HOK

We design buildings and spaces around the globe that respond to the needs of people and nature.

HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. Our 1,600 people collaborate across a network of 26 offices on three continents. HOK designs buildings and spaces that respond to the needs of people and the environment. Our designers are rooted in technical excellence, driven by imagination and focused on a solitary goal: to deliver solutions that inspire clients and communities.

05/29/2026

Save this before you send out your next portfolio.

For professionals and students alike, standing out in a stack of portfolios isn’t easy. HOK’s Tom Polucci, firm-wide director of Interiors, shares common portfolio mistakes—and what do to instead.

Ask yourself, are you communicating a design story through photography? And, importantly, can you back up your POV?

A strong portfolio does more than showcase your work. It reveals your process, perspective and potential.

05/28/2026

The right questions (7) at the start of city hall and municipal center planning can transform these buildings into lasting community assets. Are you asking them?

Kristine Bishop Johnson, HOK’s director of Civic + Justice, and Steven Burgos, director of design, Interiors, in HOK’s Miami studio, share these essential considerations for local governments—from improving public service delivery and staff well-being to building in resilience and creating spaces that reflect community values.

Project featured: Pompano Beach City Hall

In Pompano Beach, Florida, HOK is designing the new city hall as a signature centerpiece to anchor the New Downtown.

The design includes a one-stop lobby that consolidates the check-in and administrative services for multiple departments and a large public plaza that can accommodate community events. A council chamber enables the city to support private events and public programming while exploring opportunities for modest revenue generation.

05/27/2026

A new iconic workplace has arrived in Manhattan. Here’s a preview of KPMG’s U.S. Headquarters.👉🏻✨

HOK’s design concept was developed to celebrate the city: drawing inspiration from the rich history of New York and KPMG’s legacy. Expression changes between floors drawing on inspiration from Manhattan’s different neighborhoods.

The planning divides open plan neighborhoods into different sizes offering choice supported by open and closed collaboration areas, hybrid meeting spaces, all infused with state-of-the-art technology for hybrid workflows.

The project was recently recognized with a NYCxDesign Award by Interior Design Magazine in the Large Corporate Office category.

📸 Eric Laignel

05/18/2026

Hey, Cleveland? Are you ready for Cosm? We know we are. Recently celebrating its groundbreaking, the venue is redefining the way the world experiences content by bridging the virtual and physical worlds through Shared Reality.

Designed by HOK+ROSSETTI and developed by Bedrock, Cosm Cleveland will expand on the foundational design of its first four venues (Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit).

The space will feature a 12K+ LED dome, complemented by a high-resolution wall-to-wall LED display and incorporates characteristics reflective of Cleveland’s vibrant community. More to come, soon! 🤭

05/15/2026

The Courtyard 3 Connector at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) unifies previously fragmented connections between Terminals 2 and 3 while centralizing dispersed executive and operational teams to improve the traveler journey and support faster, more coordinated decision-making.

Located above the connector, the new HOK-designed Airport Integrated Operations Center serves as a centralized, 24/7 hub bringing together security, operations, airlines, facilities and customer care.

Featured in Airport Improvement Magazine, the 22,000‑sq.-ft. center supports cross-team integration, communication and faster response times while helping SFO manage growth, improve efficiency and elevate the traveler experience. At the heart of the center is a shared hearth space that displays with real-time data and a live audio feed of the airport’s control tower.

“This focus on collaboration from the team helped resolve some of the differences in working environments that we were going through,” said Chris Gardini, project architect in HOK’s San Francisco studio. “All the different groups have different ways of working, but we wanted to have one spot where they could freely collaborate and not worry about bothering their neighbors.”

The project was delivered through Progressive Design-Build with HOK as design architect and architect of record in a joint venture with MEI Architects, and Hensel Phelps as general contractor.

📸

05/12/2026

30 days to go... Are you ready? With three HOK-designed stadiums set to host matches during FIFA World Cup 26, including the final game, all eyes will be on Atlanta Stadium, Miami Stadium and NY/NJ Stadium.

Designed to elevate the fan experience and bring people together through sport, these venues will soon welcome athletes and fans from around the world while creating unforgettable moments. This summer is going to be 🔥 🔥 🔥 !

🎨 : Art hand-drawn by HOK’s Allen Nguyen

05/11/2026

Architecture preserves memory, identity and community as displayed by the iconic Japanese American National Museum (JANM) Pavillion in Los Angeles. Take a look at archival materials behind the design process from 1999.

Designed by HOK co-founder Gyo Obata, the Pavilion was conceived in relationship to JANM’s Historic Building. Gyo, whose father Chiura was an Issei artist, chose exterior and interior building materials that expressed a Japanese aesthetic that favored wood, stone, and glass.

“In designing the Japanese American National Museum’s new Pavilion, we sought to create a sense of openness instead of the conventional front-of-the-house/back-of-the-house division of so many museums,” explained Obata. “We also worked to incorporate both Western and Eastern philosophies in the design and to create a structure that was inviting and reflective, as witnessed in the use of glass and perforated stainless steel that softens direct sunlight.”

HOK is collaborating with JANM in support of ongoing renovations. The museum is scheduled to reopen late 2026.

05/06/2026

There’s a new vantage point coming to F1 Miami Grand Prix with the extension of the circuit’s Paddock Club. The 115,000-sq-ft. extension represents a continued investment in delivering one of the most luxurious and immersive race weekend experiences on the Formula 1 calendar.

Stretching from the start/finish straight toward Turn 1, the expanded Paddock Club will offer spectacular views as the cars charge off the starting grid and sweep through the opening corner. The design will also provide viewing of Turns 2 and 3. Sections of the three-story building will introduce tiered seating, offering guests a premier viewing experience within a luxury hospitality setting. Including the rooftop, the expansion will increase total Paddock Club capacity to approximately 9,200 guests.

Construction of the new extension will be conducted in partnership with HOK+ROSSETTI.

05/05/2026

This week, electric air taxis are piloting demonstration flights in New York City. We believe these new forms of electric vehicles can transform transit. Recent insights from HOK’s Director of Planning Brian Jencek show how cities should prepare for these changes:

⚡️New Mobility, New Urban Nodes: eVTOLs and autonomous electric vehicles introduce new travel nodes into the urban fabric. When thoughtfully planned, these nodes can shorten commutes to airports, support rapid access to medical facilities, and offer new ways to move people to dense destinations like stadiums and convention centers.

🔌 Designing for Integration, Not Disruption: The success of these systems depends on how well they integrate into existing transportation networks and city infrastructure. Urban design also plays a critical role. The placement of landing pads, charging areas and passenger drop-off zones must balance accessibility, safety, noise and visual impact.

🔋Power, Space and Long-Term Flexibility: Electric mobility at scale requires a clear understanding of power demand. Charging these electric fleets places new loads on local grids, particularly during peak travel periods. Cities and planners must consider whether charging should be distributed across multiple sites or concentrated in larger hubs, and how on-site energy storage or renewable sources can support reliability.

🕺Keeping People at the Center: Public acceptance and equal access matter. Noise, safety and visual impact of eVTOLS and autonomous electric vehicles must be addressed through thoughtful siting, design and community engagement.

05/04/2026

New York City is replacing Rikers Island, a remote complex long criticized for inhumane conditions. The Borough-Based Jails (BBJ) program establishes a citywide network of four modern, humane and neighborhood facilities—one each in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens—located near courts, counsel and services.

Now topped out in Brooklyn, that mandate takes the form of a 15-story, 712,150-sq.-ft. and 1,040-bed, facility designed to be smaller in footprint, safer in daily operation and fairer in access.

Guided by a design vision the team calls ‘sculpted by light,’ our response conceives it as an exemplary civic building that contributes to its public realm. This approach, part of HOK’s ‘Justice and Dignity by Design’ philosophy, evaluated every decision for its ability to uphold dignity and lower stress. The result is a facility that serves the city while belonging to it.

Our design-build partnership with on the project, scheduled for completion in 2029, brought constructability into design decisions from the start. The integrated team’s discipline protected the core of the architectural vision—daylight access, clear circulation and the public realm—while keeping the design intact through value engineering.

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St. Louis, MO

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http://www.hok.com/

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