HOK

Brand presence in sports venues now extends well beyond traditional naming-rights agreements. Increasingly, it includes spaces that reflect a brand’s product, values or commitment to a community. At Roig Arena in Valencia, designed by HOK in partnership with ERRE, a whisky-branded lounge immerses fans in the brand through a tailored hospitality experience. Recently, The Financial Times featured HOK’s Director of Sports + Recreation + Entertainment – International, John Rhodes, on the evolution of brand engagement in stadiums and arenas—and what it means for venue design and the fan experience. “You’re not just buying a seat anymore—you’re building an experience,” said Rhodes. While these branding opportunities at stadiums and arenas are becoming more sophisticated, he also stressed that authenticity should be at the center of the experience. “It has to feel like a benefit to the fan, not something being pushed at them." 🔗 Find more, https://bit.ly/4tCUCng 📸 Hufton + Crow

Nursing education is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. The shift to competency-based education means nursing students must prove their skills in practice–not just in the lecture hall. Join us live on LinkedIn for HOK Up Next, where three experts will discuss how changes in curriculum and technologies like simulation and AI are changing nursing school design. Panelists will include: - Ami Shah, firmwide health education practice leader based in HOK's Atlanta studio - Sarah Campbell Holton DNP, senior healthcare consultant at HOK - Dr. Chris Smith, dean for the College of Nursing at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - Stephanie Miller, HOK's director of public relations, moderator Click below to put it on your calendar ⬇️ 👐

Airports are complex facilities operating 24/7 with thousands of decisions made every hour. How can they respond faster to the needs of airlines, staff and travelers—and shift from reacting to issues to anticipating them before they occur? San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is addressing that challenge with its new HOK-designed Airport Integrated Operations Center, a centralized, 24/7 hub bringing together security, operations, airlines, facilities and customer care to improve coordination and decision‑making across the airport. The 22,000‑sq.-ft. center supports real‑time collaboration and helps SFO manage growth, improve efficiency and elevate the traveler experience. At the heart of the center is a shared hearth space (pictured below) that displays 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.” 🔗 Learn more about the project in AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT Magazine: https://bit.ly/3Pkdppd 📸 Bruce Damonte

30 days until the start of the 2026 World Cup... Are you ready? With three HOK-designed stadiums set to host matches, 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 Allen Nguyen

Architecture preserves memory, identity and community as displayed by the iconic Japanese American National Museum (JANM) Pavillion in Los Angeles. Designed by HOK co-founder Gyo Obata in 1999, 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.

Join us in welcoming two new leaders to HOK's Chicago studio! Paul Jacob will serve as managing principal, overseeing its strategic direction and operations. Jessica Statz, joins the office as director of Interiors, partnering with Neil Schneider, director of design, Interiors, to lead the Interiors group. 👏 👏 Paul Jacob has been a senior leader at HOK for nearly a decade. He most recently served as managing principal in Kansas City and before that was a project executive in St. Louis, where he led the team that designed Energizer Park, home of St. Louis CITY SC. He has more than 40 years of experience in the design and construction industry. Jessica Statz has spent more than 20 years in commercial interiors. She joins HOK from a national design firm, where she co-led a 50-person practice across five offices. Her project experience ranges from 5,000 to 450,000 square feet and includes multinational headquarters and large-scale workplace repositioning. 🔗 Learn more, https://bit.ly/42YiA1f

Three HOK projects are finalists for the Architizer A+ Awards, recognizing the best design work of the past year. Now through May 15th, cast your daily vote using the links below! ♥️ Vote for Roig Arena in the Stadiums & Arenas category, https://bit.ly/4noD0Kn ♥️ Vote for the USC Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall in the Educational Interiors category, https://bit.ly/4ewF3K7 ♥️ Vote for Bon Secours Limerick in the Hospitals & Healthcare Centers category, https://bit.ly/4noD8JR

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. 🔗 Discover more, https://bit.ly/48HCL7d

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. Since these vehicles run on electricity and produce no gas emissions, they also support cities’ broader sustainability goals. 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. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings and infrastructure can reduce cost and disruption while helping these new modes feel like a natural extension of the city rather than an overlay. 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. 🔗 Find the full article, https://bit.ly/4cQ8p4N

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 Tutor Perini Corporation 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. 🔗 Discover more, https://bit.ly/4d68JLK