BUILD SMART with Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA

After taking on a firmwide role, Patrick begins to shoulder more and more of the leadership load. In this episode, earlier seeds of trouble have blossomed into a full crisis, in fact, triple crises for HOK…

Bill Valentine, former President of HOK, and Bob Pratzel, former CFO of HOK, share their perspectives on this period of crisis.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Approach to manage crises:

1. Ask for more time to solve the problem
2. Solve one crisis at a time

• Conveying a strategic plan to your firm:

1. Don't count on formal strategic plans - no one reads them
2. Use simple graphics like a pyramid
3. Use few words so people will remember your strategy
4. Convey successive goals toward a BIG prize like dreams

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

In this episode, we pick up with Patrick’s story as he is promoted to a firmwide role, he shares his simple financial metrics, and discusses the adoption of new technologies.

Bob Pratzel, former CFO of HOK, also provides additional insight into the implementation of Patrick's simple financial metrics and rules.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Technology is here to stay. Adopt it. Innovate with it.
• Invest in emerging leaders
• Build simple financial metrics to measure your progress
• Never neglect good operations

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

With a big pot of money from their investor, HOK goes on a shopping spree. In this episode, Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA highlights examples of HOK’s expansion, he expands on his thoughts and examples of growth strategies for a firm, and shares how things began to unravel for the firm.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Grow to serve clients, but…NEVER neglect quality
• Nurture your company culture or you will lose it!

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

In this episode, Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA discusses the introduction of investors into HOK, and he touches on the right and wrong ways to grow your firm.

Patrick is also joined by Bob Pratzel, former CFO of HOK, who shares some of his financial concepts and his perspective as the CFO of the firm during this period of rapid growth and transition.

Bill Valentine, former CEO of HOK, returns to provide insight into HOK steeping forward as a leader in sustainability.

Patrick tells the story of one last important hire that Gyo made just before he retired.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• There are three ways to raise capital
• There are Right and wrong ways to grow
• Shift leaders to consulting roles if they're not ready to retire

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

In this episode, Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA highlights a period of rapid growth and transition at HOK. He discusses the challenges, growing pains, and decisions that planted seeds of trouble. Patrick also explains how the founders prepared for succession, the unexpected loss of a founder, evolution of HOK office structure, and the international expansion of the firm.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Plan ahead for leadership succession
• Diverse work leads to project specialists
• It is possible to buy a specialty practice
• Great design leads to new opportunities

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

In this episode, firm leaders and young people in the profession will particularly want to listen in as Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA shares stories of the early career experiences that led to his growth and shaped him as a leader at HOK.

Bill Valentine, FAIA and former CEO of HOK, joins Patrick to chat about their time together in the firm and Bill shares his perspective on Patrick's career advancements.

Patrick also speaks to a past client, John Igoe, Director of Design & Construction, NorCal at Google. John was previously the assistant to the San Francisco Chief Administrative Officer and helped oversee the development of the original Mascone Center, in San Francisco, a project by HOK that was pivotal in Patrick's growth.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Design a firm where employees can grow
• Lead, don't manage
• Run towards trouble

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

In this episode, Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA tells the story of the founding of HOK and highlights founders, Gyo Obata and George Kassabaum.

Kiku Obata, daughter of Gyo Obata, and President of Kiku Obata & Company, joins Patrick to share stories of her family and additional insight into her father.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Build a strong internal, cooperative culture
• Make a commitment to innovation
• Have a strong commitment to growth, even if it takes decades

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA and former CEO of HOK is joined by the current Chairman and CEO of HOK, Bill Hellmuth, to highlight Bill's uncle and founder of HOK, George Hellmuth. Patrick shares George's origin story, his approach to the architecture profession, and his principles for a depression-proof firm. Bill provides additional insight on George's principles and how they apply today.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Attract and keep talented people
• Provide full time marketing
• Diversify project building type, geography, and services
• Leadership of the firm needs to be specialized

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can find out more information and links to buy the book at macleamy.com 

Hosted by Mark R. LePage, AIA, NCARB, former CEO Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, introduces BUILD SMART as they explore Patrick's inspirations for his book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm, and the creation of this podcast series.

This episode highlights Patrick's introduction to architecture, how he found his way to HOK, and what was unique about the firm.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Design a firm with a vision and goals
• Design a firm that innovates
• Design a firm that works as a team
• Design a firm that is successful

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can find out more information and links to buy the book at macleamy.com 

BUILD SMART is a narrative podcast that features Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, architect, and former CEO of global firm HOK. With host Mark R. LePage, AIA, NCARB, MacLeamy shares stories and lessons from his 50-year career, rising from an HOK junior designer to the company CEO, a tenure that parallels HOK’s growth from 150 employees in St. Louis to a staff of more than 1,900 in 27 offices on three continents. MacLeamy highlights innovative solutions and tough decisions that sustained HOK through multiple economic swings, culminating in it becoming one of the world’s Top 10 architecture and engineering firms. HOK was structured for long-term success — BUILD SMART will share these lessons to help architects and creative-services firms build for long-term success as they design a world-class firm.