Inside a Refreshed Children’s Hospital Named for a Baseball Star

Needing more space for specialized services, this pediatric healthcare provider in Hollywood, Florida, named after the legendary baseballer went vertical—adding four floors on top of the existing four. The (ahem) catch was that the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital had to remain open during the expansion. HKS paid homage to DiMaggio when combining the building’s old and new sections by conceptually referencing hand stitching on a baseball. In fact, “Stitch, weave, mend” became the team’s refrain, in reference to how the project creates an envelope for mending lives. A comprehensive cardiac-care area and places of respite for caregivers were part of the addition.

“We seamlessly integrated the new floors, each themed around the message of play as a healing force,” HKS project manager and lead designer Anne Carr says. “The crown jewel, an eighth-floor family space, stands as a testament to our commitment.” The construction more than doubled the size of the building, adding 92 patient beds in the process. Playful colors and patterns throughout help to positively distract and boost moods, for a design journey that embraces the well-being of staff and patients alike.

Interior Design Hosts 30/30 Event in 3 Cities for Early Career Designers

What does it mean to be a young design professional today? Designers under the age of 30 gathered in Chicago, Dallas, and New York City this fall to delve into this question during Interior Design‘s 30/30 events, a new initiative meant to honor the work of early career creatives and facilitate new connections. Roughly 30 designers, nominated by their respective firms for their dedication and stellar work, attended each 30/30 event in addition to manufacturers and established professionals.

From theMart in Chicago to the SOM office in New York City to the office of HKS Architects in Dallas, engaging discussions ensued at each event centered around prescient issues impacting designers now. Presenting for the groups, AJ Paron, SANDOW Design Group EVP and design futurist, offered insights into digital body language, communication skills, and the future of design, followed by breakout sessions for more in-depth conversations.

“Love the concept of this event,” says Chuck Chong, junior designer at SOM. “I heard this is a new thing and I’m so happy that young designers are getting the recognition they deserve because we are all in the same boat, making these connections with one another is so helpful.”

Each 30/30 event closed out with celebratory cocktails and small bites, as well as a showcase of products from event partners, offering attendees a chance to connect with manufacturers and learn more about material innovation and product development. A few lucky attendees even brought home design goodies from the end-of-day raffle.

“I really loved the event, and I could not recommend it enough,” shares Vanessa Thanh Vu, associate interior designer at DLR Group. “It was great to connect with young designers like myself. I really loved the activities AJ had us do!”

A very special thank you to our event partners:

30/30 Chicago (10/19): Formica, Shaw Contract, Lutron, Kimball International, Williams Sonoma, Daltile, Garden on the Wall, and Keilhauer.

30/30 New York (10/26): Formica, Lutron, Kimball International, Keilhauer, Garden on the Wall, and Williams Sonoma.

30/30 Dallas (11/9): Formica, Lutron, Kimball International, Keilhauer, Daltile, TURF, Scott Group, Garden on the Wall, and Williams Sonoma.

On the Move: Industry Promotions and Hires

Celebrate friends and colleagues making moves across the architecture and design industry.

Perkins&Will

The New York studio of Perkins&Will has announced the appointment of Mike McElderry as architectural design director, filling the role currently held by Robert Goodwin, who will move into the role of design principal. McElderry has more than 15 years of experience as an architect and team leader and has helped navigate a range of complex projects collaborating with both public and private clients.

Additionally, Ashley Dias, Melissa Cooksey, and Julie Frazier have been promoted to principal in the firm’s Dallas studio.

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

American-made and sustainably-minded furniture brand Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams announced the appointment of Jennifer Gibbs as senior vice president of design. She will report to president and CEO Allison O’Connor at the company headquarters in Taylorsville, North Carolina. 

Spiezle Architectural Group

Anthony Catana has been promoted to associate principal at Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., an employee-owned, award-winning, full-service architectural, interior design, landscape architecture, and planning firm based in Hamilton, NJ. Catana joined Spiezle in 1994 as an architectural designer and most recently served as a project architect, project manager, and director of building technology.

HKS

Industry veteran Meena Krenek has joined HKS as global practice director of venues interiors. She brings 24 years of experience as an interior design director and will be responsible for setting the overall strategy of the Venues Interiors practice areas including aviation, sports, and urban design.

Additionally, Tony LaPorte has been appointed director of brand experience. He joins HKS with 22 years of extensive experience helping major global corporations, prestigious health care and higher education institutions, and small start-ups leverage their brand for strategic advantage.

Merriman Anderson Architects

Dallas-based architecture and interior design firm Merriman Anderson Architects has  introduced two new team members to lead the firm’s interior design division. Tracy Rumsey has joined MAA as director of commercial interior design, and Erin Tallent has joined as director of hospitality interior design.

VS America 

Jill Ackers has joined VS America as education director, responsible for educational planning and professional development. She has over 25 years of experience as a school designer, educator, and leader in K-12 and higher ed.

Gensler

Bill Bouchey has joined Gensler as design director in the Los Angeles office. Over his 30-year career he has been a design leader for creative workplace environments including media, tech, entertainment, creative agency, and professional services and finance clients. He most recently served as principal, director of design interiors at HOK. 

Perkins Eastman

Emily Pierson-Brown has been named people culture manager for the global architecture and design firm Perkins Eastman. She will steer the diversity, equity & inclusion goals of the firm. Pierson-Brown has served as firm-wide leader of Perkins Eastman’s Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) since 2018 and has been a member of its DE&I Operations Team since its inception.

Michael Hess has joined the firm as principal in the New York Studio. He brings 31 years of experience in healthcare program development with a portfolio of design and planning work spanning across the United States, Asia, and the Middle East. 

Eastlake Studio

Eastlake Studio, a Chicago-based architecture and design firm, will join geniant, a Dallas-based experience consulting company to transform the nature of design consulting. Geniant integrates expertise from architecture, interior design, user experience, service design, team and change management, and software development fields into the experience design profession. 

Cuningham

National design firm Cuningham has announced the appointment of Jacqueline Dompe as CEO. Dompe will be based remotely from California and will spend time among the firm’s offices and with clients across the United States. Dompe has more than 20 years of experience delivering value for a variety of companies, including those in the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry.

Goettsch Partners

Goettsch Partners has made new leadership appointments. James Zheng has been announced CEO, and Paul De Santis will join James Goettsch as co-design directors. As the primary partners in the firm, the three have worked closely together for more than 17 years. Goettsch will also continue to serve as chairman while Zheng now assumes the full CEO title as well as president.

Main Street Hospitality

Joe Crimmins and Andres Gutierrez have been appointed to the leadership team at Main Street Hospitality. Crimmins will be vice president of operations, overseeing operations and sales teams for Main Street Hospitality’s portfolio of owned and operated hotels. Guttierez will be area director of revenue management, leading the execution and measurement of strategies and tactics designed to maximize revenue, market share and profitability.

Daun Curry Design Studio

Daun Curry Design Studio has added Paris Grant as studio director. Grant previously helmed her own eponymous design firm for nearly four years. She will be directly involved in strategic planning and hiring, managing clients and projects across verticals, and helping to guide design development.

American Society of Interior Designers

Gary Wheeler has announced his retirement as CEO of the American Society of Interior Designers. Wheeler took up the position in 2020, and led the organization through the aftermath and turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having first joined ASID as a student out of Louisiana Tech, Wheeler quickly went on to be named an ASID Designer of Distinction before ultimately earning the title of Fellow.

Felder & Associates

Matthew Luehrmann has joined Savannah-based Felder & Associates as a project associate. Luehrmann studied at the University of Cincinnati where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Sculpture in 2017. He is currently studying architecture on an accelerated path through the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure at Savannah College of Art and Design, and expects to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture in 2023 and a Master of Architecture degree in 2026.

HOK Creates a Streamlined Office for a Freight Rail Operator in Atlanta

Transportation company Norfolk Southern Corporation traces its history back to 1827. But today it’s firmly rooted in the 21st century. Its subsidiary, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, which oversees 19,000 miles of train tracks across 22 states, relies on technology to ensure safety, move goods efficiently, and reduce fuel emissions. But to be innovative and nimble—and attract top coders and engineers—NS needed to consolidate into a state-of-the-art headquarters. For decades, the corporation was based in Norfolk, Virginia, but its operations and technology teams were in Atlanta. In 2018, NS decided to bring everyone together, and HOK won the bid for the interiors of a new 750,000-square-foot complex in Midtown Atlanta’s Tech Square.

“The client didn’t want this to be treated like a train museum,” HOK firm-wide director of interiors Tom Polucci begins. “The existing buildings had beautiful models of locomotives, but NS said, ‘No, we’re more sophisticated than that.’” Betsy Nurse, HOK Atlanta’s director of interiors, adds: “Norfolk Southern sees itself as a tech company, not a railroad company.” The client envisioned a timeless concept where track workers and administrators alike would feel at home, with ample flex spaces to help the 3,000 on-site employees meet and collaborate. Robust amenities—fitness center, food hall, game room, childcare center—would help the company compete for talent against the likes of Google.

With architecture by Pickard Chilton, the ground-up headquarters is composed of two office towers (10 and 17 stories tall) joined by a five-story podium, which houses the lobby, amenities, and parking. HOK was at the table from the beginning and helped shape some of the architectural solutions, especially in the podium. The parking deck constrained the volume that would become the lobby, which could have been one to three stories high. “We studied different options and how the floors wove together,” Polucci says. The team landed on a 32-foot-high lobby that’s open to loungelike collaboration zones on the second floor and creates energy and buzz. This gave HOK the opportunity to create a monumental circular stair, the defining element of the interior.

The firm conceived of the stair as an iconic sculpture that would make the headquarters unique. Its ribbon of Corian-clad steel twists from the ground floor to the fourth, but the white-oak treads only begin on level two. In the lobby—detached from the stairs for security reasons—the Corian curls to wrap the reception desk. “Our goal was a pure form,” Polucci says. “The ribbon is consistent all the way up; it doesn’t flatten out at each floor.”

The stair grew out of the idea of movement, the guiding theme of the project. “Norfolk Southern was looking to celebrate the idea of motion in subtle, special ways,” Polucci notes. Outside the building’s entrance, a site-specific sculpture evokes tunnels and curved tracks in weathering steel. Nurse points out that the artwork is right outside the lobby, where you can see its relationship to the stair: “One is super refined, the other is raw.”

Artwork populates the interior, as well. In the ground-floor café, which is open to the public, there’s a 19-foot-high mural by HOK’s Experience Design team of a train on a track under a golden moon. Nearby, a painting by local artist María Korol hangs at the end of the main elevator lobby.

On the fourth floor, the stair terminates in front of the network operations center, which is like an air-traffic control room for trains. “From a visitor experience, it tells a story, because you land at the heart of the facility,” Nurse says. The room vividly channels the concept of motion with angular pendant fixtures and 2,000 feet of recessed LED strips that streak across the ceiling and down the walls. The center, which operates 24/7, also glows with blue lighting chosen to be soft on the eyes of dispatchers staring at screens all day.

Employees come together in the fifth-floor canteen that doubles as an all-hands meeting space. Designed like a food hall with six different vendors, it sits between two outdoor terraces; one has a retractable glass wall so the spaces can flow together. Totaling 55,000 square feet, the outdoor areas include another terrace by the gym on the floor below, where employees can do laps on circular walking paths. “Movement is also important to Norfolk Southern from a health and wellness perspective,” Nurse states. Glass-walled stairs in both towers further encourage physical activity.

While the array of amenities might seem like a post-pandemic bid to lure workers back to the office, the program had already been in place. The headquarters was mid-construction in March 2020, and Norfolk Southern stuck to the plan—even keeping a permanent desk for each employee. “That was a key tenant from the beginning,” Annie Adams, Norfolk Southern’s chief transformation officer, says. “It was important that everyone have a space to call their own.” The company, which had a phased move-in that began last fall and was completed in April, had always planned on accommodating hybrid work; meeting rooms are wired to connect remote participants seamlessly. Adams estimates that the headquarters is typically at 80 percent capacity. For her, the project’s success goes well beyond its anticipation of flexible work schedules. “The design reflects who we are and where we’re going,” she says. The future of freight rail, it seems, is right on track.

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HOK: danielle schmitt; kay sargent; diana stanisic; vivien chen; richard saunders; weronika cichosz; francesca meola; crystal latham; valerie roosma; irina sai; erin ezell; emily payne; bethany foss; claire pellettiere; matt mcinerney

HKS: architect of record

OJB: landscape consultant

HOK Experience Design: custom graphics

one lux studio: lighting con­sultant

uzun + case: structural engineer

integral consulting: mep

onsite woodwork corporation: custom fabrication workshop

hitt: general contractor

masland carpets: rug (lobby)

hbf: sofa (lobby), chairs (café)

luum: sofa upholstery (lobby), chair fabric (lounge)

shaw contract: lvt (break room); rugs (break room, lounge), carpet tile (daycare)

Courtesy of Davis Furniture: tables (break room)

jamie stern design: custom banquettes

pollack: banquette upholstery

mortensen woodwork: custom screens (lounge)

curry sawmill co.: custom table

Andreu World: chairs (lounge, café)

Holly Hunt: chair (reception)

art & associates: custom light fixtures (gym entry), custom wallcovering (gym)

wolf-gordon: wallcovering (gym entry)

Bentley Mills: carpet tile (conference center)

russ bassett: workstation (operations center)

lambert & fils: pendant fixtures (café)

nydree floor­ing: floor tile (canteen)

martin brattrud: tables

sandler seating: stools

ton: chairs

nanawall: folding glass wall

atomic 50: ceiling panels (game room)

flor: carpet tile

CB2: ceiling fixtures

hightower: red chairs

ofs: ping pong table

big ass fans: fans (gym)

pliteq: floor tile

flos: track fixtures (daycare)

ef contract: lvt

Dupont: corian

basaltite: stone flooring

kährs: wood flooring

axis lighting; genled brands; hubbell; led linear; 3g lighting; usai lighting: lighting

decoustics; ritz acoustics; usg: acoustical ceilings

benjamin moore & co.: paint

On the Move: Recent Promotions and Hires

Take a look at the latest promotions and hires across the A&D industry.

Arte

The Belgium-based wallcovering company Arte has named Eric Edgar as area manager, east for Arte USA. He will serve as a brand ambassador for the Eastern half of the US. Edgar joins Arte USA from Koroseal Interior Products, where he most recently worked as regional sales manager for the Southeastern region. Previously he held roles at Eykon and Milliken & Company. He will work alongside Jim Scheurer, area manager, west, for Arte USA, and report to Bill Calhoun, president of Arte USA. 

MandiCasa

Dario Snaidero recently launched the new brand MandiCasa offering a curated selection of made-in-Italy designs, including kitchens, bathrooms, closets, and interior doors. The launch is the result of two years of dedicated research and relationship building across Italy, along with Dario Snaidero family’s 45+ years of experience bringing top-quality Italian designs to the North American market.

Additionally, Nelson has formed a partnership with the branding consultancy firm Tate + Hansen. Their collaboration will be recognized as THNW. Together, the firms will share their global presence, services, knowledge, and relationships to amplify the voices of underrepresented minority groups in the industry.

HOK

HOK has made a number of promotions and hires. Kristina Kamenar has been promoted from senior project interior designer to director of design, interiors in Toronto. Dina Lamanna has been promoted from senior project interior designer to director of hospitality interior design. Based in New York, she will lead hospitality interior design projects worldwide. Sherri King Parente has been promoted from project manager to director of interiors in Philadelphia. Tara Roscoe joins HOK as director of design, interiors in New York. She was a corporate design leader at her previous firm. 

CRTKL

The global architecture, design, and strategy firm CRTKL has expanded its research division with two new additions: Dr. Helia Taheri and Amy Keller Frye. Dr. Taheri joins as a human-centric researcher, sustainability specialist, and an architect with eight years of experience in architecture firms and research centers across the globe. Frye takes on her role with fifteen years of research, strategy, and evidence-based design experience in the field. She has worked with notable clients including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and the Center for Health Design.

Olson Kundig

Olson Kundig has opened a new office space in New York City, located in a 100-year-old building in Midtown Manhattan. The office is anchored by a signature gathering and event space known as the Living Room, which revolves around an oversized, 144-square-foot table designed by Tom Kundig and fabricated by Spearhead Timberworks. 

Kneedler Fauchère Group

Two new shareholders, Gina DeWitt and Quinn Tran, have joined chairman and creative director George Massar and CEO and president Doug Kinzley on the executive management team at Kneedler Fauchère. Gina DeWitt, now the COO of showrooms and strategic partnerships, will oversee the operations of all three Kneedler Fauchère showrooms. Quinn Tran, now CFO, will lead the team in an expanded role of legal and financial duties for the company. She has been with Kneedler Fauchère for 24 years. 

Ware Malcomb

Ware Malcomb has announced three promotions in the Irvine office. Jinger Tapia has been promoted to vice president, design; Maureen Bissonnette has been promoted to principal, marketing; and Maria Rodgers has been promoted to PR & communications manager. Jinger Tapia began her architectural career at Ware Malcomb in 1996 and re-joined in 2002. Maureen Bissonnette joined Ware Malcomb 1998 as a marketing assistant. Rodgers joined Ware Malcomb in 2014 as marketing coordinator and in 2018, she took on responsibility for the firm’s public relations program.

Premier

Paul Morrell has joined Premier Project Management as the company’s new chief operating officer. Before joining Premier, Morrell held executive leadership positions overseeing operations, supply chain, human resources, IT, capital management, and real estate divisions. The interior design, architecture, procurement, project management, engineering, and contract teams will report directly to Morrell in this new role.

ZAS Architects + Interiors

Commercial interior designer Leigh Collyer is now officially a principal at ZAS Architects + Interiors. Collyer has nearly 20 years of design and project management experience, servicing numerous long-time clients from Canada’s leading financial institutions and as successfully won long-term contracts with clients including HSBC, Bank of Montreal, and other credit unions.

Harrison

Dallas-based, award-winning architecture and design firm Harrison announced today it has promoted Whitney Ford to vice president of architecture and associate director. Ford enters this newly created role with over 15 years of experience in the design and architecture industry, having joined the Harrison team in 2018. Her roster of clients includes HMS Host, Mellow Mushroom, Velvet Taco, Savory Fund, Fogo de Chao and many more high-profile brands.

Gabellini Sheppard

Chardonnay Pickard-Fares has joined Gabellini Sheppard Associates as marketing and business development director. She will be responsible for communications and business development strategy in collaboration with Kimberly Sheppard and Michael Gabellini and will work closely with Lindsey Whitlock, Gabellini Sheppard Associates’ recently promoted marketing manager. Pickard-Fares has worked as a consultant and in-house with a variety of the industry’s leading architects and interior designers and with institutions like 92Y on events and programming.

Perkins&Will 

Dan Thomas has joined Perkins & Will to serve as the new health principal, working out of the Dallas studio. Thomas brings over 28 years of experience in healthcare design and planning to the position. He has strong interests in behavioral health, children’s health, and population health.

HGA

HGA announced its new National Interior Design Leadership Team. The collaborative model—with three leaders at the helm—was formed to support the accelerated growth of the firm’s award-winning national interior design practice. The team leaders will be Paula Storsteen, national interior design practice leader; Lisa Macaluso, national interior design business development leader; and Haley Nelson, national interior design expertise leader.

Native Trails

The artisan-crafted kitchen and bathroom brand Native Trails has announced the hiring of Lauren Rademacher as the company’s new Eastern regional manager. Rademacher brings a wealth of industry knowledge, adding 12 years of highly impactful experience to the Native Trails roster, having previously worked with Gerhard’s, Delta Faucet Company, NCS Corporation, and others. Additionally, Stan Artman has been promoted from director of sales, East, to vice president of sales. Artman has 30-plus years of sales experience and has been with Native Trails since 2014.

Super Bowl LVI Will Kick Off in the Super SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles by HKS

It’s Super Bowl time, that annual celebration of excellence by athletes and performers at the top of their game. This year’s face-off between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar taking center field at half-time, brings a slew of superlatives tied to the Inglewood, Los Angeles, site. Debuting September 2020 following six years of design and construction, SoFi stadium stands as the centerpiece of a massive 300-acre mixed-use parcel for sports, entertainment, retail, commercial, and residential developed by Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke. The site, incidentally twice the size of Vatican City, occupies the former Hollywood Park racetrack. Ergo the project’s aptly shortened name, Hollywood Park. Phase one completion encompasses not only the 70,000-seat stadium, but two additional venues, all under one swooping roof. The YouTube Theater has 6,000 seats; the American Airlines Plaza stands between them. Surrounding it all are 25 acres of public parks and open space, a draw for locals and visitors alike. HKS is taking charge of the entire project, Studio-MLA the landscaping. 

“Two themes drove the design concept,” begins Mark Williams, HKS global director and principal, who led the project with Lance Evans, principal and director of sports. “One, it would be a living room for the city of Inglewood. Two, it be a global stage to host mega events visible to the world.”  Another design driver, he adds, “was creating an authentic Los Angeles, a mega indoor-outdoor experience amidst the entertainment capital of the world.” Ergo, the open-air solution for the NFL’s largest stadium, clocking in at 3.1 million square feet.

Proximity to Los Angeles International Airport mandates seating to be 100 feet below grade, a factor translating to some 7 million cubic yards of dirt excavated, according to HKS. Thus, notes Evans, “procession is a set of meandering paths” showcasing plant ecologies indicative of southern California. Actual ingress points, called “canyon entries,” slope down to provide immediate visuals straight to the field and its 70,000-square-foot, double-sided Samsung video board, allegedly the largest in sports. Inside, the 8-level stadium is awash with daylight, while evenings hold other potential attributes of their own. Which brings us to that roof canopy.

Its structural steel shell, compression ring, and cable net system are capped by a roof of ETFE, a lightweight translucent plastic formed in triangular panels over a perforated aluminum shell. They number 309, 46 of them operable to release hot air for optimal ventilation. Additionally, a complex feat of lighting and engineering allows content, think games and nighttime concerts like the Rolling Stones, to be projected skyward on the roof. Could there be a more spectacular introduction to the City of Angels as seen from the runway approach to LAX? 

What’s a high caliber game or music experience without its food and beverage component plus a sense of luxury? SoFi takes cues from hospitality “with amenities unique to stadium design,” notes Amanda Trimble, HKS vice president of sports and entertainment. “We designed every concession, distributed throughout, differently,” adds senior designer Katy Cagle: That includes working with local chefs. Meanwhile, the stadium boasts 12 clubs; Champagne, whiskey, and tequila bars; and premier seating in seven suite types, in turn divisible through cascading draperies. 

So, SoFi kicks off a welcome its home team. Come 2028, it will welcome the Olympics, too.