HOK’s Miami studio celebrates the energy and culture of South Florida in a colorful and inviting space that infuses hospitality and flexibility. The architect’s new studio is located on a popular pedestrian boulevard, leveraging its location as an amenity. This strategic placement enhances the functionality of the space and goes a long way to earn the commute, as employees can gather within the studio’s residential-inspired lounge and glass-walled conference rooms or retreat to any number of nearby restaurants and cafes.

The front section of the studio features a floor-to-ceiling wall which overlooks a pedestrian boulevard, delivering plenteous sunshine exposure and inspiring views whist simultaneously displaying a dynamic front-of-shop workspace snapshot of the studios day-to-day activities, in which employees can have meetings, hold events, and break off for meals. The adjacent studio lounge includes a coffee bar and serving station with scallop tiles and recessed wall arches reflective of Miami’s famous Art Deco architecture.

Steven explains that “The team strived to minimize the amount of construction and materials used, we salvaged the existing flooring, leveraged the use of area rugs to add softness where needed, and leaned heavily into furniture solutions, like the Spacestor zoning to create “space within the space”, which allowed us to maximize the daylight and views into the space”. Spacestor supplied their Palisades Grid, a highly customizable grid system which has its inspirational roots in the work of Californian designer, Muriel Coleman, and is designed to enable the division of space in an elegant and minimalistic way.

Steven comments that “The unit was a no-brainer for us in that we were looking for a solution that could provide a separation in the heart of our space without closing it off.” Going on to describe its functional added value, “the dual sided screen allows us to have multiple meetings going on, and the display shelving allows us to showcase personal elements of our studio, adding to that hospitality and home-like environment that our staff desired.”

The entrance of the second-story studio has a dramatic vibe with low lighting, neon signage and saturated colours which can reset the senses as guests transition into the light-filled, open space. A multitude of space typologies are offered to support different tasks and ways of working, ensuring high levels of productivity and a fantastic experience. Two huddle rooms and a large conference room anchor the space in the centre of the floorplate, creating a buffer between social spaces in the front and quiet, focused workspaces at the back of the studio. Individual workstations include sit-stand desks, ergonomic chairs and biophilic design elements, including live plantings and wood-patterned desks and flooring. Alfresco working is also available, with a robust Wi-Fi network which enables employees to take their laptops outside to work along the tree lined boulevard.

“Our staff loves the space.” Says Burgos, explaining that “when we did our initial visioning session with the team, the desire by staff was a comfortable space that felt like home and offered a variety of spaces for them to use throughout the day.”

Photos of HOK employees and milestone office events line the wall of the studio’s central corridor, helping to reinforce the studio’s culture and community connections. Pops of color throughout the office, including “color changing” dichroic film on interior glass walls, play on Miami’s tropical, eclectic vibe. The studio was once home to the Miami Church of Scientology, and one of the huddle rooms pays homage to the religion’s most famous follower: Tom Cruise. The other huddle room celebrates the life of a celebrity with local ties and a similar sounding surname, the late Cuban singer Celia Cruz.

HOK’s new Miami space – an experience-based insight into functional productivity-boosting design fused with a strong identity aligned with local culture and strong amenity offerings.

Credits: Halkin Mason Photography