HOK
2016-06-08
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The Firm
HOK is one of the world’s largest and most success-
ful architectural, engineering, and interior design
firms. Since 1955, it has completed thousands of
major projects and won numerous awards, including
a recent first-place ranking on Engineering News-
Record’s inaugural list of the Top 100 Green Design
Firms. Today, HOK employs more than 2,600
employees in 26 oces around the world. And
although its skilled professionals oer expertise in a
broad variety of disciplines—including architecture,
landscape architecture, engineering, construction,
and lighting—HOK prides itself on its ability to in-
tegrate these services into a unified creative eort
that helps the firm fulfill its principal mission: using
design to help clients achieve their goals. More than
just a philosophy, this principle has inspired many
of the firm’s most important business and technol-
ogy strategies, including the decision to implement
three of the industry’s most significant trends:
building information modeling (BIM), integrated
project delivery (IPD), and sustainable design.
Providing BIM Leadership
Since the mid-1990s, HOK has been a leader in the
adoption of new design technologies. For the past
decade, the AEC industry has been undergoing a
dramatic paradigm shift, moving away from tradi-
tional 2D drafting methods to BIM, an integrated
process that enables architects, engineers, owners,
and builders to share consistent, reliable project
information throughout all phases of design and
construction. “It is an essential part of our strat-
egy to be a leader in this movement,” says Patrick
MacLeamy, the firm’s CEO. “BIM supports our core
mission in a way that no other design process can
do.”
After early experimentation with several pos-
sible BIM solutions, HOK standardized on Revit®
Architecture BIM software. “In 2005, our Board
mandated the use of Revit Architecture on all new
projects,” says MacLeamy. HOK also set the ambi-
tious goal of implementing the new software on
more than 20 projects in the first year alone.
Build a better world.
For more ecient, more sustainable
buildings, HOK employs integrated
project delivery and the Revit® platform
for BIM.
HOK
Customer Success Story
Revit® Architecture
Revit® Structure
Revit® MEP
AutoCAD® Civil 3D®
Autodesk® NavisWorks®
Autodesk® Ecotect™
Autodesk® 3ds Max®
Autodesk® Buzzsaw®
AutoCAD®
As a firm, we are
committed to integrated
project delivery and
sustainable design.
To best achieve those
initiatives, the Revit
platform for BIM is our
software of choice.
—Edward McCrary, FAIA
Managing Principal
HOK
San Francisco, California
Sheraton Ulaanbaatar Hotel, Mongolia. Courtesy of HOK.
BIM enables HOK design teams to more accurately
visualize, simulate, and analyze building performance,
appearance, and cost.
One of the biggest
benefits of integrated
project delivery was the
development of close
relationships among all
of the parties. There was
a real incentive to work
together.
—Bruce Madsen
Revit Specialist
HOK
San Francisco, California
Subsequently, HOK adopted Revit® Structure
software, Revit® MEP software, and AutoCAD®
Civil 3D® software for use along with other BIM
tools for visualization, analysis, and collaboration
from Autodesk, including Autodesk® 3ds Max®
software, Autodesk® Ecotect™ software, Autodesk®
NavisWorks® software, and Autodesk® Buzzsaw®
project management software.
Expanding BIM Globally
One of the firm’s early eorts with the Revit
platform for BIM was the 90,000-square-meter
stadium that is part of the JVC Culture, Convention,
and Business Center in Guadalajara, Mexico. HOK
designed the stadium based on a conceptual design
by Studio Massaud-Pouzet. After completing con-
struction documents with AutoCAD® software, the
team modeled the facility using Revit Architecture,
Revit MEP, and Revit Structure to perform ad-
ditional coordination checks. Upon review, they
discovered—and were able to resolve prior to
construction—numerous minor conflicts between
the discipline-specific models. The team also em-
ployed AutoCAD Civil 3D on the project. “It helped
us make better decisions and produce more accu-
rate construction drawings,” says Luis Fernandez de
Ortega, associate.
In London, HOK architects designed the fast-track
5 Churchill Place project at Canary Wharf with Revit
Architecture. Together with the structural engi-
neers, who used Revit Structure, team created an
accurate digital model of the 36,000-square-meter
(390,000-square-foot) building before beginning
construction, significantly improving coordina-
tion. “If we hadn’t used the Revit platform, our
work might have been easier initially, but we would
have ended up with gaps at the interfaces and a lot
of rework,” says Robert Studd, project leader. For
increased understanding of the overall project, the
team members regularly updated and distributed a
NavisWorks model of the project to the extended
design team.
On a third project, the 118,000-square-foot
Veterinary Medicine Research Facility at the
University of California, Davis, HOK and its consult-
ing engineers employed all three components of
the Revit platform for BIM for full multidisciplinary
file sharing. This four-story building required close
collaboration among the architectural, structural,
and MEP disciplines to coordinate the complex air
distribution system and mechanical systems in the
building’s interstitial spaces, while still providing
high ceilings and natural lighting in the lab and
oce space. “By working closely with the engineers,
we modeled the interstitial areas and were able to
prove to the client that we could fit all of the neces-
sary systems and still keep the high ceilings,” says
architect Casey Visintin, LEED AP. “That was a big
success.”
On another university project, the 119,000-square-
foot Emory University Psychology Building, HOK
extended its use of BIM to both the early program-
ming phase and to collaboration with the builder.
Utilizing the capabilities of Revit Architecture, HOK
issued a book with 3D/Smart room data sheets to
the 40 dierent researchers assigned lab space in
the building, which they updated as the process
evolved. “That was tremendously helpful in obtain-
ing input and a consensus from end users on final
programming decisions,” says lab planner Chirag
Mistry, LEED AP. To identify any conflicts and en-
sure coordination prior to construction, the contrac-
tor worked with its subcontractors to issue a com-
plete model of the building in Autodesk NavisWorks
software, which allows teams to visualize all types
of models regardless of file format or size.
Moving the Profession Forward with IPD
Since adopting the Revit platform for BIM, HOK has
rolled out more than 300 Revit projects worldwide
and completed construction documentation on
more than 100 of them, including a 22,000-square-
foot interior renovation for Autodesk in the historic
Landmark Building at One Market in downtown San
Francisco.
To ensure a successful outcome for this fast-track
project with an ambitious LEED Platinum sustain-
able design goal, Autodesk engaged HOK, two
other architects, and the builder in an innovative
integrated project delivery (IPD) process. HOK was
responsible for designing the oce space while the
other architects designed the customer briefing
center and the design gallery. All three worked
closely from project outset with the contractor.
“Full use of the collaborative, integrated project de-
livery process facilitated by BIM was a major goal,”
says Bruce Madsen, HOK Revit specialist.
JVC Culture, Convention, and Business Center in Guadalajara, Mexico. Courtesy of HOK.
BIM is ideally suited for the demands of IPD since it
enables the exchange of accurate project data early on.
and fixing them on their laptops. The contractor
also relied on NavisWorks to combine data from
the architects and the A/V consultant into a single
model. For exchanging files, the team members
used Autodesk Buzzsaw collaborative project man-
agement software.
“As a firm, we are committed to integrated project
delivery and sustainable design,” says Edward
McCrary, FAIA, managing partner at HOK San
Francisco. “To best achieve those initiatives, the
Revit platform for BIM is our software of choice.”
Currently, the Autodesk One Market project is on
track to attain LEED Platinum sustainable design
certification.
Greener, Better Performing Buildings
HOK has a longstanding history of support for
sustainable design. In the early 1990s, HOK became
the first major design practice to join the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC). HOK profession-
als also collaborated extensively in the development
of the initial LEED sustainable design rating system.
Today, more than 620 HOK employees have earned
LEED accreditation. In all, HOK has completed 31
LEED- and six BREEAM-certified projects, and is
currently pursuing LEED certification on more than
100 projects.
“BIM is integral to our approach to sustainable
design,” says Miles Walker, HOK firmwide CAD
manager. With BIM, the information required
for sustainable design, analysis, and certification
becomes available as a by-product of the standard
design process. Designers can use that information
to more accurately visualize, simulate, and analyze
project performance, appearance, and cost before
a building begins—leading to the most energy-
ecient buildings possible.
One of the firm’s recent projects, the Sheraton
Ulaanbaatar Hotel, Mongolia, highlights many of
the strengths of BIM for sustainable design and
analysis. “Because the weather in Mongolia is ex-
treme—very hot in the summer and very cold in the
winter—we wanted to create an architecture that
is both aesthetically pleasant and energy ecient,”
says Dickson Mak, AIA, LEED AP, an associate and
design architect from HOK’s Hong Kong oce.
On this project, HOK began using Revit
Architecture and Autodesk Ecotect (an energy
analysis tool that measures how the environment
will aect building performance) midway through
the schematic design process. The structural consul-
tant employed Revit Structure software.
IPD requires architects, engineers, owners, and
builders to collaborate much earlier in the design
process, with the goal of overcoming many prob-
lems common to the building industry, including
waste and ineciency. Because the Revit BIM plat-
form enables design teams to exchange highly ac-
curate project data very early in the design process,
it is ideally suited for the demands of IPD.
Another feature of IPD is that the owner, the
architects, the contractor, and the builder are
all typically bound to one contract—with shared
risks and rewards tied to achieving specific project
goals. “There was a real incentive for us to work to-
gether,” says Madsen. “When you’re all committed
to the same project results, you really get together
and solve problems as a team—without worrying
about who is to blame. That’s a real change in the
paradigm.”
“The level of collaboration we enjoyed on this proj-
ect is something that we want to repeat on future
projects,” says Madsen. “There was constant com-
munication all around the team to make this project
work.” The team members gathered weekly and
frequently held meetings via WebEx. During those
sessions, the team projected the model onto a large
whiteboard and navigated through it using Revit
or NavisWorks software, finding any discrepancies
Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London. Courtesy of HOK.
Landmark at One Market, 2nd Floor Oce Space Layout. Courtesy of HOK.
During the design phase, HOK established a wish
list of environmental strategies to pursue on the
project. “We’re using Ecotect to test those strate-
gies and determine which ones are most eec-
tive,” says Mak. For example, using Ecotect, HOK
analyzed the building’s undulating roof to deter-
mine which section was best suited for photovolta-
ics. “That also helped us determine how best to
orient the building.”
Feedback from Ecotect has led to meaningful
changes in the hotel’s design. “By extracting the
model from Revit Architecture, we were able to
use Ecotect to test how eectively the shadings we
designed blocked the summer sun, while still allow-
ing sun to come through in winter time,” says Mak.
When the team members discovered that some sun-
light still entered the hotel during the summer, they
repositioned the devices—improving performance
while facilitating easier window cleaning.
Ecotect also supports links to other analysis
programs that provide more detailed calculations
for several modules, including lighting or energy
simulation. “Before we used these tools, we had to
make many design decisions based upon edu-
cated guesses,” says Mak. “With the help of Revit
Architecture, Ecotect, and other analysis software,
such as IES, we are much more confident in our
sustainable design decisions.”
Results
As a result of adopting the Revit platform for BIM,
HOK project teams have been able to work more
eciently, producing better, more accurate designs
earlier in the building process. These increased
levels of accuracy have led to fewer requests for
information (RFIs) during the construction process
as well as a reduction in change orders. In some
cases, HOK has even been able to reduce the size of
project teams by up to 20 percent.
As compelling as these benefits are, perhaps even
more important are the new capabilities—including
IPD and sustainable design—BIM makes possible. By
enabling everyone on the extended design team to
participate in the design process much earlier than
ever before and to predict more reliably how a build-
ing will perform, BIM enables HOK to dramatically
improve its relationships with the owners, builders,
and consulting engineers, participate fully in IPD
and more quickly achieve sustainable design goals.
“HOK is committed to using technology to meet the
changing demands of its customers, the industry,
and the world,” says Walker. “Our clients are asking
for BIM—and we’re delivering on what BIM has to
oer.”
To learn more about Autodesk products for
Architecture, Engineering and Construction, visit:
www.autodesk.com/aec.
Using Autodesk Ecotect, HOK can rigorously test sustainable
design concepts to make sure they will work in real-world
conditions.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Buzzsaw, Civil 3D, Ecotect, NavisWorks, Revit and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or
its subsidiaries and/or aliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective
holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product oerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical
or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
© 2008 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. BR0A1-000000-MZ42
Revit Architecture and its parametric capabilities are
incredibly useful, enabling the team to perform detailed
studies quickly. And after we make a change, we can bring
it back into Ecotect and analyze how it works. That’s a
great help.
—Dickson Mak, AIA, LEED AP
Design Architect
HOK
Hong Kong
Sheraton Ulaanbaatar Hotel Ecotect Solar Shading Studies. Courtesy
of HOK.
Sheraton Ulaanbaatar Hotel, Shading Devices. Courtesy of HOK.
