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.

10/29/2026

Once billed as New York City’s “scariest” haunted house attraction, 60 Charlton is a boutique office building HOK brought back from the dead. 👻👻👻

Constructed in 1926, the brick and masonry building at Varick and Charlton streets in Manhattan originally housed a commercial print shop. By the mid-2010s, the outdated building sat mostly vacant—its largest tenant a haunted house called “Blood Manor.”

Key to the building’s transformation was the addition of six new floors located atop the original six-story building. Following numerous structural and facade studies, the final addition’s transparent facade allows for abundant daylight and window views while the building’s northeast orientation minimizes solar heat gain

A glass reveal running up the center of the building accentuates its verticality and connects the original brick massing. Restored brickwork and black-painted window mullions celebrate the building’s historic, industrial past. The adaptive reuse project doubled the size of the original property and introduced state-of-the-art amenities that add value to ensure the building’s long-term viability.

📸 James Ewing

10/26/2026

Classical architecture makes its mark with the recent groundbreaking of the new federal courthouse in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The approximately 191,000-sq.-ft. courthouse will consolidate the U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, along with the Circuit Library, in a single building. It will include seven courtrooms, nine judges’ chambers and 40 secure interior parking spaces, as well as dedicated space for federal partners including the U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service.

The design pairs modern functionality with classical architecture to create a secure, dignified civic landmark that will serve as the center of justice for the region.

Chief Judge Travis R. McDonough of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee called the ceremony the culmination of decades of effort. “Together, we will create a premier civic and architectural landmark—a testament to our city’s history and prominence as well as our nation’s commitment to equal justice,” he said.

HOK is the designer of record. Brasfield & Gorrie is Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc), and fs3|Hodges is Construction Manager as Advisor (CMa). Site work is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2027, with full construction starting later that year. GSA expects substantial completion in 2030.

10/22/2026

Interior design is deeply personal. For decades, Interior Design Magazine has celebrated the creativity and talent behind the spaces we inhabit, giving exceptional work and the people who create it a well-deserved spotlight. HOK is honored to have been part of that story including the inception of the magazine’s Giants program, when we were named among its original five firms.

We’re revisiting a selection of HOK projects featured in Interior Design over the past decade, highlighting the breadth of our practice and the many ways thoughtful design can shape how people live, work and connect.

“Great design deserves to be seen and it’s the stories and people behind the work that make it meaningful,” said Thomas Polucci, HOK’s firmwide director of Interiors. “For 25 years, Editor-in-Chief Cindy Allen Cindy Allen has helped bring those stories to light, celebrating the creativity of our profession and giving designers a platform to inspire one another.”

Take a look back at a decade of HOK projects in Interior Design ➡️

10/21/2026

Washington, D.C.’s Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health has won a 2026 Metropolis Magazine Planet Positive Award. The facility is D.C.’s first new, full-service hospital in a quarter century.

More than a hospital, Cedar Hill responds to longstanding community health disparities in Wards 7 and 8 where life expectancy is nearly 25 years shorter than in other parts of the district. The 136-bed hospital includes adult and pediatric emergency departments, a verified trauma center, maternal health and delivery services, a behavioral health inpatient unit, ambulatory clinics and physician offices.

Cedar Hill’s sustainability strategy went above and beyond expectations. Designed in compliance with the DC Green Building Act, Cedar Hill became the first hospital in Washington, D.C., to achieve LEED Healthcare certification and surpassed its initial Silver target to officially earn Gold-level status.

Elizabeth Baxter, also received recognition as a 2026 Planet Positive Rising Star. As a senior sustainable design specialist based in HOK’s Houston studio, Baxter helped lead the firm’s Sustainable Materials Tracking Initiative that last year tracked 95% of firmwide projects for health, transparency and environmental impact. Congratulations!

10/19/2026

One of the country’s few pediatric-focused behavioral hospitals is taking shape in South Los Angeles.

Now under construction in the Watts neighborhood, Kedren Children’s Village will create a home for accessible mental health care for children and families when it is completed in summer 2027.

The 103,000-sq.-ft. campus will bring inpatient psychiatric care, outpatient services and transitional housing together in one location. An outdoor garden will provide therapeutic and recreational areas for patients, families and staff, while 24 transitional housing units will accommodate families of children receiving care on site.

“Our goal is to create a facility that not only meets the clinical needs of patients but also fosters a sense of dignity, comfort, and community connection,” said Adaeze Cadet, design principal in HOK’s Los Angeles studio. “By incorporating best practices in behavioral health and pediatric design, we are setting a new standard for care environments.”

HOK is leading design with construction by McCarthy Building Companies , McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., for Kedren Health, Kedren Community Health Center, Inc.. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2027.

10/16/2026

Name an underrated space type!

Not every space type gets the attention it deserves. We asked members of HOK’s Board of Directors which ones they think are the most underrated, and their answers might surprise you. Do you agree with any?

Featuring:
Tom Polucci, Firm-wide Director of Interiors
Adaeze Cadet, Design Principal in HOK’s Los Angeles studio
Caitlin Turner, Director of Interiors, HOK in Canada
Kay Sargent, Director of Thought Leadership, Interiors
Roger Soto, Design Principal, HOK’s Texas studios

10/14/2026

Medical education is getting a major upgrade in Tennessee with the groundbreaking of the College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building at the University of Tennessee.

The seven-story facility will provide the College of Medicine UT Health Sciences College of Medicine, the largest of UT Health Sciences’ six colleges, with its first dedicated home. Students will begin their medical education here before continuing their training in Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville or Nashville.

The project will bring together flexible academic spaces, specialty simulation areas, a health incubator and dedicated spaces for digital health and technology innovation. A rooftop greenspace, event terrace and sky cloister will offer students unique places to study, gather and connect.

The impact will extend across Tennessee. Supporting research, telehealth and online education, the building will help UT Health Sciences UT Health Sciences expand educational capacity and address rural healthcare needs. The university expects the facility to help graduate an additional 1,450 healthcare professionals during its first five years.

HOK is leading the design in collaboration with brg3s Architects. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with full occupancy by 2030.

10/12/2026

For the second year in a row, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) has recognized HOK’s work in their best science facility design and planning awards program. Labs Canada’s Advanced Materials Research Facility (AMRF) won for Excellence in Electrification and Renovation.

Located in Mississauga, Ontario, the AMRF is the first realized facility under the federal Laboratories Canada initiative and a national prototype for near‑zero‑carbon laboratory infrastructure.

The project converted a recently constructed, yet traditionally planned, lab into a flexible, electrified research ecosystem that accelerates materials discovery while setting a new benchmark for sustainability in complex laboratory environments.

The team upgraded the existing building shell with a third floor, new penthouse and an electrified energy plant, while the ground floor remained fully operational. By adopting deep angular drilling for geothermal boreholes, the project team unlocked an onsite renewable energy source despite severe site constraints.

New rooftop and carport photovoltaic arrays offset operational loads and reduce carbon emissions while ground-source heat pumps deliver energy-efficient heating and cooling. Heat pipes, particulate sensing, and demand-controlled ventilation strategies minimize energy waste in high-ventilation zones and maintain rigorous safety requirements.

The facility is now more than 90% electrified and LEED Gold certified. Its greenhouse gas emissions measure 50% below the code-compliant minimum.

The AMRF team included HOK (architecture, lab planning, project management), Architecture49 (architecture, interiors, cleanroom lab planning) and WSP in Canada (MEP and structural engineering, sustainable consulting.

10/09/2026

Kill your darlings! For many designers, letting go of an idea you love can be just as important as coming up with it in the first place.

When asked about the best advice he’s ever received, Tom Polucci, HOK’s firm-wide director of Interiors, shares one phrase that has stuck with him throughout his career.

10/08/2026

Another stellar recognition for Indianapolis International Airport! IND has ranked among the top three medium airports in the J.D. Power 2026 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, which evaluates the passenger experience across factors including ease of travel, terminal facilities and airport staff.

Exceptional airport experiences are a team effort. HOK teamed with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, Turner and local subconsultants to deliver the Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal Indianapolis International Airport (IND).

Its light-filled civic hall, clear sightlines and intuitive circulation help travelers quickly understand where to go and move smoothly from curb to gate.

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http://www.hok.com/

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