HOK finds way to collaborate

Looking for a way to reduce travel expenses while maintaining solid contact between offices across the country and around the world? Architectural powerhouse HOK believes it has the answer.

The firm has installed what it calls “advanced collaborative rooms” in 14 of its global offices, including the Tampa City Center building. The collaborative rooms system allows project teams to conduct videoconferencing and sketch ideas as though they were at the same table, but without the need for packing suitcases or seemingly endless waits in airport terminals.

“Our ability to bring HOK's best creative minds together during real-time ACR meetings is a powerful new tool for our virtual design teams,” says Duncan Broyd, the firm's Tampa managing principal. Besides bringing greater efficiency to the design process, he says HOK is reducing its carbon footprint by cutting out the need for at least 200 flights each month between offices.

HOK has a goal of cutting carbon emissions in its projects and practice by half this year, and achieved a 27% reduction in 2009. The ACRs use matching Cisco TelePresence and PolyVision Thunder systems.

Coffee Talk knows that going green and reducing carbon footprints is all the rage right now. But seriously, eliminating too flights per month. That is saving some serious smack.