HOK, the international architecture, engineering, and planning firm, will promote its President and 25-year company veteran Bill Hellmuth, AIA, to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective April 19.
Hellmuth, who is the nephew of the firm’s founder George Hellmuth (its initials are an acronym for Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum), has been President since 2005. When he steps into the CEO post, he will replace Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, LEED AP, who has served as HOK’s chief for 13 of the 49 years he’s been with the firm.
MacLeamy will remain as HOK’s chairman. During his HOK career, MacLeamy has overseen the establishment of several HOK regional offices in the U.S. and Asia. He has held leadership roles on several landmark HOK projects, including the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, Hellmuth identified HOK’s “sweet spot” as “the intersection of design excellence and thought leadership, combining design leadership with expertise in specific markets and building types around the world.”
HOK has 1,800 employees (it is 100% employee owned) in 24 offices worldwide. It has current projects in 75 countries.
Hellmuth has a total of 37 years experience in the architecture industry, including a stint with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. He joined HOK’s St. Louis office in 1991, and two years later was promoted to lead HOK’s Washington, D.C. office. He joined the firm’s executive committee in 2004.
A strong advocate for sustainable design, Hellmuth began integrating sustainability into every project before LEED certification became a benchmark. In 2014 he was named Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, and a GSA Design Excellence Peer.
Related Stories
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Jan 12, 2022
Total steel project performance
This instructor-led video course discusses actual project scenarios where collaborative steel joist and deck design have reduced total-project costs. In an era when incomplete structural drawings are a growing concern for our industry, the course reveals hidden costs and risks that can be avoided.
University Buildings | Jan 11, 2022
Designing for health sciences education: supporting student well-being
While student and faculty health and well-being should be a top priority in all spaces within educational facilities, this article will highlight some key considerations.
Green | Jan 10, 2022
The future of regenerative building is performance-based
Why measuring performance results is so critical, but also easier said than done.
Senior Living Design | Jan 5, 2022
Top Senior Living Facility Design and Construction Firms
Perkins Eastman, Kimley-Horn, WSP USA, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., and Ryan Companies US top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest senior living sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2021 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Jan 3, 2022
2021 Government Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. government buildings sector
Stantec, Jacobs, Turner Construction, and Hensel Phelps top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest government sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2021 Giants 400 Report.
Architects | Dec 20, 2021
Digital nomads are influencing design
As our spaces continue to adapt to our future needs, we’ll likely see more collaborative, communal zones where people can relax, shop, and work.
Architects | Dec 17, 2021
What I wish I had learned in architecture school
Bradford Perkins, FAIA, offers a 3-point plan for upgrading architecture education.
Urban Planning | Dec 15, 2021
EV is the bridge to transit’s AV revolution—and now is the time to start building it
Thinking holistically about a technology-enabled customer experience will make transit a mode of choice for more people.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 15, 2021
Trends in sports stadium construction, with Turner Construction's Dewey Newton
Turner Construction's Dewey Newton discusses trends in sports stadium renovation and construction with BD+C's John Caulfield. Newton is a Senior Vice President who heads up Turner Construction’s Sports Group.
Healthcare Facilities | Dec 15, 2021
COVID-19 has altered the speed and design of healthcare projects, perhaps irrevocably
Healthcare clients want their projects up and running quicker, a task made more complicated by the shortage of skilled labor in many markets.
