Читать книгу Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm - Patrick MacLeamy - Страница 28

George Hellmuth was 48 years old when he and Yamasaki divided HYL. At an age when many people have lost the spark of ambition, he was just getting started. Hellmuth, who had watched his German-American father and uncle repeatedly build up and tear down their own firm, reprised his role as the full-time marketing principal, responsible for bringing new work to HOK. He was determined to fulfill his depression-proof-firm strategy and win a diverse portfolio of work for the new partnership.

FIGURE 2.6 George Hellmuth, Gyo Obata, and George Kassabaum ca 1955.

Source: Photo courtesy of HOK.

Gyo Obata, just 32 years old and the son of Japanese immigrant artists, became the design principal. He brought intensity, innovation, and modernist passion to his role. Obata's goal was to find interesting design opportunities in every commission Hellmuth brought to the firm, whether they were “signature” buildings or more modest ones.

George Kassabaum, 35 years old and the prairie-raised descendant of German-Americans, was the principal in charge of production, a position ideally suited to the organizational talents he had honed at Washington University. His role was to carry Obata's designs through to successful bidding and construction, on time and on budget.

In summary, Hellmuth brought in the work, Obata designed the work, and Kassabaum saw the work through. They were different men, with different backgrounds, and decided their differences were strengths, not weaknesses—a smart outlook. On the other hand, all three founders shared certain traits that would prove critical to HOK's success half a century later:

 Ambitious: All three founders had outsize ambitions. They wanted to build a national—or better yet international—design practice. They wanted to design not just buildings but a firm unlike any other. And they were long-term thinkers, with the audacity to set strategic goals that required decades to see to fruition.

 Innovative: All were innovators. They wanted to reinvent the practice of architecture. Hellmuth wanted to follow his depression-proof-firm strategy and build the most diversified practice possible. Obata wanted to tap into the best people and best consultants to change how architects practiced design. And Kassabaum was driven to create ever-more clear, unambiguous drawings and specifications delivered on budget and on schedule.

 Honest: The founders set out to build a reputation for honesty and integrity as a foundation for future growth. “Do the right thing, always.” was Kassabaum's saying and the young firm quickly adopted it as an unofficial motto.

 Unified: Finally, the founders wanted a unified firm where things were harmonious on the inside. There was plenty of challenge on the outside. As part of this, they believed in seeking out the very best ideas, no matter who they came from. They wanted people to leave their egos at the door and work together as a team. They knew teams win through teamwork, not because of individual stars.

All the new firm needed was a name. Hellmuth suggested that they follow architecture tradition by listing the last name of each partner. They created a logo with the H, O, and K printed in orange, in lower case characters, around a plus sign. It was simple and clean. Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum—HOK—was in business, and the great adventure had begun!

FIGURE 2.7 Original HOK logo.

Source: Courtesy of HOK.