Contract - July 2009 - (Page 16)

editorial Jennifer Thiele Busch Editor in Chief group hug Despite the lip service that many of us pay to collaboration, sometimes it really does work. When I invited HOK to guest edit our July issue, I did not invite one particular person at the firm, as I have done in the past (with Gary Wheeler, formerly of Gensler, in July 2007 and Rand Elliott of Elliott + Associates Architects in July 2008). Instead, I invited a group of HOK’s design leaders, spread across the Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., offices. And quite honestly, when they chose the topic of “collaboration” early on for their issue’s theme, I didn’t quite grasp the fact that this was exactly what it would take to deliver a thought-provoking end product for Contract’s readers. I now realize that the process of creating the July issue was one living, breathing, collaborative experiment from beginning to end—among the HOK team members and between HOK and Contract’s editorial staff. The pages that follow are testament to this admirable process. In addition to representing a successful (and smooth!) collaboration, the July issue of Contract and its associated online component (see www.contracmagazine.com) are chock full of examples of how highprofile organizations from Cirque du Soleil and Facebook to The Smithsonian Institution and the mayor’s office of the city of New York rely on collaboration as a strategy for innovation and growth, and how the collaborative process enriches such disciplines as public art, real estate development, landscape design, and medical education, among others. In an increasingly complex business, social, and political environment, the benefits of collaboration cross all industries and market sectors, and there is much the A&D community can learn from the experiences of other practices and professions. Indeed, it is given that one of the most important elements of commercial interior design and architecture moving forward will be a more multidisciplinary approach to design solutions. Apparently collaboration is a deeply ingrained quality in HOK’s culture, and after working with Rick Focke, Tom Polucci, Leigh Stringer, Clay Pendergrast, Sabine Bartzke, and an army of supporting cast members to produce this issue, I’m quite convinced that it’s true. There is no one person who can take the credit here. Our Collaboration issue really is the result of many minds working together and refining each others’ thoughts and ideas over a period of months. If anything, HOK’s internal discipline and commitment to the process is the real star. Many thanks for having us along for the journey. Submit a Letter to the Editor at www.contractmagazine.com/contact. 16 contract july 2009 www.contractmagazine.com http://www.contractmagazine.com http://www.contractmagazine.com/contact http://www.contractmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - July 2009

Contract - July 2009
Contents
Editorial
Guest Editorial
Resources: Alpha Workshops
Green Building Goes Global
The Collaborative Workplace
All For Fun
Group Practice
Caring Collaborator
Life is a Circus
Cohesive Spaces in Public Places
On the Landscape
Castles in the Sand
Face to Face
Heart and Soul
Project Management
Dream Team
Critique
Ad Index

Contract - July 2009