HKS Architects's podcast

Can brand make a difference when combined thoughtfully with architecture? David Kozack, vice president and director of HKS EXPlore believes in embedding brand into the ambient social complexities of the physical world. He talks about the importance and strategic advantage of brand integration within architecture at the new Minneapolis Multipurpose Center, the TCU Amon Carter Stadium and other key projects. Buildings are one of the most important drivers to a company brand. David will discuss the process and capabilities needed to create better buildings and experiences and why it is important to incorporate brand in every aspect of design.

How important is your freedom? Let’s show our respect and gratitude to the people who serve our country on a daily basis. U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Jeremy Lock talks about how it feels to be transported to a foreign land dominated by chaos and stress, separated from friends and family. Operation HKS Cares coordinator Louretta Denton shares how we can support these courageous soldiers. JOIN US to learn how you can make a difference.

From transition to transformation. Together, we can thrive in the new healthcare world. As healthcare delivery and reimbursement change, healthcare design also must change as well. According to Jeff Stouffer, healthcare group director with HKS, this doesn’t mean we’ve been doing things wrong; in fact, a strong foundation is what enables us to turn a period of transition into an opportunity for transformation. The business world is growing beyond treating professionals like commodities. The new business model is focused more on the experience of working together.

Billed as “the greenest office building in the UK,” The BREEAM Outstanding Co-Operative HQ building achieves both an EPC and DEC A rating, as well as the highest BREEAM rating in the world at 95.16 percent. Ian Joyce, director, Hannan Associates talks through a building case study touching on the design of the building and the approach to sustainability. The talk also includes information on how energy modelling was utilised during design and the differences between the predicted energy performance and the actual monitored building performance. 

What is the impact of building façade on building performance? What are the three modes of heat transfer? And, what is the real importance of developing an integrated approach in envelope and building system design? Arash Guity, P.E., Chief Sustainability Engineer, Mazzetti discusses the impact of building façade on performance, providing an overview of the relation of the façade to building systems. He will also talk about the importance of an integrated design process, noting the importance of engineers and architects working together to provide a more optimized design for the building and its system. Simulation technology is being used to solve real-world sustainable design challenges. Health May, director of LINE, HKS, Inc. and his team will focus on simulation: a presentation and discussion on the utility of the feedback loop in the design process. Discussions will include presenting toolsets for analysis and optimization of daylighting and energy in buildings using software includin

For centuries, the primary design considerations for our building materials have been performance, cost and esthetics. But, what happens when we try to add human health and environmental sustainability to that list? With the launch of LEED v4, the definition of green materials is changing – awarding credits for using building products that disclose data about potential environmental impact, responsible sourcing, product ingredients and their hazards. Mikhail Davis, Director, Restorative Enterprise, Interface, offers a process for designers to prioritize and focus efforts on green material selection in a way that will drive the use of better materials by manufacturers.

Roy Gunsolus introduces day two of HKS Green Week Pecha Kucha sessions including Lee Glenn (San Francisco) – “Farm to Fork Across America,” Jason Maloney/Mike Drye (Richmond) – “VMI’s Corps Physical Training Facility: Contemplating a Natural Downdraft Mechanical System,” Anne Carr (Orlando) – “Interior Materials and Health,” Elise LaPaglia (Dallas) – “50 U.N. Plaza: Thinking Outside the [Historic Preservation] Box” and Branden Clements (Detroit) – “Net Zero Energy Buildings”

John Boecker, AIA, LEED Fellow, Partner, 7group, conducts a two-hour interactive workshop on “Integrative Design: Redefining the Practice of Sustainability,” as outlined in the Integrative Process (IP) ANSI Consensus Standard Guide 2.0 (co-authored by John Boecker). The integrative design process offers a new path to making better sustainable building decisions and addressing complex issues that threaten living systems. With integrative thinking that reframes what sustainability means, he provides a how-to guide for architects, designers, engineers, developers, builders and other professionals on incorporating integrative design into every phase of a project.

Roy Gunsolus introduces five unique Pecha Kucha sessions including Paul Ferrer (Dallas) – “Genomic Façade Design,” Sheba Ross (Atlanta) – “Blueprints for Green Cities,” Ellen Mitchell (Dallas) – “Citizen HKS,” Ben Compton (Chicago) – “A Sense of Place” and Joe Don Holley (Dallas) – “Seton’s New Teaching Hospital: Implementing Sustainable Strategies.”

America’s biggest national chal­lenge today isn’t ter­rorism, health or even cli­mate change, according to retired Marine Col. Mark Myk­leby, senior fellow at the New America Foun­da­tion. Nor is it com­pe­ti­tion with China, or secu­rity threats from Al- Qaida or other ter­rorist orga­ni­za­tions, he added. Instead, it’s how all of these things and many others con­tribute to global unsus­tain­ability. Mark invites you to join him to discuss the grand sustainable strategy for the 21st century.

Metropolis Editor in Chief Susan S. Szenasy shares a 25-minute film, “Brilliant Simplicity,” probing the thinking behind a new generation of breakthrough in materials and methods. The video tells the stories of designers at work making our world more energy-efficient and healthy, using their high-level technical skills and innate desire to “make things.” Following the video, Susan and Dan Noble lead a lively discussion, asking designers for workable ideas that will make our world sustainable, accessible, technology-savvy and historically relevant.

Jim Whitaker, Principal/Director of Government and Design-Build, HKS, Inc., talks about “Miracle on the Hudson.”In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte, N.C. Within minutes a double bird strikedestroyed both engines, and the pilot made theterrifying decision to ditch the Airbus A320 into the Hudson River. Jim Whitaker was one of the passengers on that fateful flight. Hear about the practical life lessons he learned that day and how the event changed him, affecting the way he works and his outlook on life. Links to the two videos he references can be found here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZPvVwvX_Nc http://natgeotv.com/uk/miracle-landing-on-the-hudson/videos/heroic 

Lindsey Waters, Urban Designer and Kate Renner, Medical Planner, HKS, Inc. talk about community resiliency. How do you plan for the worst-case scenario?  Should you? How do you evaluate the cost versus benefit? Throughout history, natural disasters – ranging from hurricanes to tornados to earthquakes – have devastated communities around the world. Resiliency planning is becoming increasingly important, given the devastating effects of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, the Japan Tsunami, the Joplin, Missouri tornado and, most recently, the Philippines typhoon. Let’s talk about how hospitals can take a proactive approach to resiliency planning, making them less vulnerable when disaster strikes.

Chris Mundell, sustainable design leader at HKS, Inc., imagines a building that surpasses the typical concept of sustainable design. It is constructed of green materials chosen because of their full environmental impact. It enhances the human experience by providing a healthy indoor environment for occupants. And, it can share energy and water performance data at a moment’s notice. The new LEED v4 addresses all these key building issues. Learn more by listening to his talk.

Spencer Turner, president and CEO of Texas Health Flower Mound and Norio Tsuchiya, senior project designer at HKS, Inc. talk about how to design a healthcare facility to be a Modern Healthcare Best Place to Work. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Flower Mound was No. 1 in the 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare in 2013, as chosen by Modern Healthcare and Best Companies Group. According to Spencer, nurturing pride in the organization, providing a culture of transparency, improving employee benefits and hospital design were some of the important factors.

How can public interest projects make a meaningful impact within your firm, the community – and you? Join us and learn about public interest design with Ellen Mitchell-Kozack, director of Public Interest Design at HKS. She believes that by offering access to professional design services for underserved members of society, architectural firms are fulfilling others as well as themselves. We are all citizens of the world – it is our essential humanity that moves us to do good. 

Today’s healthcare urbanism challenges providers and architects to flex to meet demographic shifts, affordable healthcare reform and changing technology. Healthcare urbanism is the new way of thinking. It focuses on the complexity, priorities and constraints in the healthcare environment while integrating present and future community planning. Many ideas need to be discussed. How can the campus grow on constrained urban settings? If changes in legislation shift the focus to ambulatory care, how do we move forward? Yogi Patil, practice leader, Healthcare Urbanism, HKS, Inc. shares more information.

Where do you start? How do you inform design without costing the project time (hence money)? You suspectthat you have incorporated a design feature that could improve the human experience and bottom line. You’d like to research it … but who has the time? Upali Nanda, director of research, and Tom Harvey, director of CADRE, share simple approaches, tools and takeaways that make integrating research in practice easy.

We’re not your father’s HKS … we’re much more. We are embracing our past and looking toward the future. Dan Noble, president and CEO of HKS, wants us to ask questions and share what we learn, but not just with the architectural/ engineering/ construction industry. We’re reaching out, talking with our communities, our regions and the world. As architects, we understand that the impact of what we do is interwoven into the very fabric of society and culture. JOIN US to learn more.

Health May, Director of LINE, HKS, Inc., believes architects are discovering new ways to leverage advancements in technology to shift building design from a prescriptive approach to a performance-based process. Today, we have the ability to evaluate performance metrics of different iterations during the design process – enabling optimized solutions. Research, serving as the engine in the evolution of architecture, plays a vital role in performative design allowing us to seek advanced understanding of systems, materiality and tectonics.