Difficult times force new habits. We have entered a new era in which organizations need to do more with less. Whether they’re looking at an individual workplace, a building, a site or an entire real estate portfolio, many are focused on getting the most out of and injecting new life into existing environments.

This drive to use resources more efficiently is a trend that’s here to stay – and that aligns perfectly with rapidly emerging green business goals. The arrows of the economy and ecology finally are pointing in the same direction.

HOK helps organizations renew existing resources to meet their needs in economical, environmentally responsible ways. Our comprehensive architecture, engineering, interior design, planning and sustainability consulting services help clients revitalize their built environments while moving toward a sustainable future.

Learn more about how we renew existing environments.

Denver, Colorado
620,000 sq. ft.

HOK is the design architect on the design-build team for the  modernization of the Byron G. Rogers Federal Office Building and U.S. Courthouse for the General Services Administration.

The 620,000-square-foot Byron G. Rogers government complex is home to 11 federal agencies in downtown Denver. The project includes complete design and construction for upgrades to the structural elements and all major building systems. The building upgrades should reduce energy use by more than 80 percent over current levels and attain LEED Platinum certification.

Building upgrades will include the replacement of the mechanical, electrical, lighting, fire protection, and plumbing systems, as well as replacement of all exterior windows and complete renovation of all tenant spaces and most public spaces. Additionally, super-efficient LED lighting, high-performance building/lighting controls, and thermal storage tanks to preserve building energy will be installed. Additional sustainable features include:

• Solar thermal collectors on the roof are planned to provide all of the building’s domestic hot water.
• Reduction of 15 percent in elevator transportation energy by utilizing regenerative drive technology.

The office tower will also be upgraded to comply with current building codes, GSA facility requirements, and current seismic and progressive collapse criteria. 

The total project budget is $129,569,364 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, with $4.85 million in ARRA funds allocated for the Byron G. Rogers U.S. Courthouse energy efficiency window upgrades.

This high performance green building project will continue GSA’s legacy of outstanding public architecture by providing a balance between historic significance and current needs and aesthetics. Work on the Byron G. Rogers government complex will result in:

• The implementation of innovations in sustainable building design.
• Creation of superior workplaces for civilian Federal employees.
• Provisions for increased security and safety for tenants and visitors.
• Cost effective and reliable construction based on “best value” decisions. 

Mortenson Construction is serving as the design builder and Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects is the architect of record. Construction should be complete in December 2012.

Fort Worth, Texas
10,000 sq. ft.

Goff Capital Partners sought to reposition a seven-story, 122,000 square-foot building from Class B to Class A in order to attract new tenants and increase occupancy. HOK’s design helped renew the building’s site, lobby and public spaces.

The existing single-level, dark, north-facing entry lobby had poor visibility and lacked a sense of arrival. The design solution demolished a portion of the second floor to provide for a double-height lobby space and to capture existing exterior space into the new lobby. This change enabled the lobby to extend beyond the existing building face with a new three-story glass façade and metal canopy, creating better visibility from the street.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
14,000 sq. ft.

Carleton University is one of Canada’s finest academic institutions. The design challenge was to find a way to adapt and reuse an existing facility that had not been significantly updated since its original construction in 1964 – and to do it in time for the upcoming academic year.

Prospective science students often select a school based partially on the quality of the laboratories. Carleton University wanted to increase student capacity within the lab environment so it could promote and increase enrollment in its chemistry program.

The new SuperLab design stripped away existing shear walls and consolidated the four existing labs. It provides open teaching modules for groups of twelve students and one teaching assistant, flexible lab furniture with state-of-the-art benches, and 45 new variable air volume fume hoods with automated sensors.

The laboratory renovation upgraded the maximum number of students from 96 to 120 while improving safety.

The project earned a 2009 Lab of the Year Special Mention Award from R&D Magazine. The magazine noted that the design “converted a dreary looking chemistry lab at Carleton Univ. into a large exciting, colorful teaching lab that brings new life and increased enrollment possibilities to the university.”

“Scientists walk into the lab and say ‘wow’ because of how functional it is,” said Robert Burk, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry. “Non-scientists walk in and say ‘wow’ because of how beautiful it is.”

The project was delivered on-time and 20 percent under budget.

HOK was architect of record, with Morrison Hershfield as prime consultant.

HOK now is designing the 11,000-sq.-ft. phase two of this project, which includes graduate and undergraduate food science labs, chemical storage and instrument rooms, a graduate touchdown space, the grad pad, and a partial fit-up for the David Miller lab.

Michigan
324,000 sq. ft.

Formerly home to a coal-burning electricity generation plant, this seven-acre site will be the new home to a confidential insurance client. The offices will be housed within the historic building and in a new addition that will complement the original structure and accommodate 1,200 employees.

The design team, which includes HOK, Tower Pinkster and Quinn Evans, is preserving the industrial character of the existing structure, which was constructed in 1939. The building sits on a polished black granite water table base, has concrete floors and brick walls, and still houses an operating freight elevator. A critical component of the work includes the structural reconfiguration of existing steel to provide interior floor plates.

The building will have 10 office floors plus the conversion of the basement level into parking. The new three-story addition will be constructed above the 100-year floodplain with an atrium forming a gracious entry with views of the river.

Construction for the project will be complete in 2011. The project is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and the client is pursuing LEED certification. The team also is applying for tax credits and for the building to be placed on the National Historic Registry.

Orlando, Florida
15,000 sq. ft. renovation
35,000 sq. ft. addition

Site planning design firm Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin asked HOK to design its offices in a way that would complement its approach to environmentally sensitive land planning. The project included renovating a 15,000-sq.-ft. historic arcade building, which was a former JC Penney department store, and the build-out of a 35,000-sq.-ft. speculative office building floor.

HOK designed the space to LEED-CI certification standards while creating appropriate design solutions for the historic structure.

We based our design on urban planning concepts, with streets and neighborhoods defining the space. A centrally located large open space accommodates employee gatherings and client receptions.

The entry into the historic building features an exhibit of the firm’s work in a storefront window display.

Annapolis, Maryland
270,000 sq. ft.

Originally constructed in the 1970s, the U.S. Naval Academy’s Michelson-Chauvenet Halls together create the largest academic facility at the Academy. The complex consists of laboratories, classrooms and offices. The twin buildings overlook the Yard, a prominent campus location featured on the National Historic Register. All design changes to the building therefore required approval from the State Historic Preservation Board.

HOK was selected to completely renovate this campus in two phases — one each for the two halls – and to create a high-tech, modern facility worthy of its notable heritage.

The revamped facility houses state-of-the-art laboratories used for teaching Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Oceanography, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Our design also updated the buildings’ historic facades.

This project won a Merit Award for Interior Design in the Design Awards Program of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

Washington, DC
75,000 sq. ft.

The Human Rights Campaign foundation headquarters building is a renovation of an existing eight-story building.

The design team approached the renovation of the exterior building envelope as a re-sheathing of the building’s classic mid-century modern form with contemporary materials and technology in a way that both respected and refreshed the original design.

Sustainability was a major component of the renovation, which included new MEP systems, restrooms and a partial new roof.

The previous single-pane, uninsulated windows and curtainwall were replaced with new, high performance glass and aluminum window wall systems. The amount of glazing was increased, allowing floor-to-ceiling windows on the main facades. Combined with a narrow floor plate that incorporates extensive interior glazing, daylight enters most of the occupied spaces. Perimeter HVAC units were replaces with a central rooftop unit that has an evaporatively cooled condenser with an energy management system.

London, UK
1 million sq. ft.

Before and after:

Designed by Vincent Harris in 1915 and constructed following the Second World War, the neo-classical, Grade I listed building retains a number of historic spaces from the original site, including a 16th century vaulted undercroft and several 18th century rooms.

The new design creates a contemporary work space for more than 3,300 staff member while retaining and restoring unique original features. The open-plan environment allows for a balanced level of security along with easy-to-use workspaces.

The historic rooms from Pembroke House and Cromwell House, rebuilt in their present location in 1951, have been carefully restored. Entrances, halls and lobbies reflect their original grandeur and provide updated security features.

Schaumburg, Illinois
18,000 sq. ft.

Motorola’s renovated executive floor offices are on the 12th floor of a 1970s office building in suburban Chicago. The design reflects the image of an energetic, high-technology company that is moving “fast forward.”

To help drive Motorola’s culture from hiearchical to more egalitarian, a new company-wide 15- by 15-foot interior office standard was applied to all the executive areas, including the CEO’s office.

The renovated space includes a state-of-the-art conference center open to all employees.