HOK, Hong Kong: Open, Connected, Design-driven.

As a firm, HOK has few internal barriers with a strong sense of identity and inclusiveness, constantly sharing resources and opportunities between offices. The firm moved to its current location in one of the most inspiring and style-saturated locations on the island, for a combination of factors: it was the right size giving them a whole floor to themselves, good transport connections, high ceilings, south facing with great light and a beautiful view of the marina and the sea. 

With art galleries, design shops, bars and restaurants, along with a growing cluster of design offices and other creative enterprises, they figured that Wong Chuk Hang was the perfect spot for a design-focused firm like HOK to be located. 

Being in-house, the highly talented interior design team already had an intimate understanding of the operational and practical needs in addition to the kind of contemporary aesthetic that helps showcase the firm’s design skills. 

All design disciplines as well as HR, Finance and IT professionals are located in a single large studio space. Directors too are all in together. This encourages inter-disciplinary knowledge sharing and understanding. “The layout is all about encouraging team work,” says Managing Director Paul Collins. 

There are break-out meeting rooms and booths for private calls, collaboration tables and pin-up spaces where design teams can gather quickly and easily. “On top of that we have a large pantry and dining area connected with our ‘town hall’ gathering space where we can get the whole office together,” says Collins. 

Every month they have a whole-office food and drink gathering to show and share new design projects or ask people to talk a little about themselves and their background. As an office with more than 13 nationalities represented, this is always interesting, while pro-bono work (beach clean-ups and design classes for disadvantaged kids in Hong Kong) is a great way of giving something back to the place they live.