HOK Attacks

See what we mean? HOK’s Steven Janeway  completed work on the new Samsung Global Engineering Center R+D Building in Seoul, South Korea. It’s conceived around the idea that a seed's progression through germination is analogous to the creation and maturation of ideas. (While that could be a convenient cover-up for a building leak—“Umm, we’re just watering the building”—they actually explained it): The building attaches to the ground with a large open air public space for "conception," emerges vertically to a lab "stem" for testing, and is capped by a conferencing "first leaf" space for the sharing and gathering of refined ideas.

Bisnow met Steven, third from right, with managing principal Peter Winters, VP Mark Bowers, and director of interior design Kim Hogan  last week. He tells us the firm used green building practices throughout. The disciplines in the building are working labs(general, industrial, and environmental technology) combined with associated office, study, utility, and meeting spaces.

HOK Dallas collected two design awards from the American Institute of Architects Dallas chapter for the building: A merit award in the unbuilt category; and the Excellence in Sustainable Design(given to one project out of 140 entrants).

Steven, Kirk Millican, and Steve Brookover show off the 2009 Downtown Fort Worth Trailblazer Award they received for HOK’s 35-story Omni Convention Center Hotel (across from the HOK-designed Convention Center, 614 rooms, 89 upscale condos). The $230M development provides a high-profile landmark for the revitalizing south end of downtown, already benefiting from a dramatic remake of Lancaster Avenue.

Here’s the futuristic hotel. We know it’s a serious architect when the rendering is so detailed it shows the reflection of the sun.