leader behind LACMA’s recent evolution. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was also among the event’s featured speakers, acknowledging the outstanding projects that make LA livable, beautiful and economically vibrant.

HOK worked with Cedars?Sinai on a "transformational" project at the landmark medical center, a major beautification featuring lush gardens, landscaped walkways and freshly painted buildings ? a renewal meant to turn the campus into an urban oasis to benefit not only the institution's 18,000?20,000 patients, medical staff and visitors daily but also the surrounding community. When completed in 2014, the work will include water fountains, sculptures and roadways framed by palm trees and other greenery. To freshen the well? known Cedars?Sinai buildings with a "champagne metallic" color to match the newest building on campus, the Saperstein Critical Care Tower, painters will apply 5,875 gallons of acrylic paint over 885,250-sf of exterior walls.

A distinguished jury of owners, contractors, architects and civic leaders selected this year’s outstanding winners from hundreds of submissions. The Grand Prize went to LACMA Transformation Phase II: Resnick Pavilion, Ray’s Restaurant and Stark Bar. The Community Impact Award honored Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza; Cedars?Sinai Medical Center; and Westfield Culver City. +

Rural hospitals present unique opportunities and challenges for healthcare facility operators. Oftentimes, the infrastructure and building systems have not been updated for years and require significant improvements in order to meet today’s modern medical demands. Additionally, as these smaller, more remote hospitals are acquired by larger regional and national healthcare systems, the first step by new ownership is often to update and rehabilitate the building. But how can this be done thoughtfully, economically, and efficiently in ways that allow the engineering and facility staff to adapt to the changes? And how can the updates accurately reflect the specific needs of rural communities and the afflictions with which these areas most commonly face?