HBG Ranked Fourth in the Nation by Hotel Business Design
HBG is ranked #4 on the 2016 Hotel Business Design Top Architects and Designers List. For the full list, you can visit Hotel Business Design.
BD&C Magazine ranks HBG #10 in the Nation of Top Hotel Architects
See full list in Building Design + Construction
HBG ranks tenth in the nation of top hotel architecture firms.
Desert Diamond West Valley Casino Only the Second U.S. Casino to Receive Green Globes for New Construction Certification
Memphis, TN (July 14, 2016) – The Green Building Initiative has announced Desert Diamond West Valley Casino in Maricopa County, Arizona, as only the second casino in the U.S. to earn Green Globes for New Construction Certification status. Green Globes is a nationally-recognized eco-friendly and sustainable design rating assessment and certification program.
The new 50,000 square foot casino property, which is phase I of a future resort complex, is owned and operated by the Tohono O’odham Nation, and was designed by national casino resort designers, HBG (Hnedak Bobo Group).
Treena Parvello, Director of Public Relations and Communications for the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, said “We are thrilled that our continuing commitment to the environment has earned Desert Diamond Casino a prestigious Green Globe. Having HBG as a partner on this project helped us to ensure that we created a space that is not only sustainable, but also fully functional in addition to complementing the area in which it was built. We couldn’t be more pleased.”
“Working with the Tohono O’odham Nation, Desert Diamond Casino and The Green Building Initiative in this endeavor has been very fulfilling; and our team is enthusiastic about integrating more sustainable features and efficiencies into the resort’s future phases,” says Rob Lee, AIA, principal at HBG and project manager for the project.
“This level of sustainability shows a commitment by the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise to the environment,” said David Eldridge, Green Globes Assessor, “and it demonstrates the abilities of HBG and the other members of the design and construction team to implement the desired features as part of the project.”
Project management processes, site location, planning, design and sustainable material selection were key drivers for the Green Globes certification for Desert Diamond West Valley Casino. Among a few of the standouts are:
- An integrated design process (IDP) – Performance goals were set and reviewed during multiple stages of construction including site design, envelope requirements, materials, energy use, water use, and overall sustainability.
- The development area – The project was built within a half mile of a commercial zone, away from sensitive areas, out of the flood plain and on a previously developed site. Credit was also awarded for participation in the planned development surrounding an important entertainment and sports district on the west side of the Phoenix Metro area.
- Ecological impacts – The project included an erosion control plan, reduction of the heat island effect, improvement of the local ecology, minimized disturbance of the site and minimized impact to natural species and habitats.
- Landscaping – Significant planning went into soil type, plant locations and the selection of drought tolerant plants that are native to the area.
- Stormwater management – The casino design included control measures for the volume of stormwater, as well as methods to improve the quality of stormwater for reclamation.
- Exterior light pollution – The lighting design included reduction of light trespass (spilling over into other areas) and reduction of glare with efficient fixtures in the parking lot.
The phase I casino is planned to revert to use as warehouse space once the larger casino resort experience opens. Because of the transitional nature of the phase I casino, designers used an abundance of sustainable materials, including carpeting made from recycled materials. Paint was used instead of the typical vinyl wall covering, and fixtures were designed to be transportable to the future casino development.
The Green Globe certification program recognizes the commitment to environmentally efficient design, construction and operational practices, and provides customized guidance in the implementation of high-performance interiors and buildings.
Just Announced: HBG Wins National AIA Award!
The National AIA and NCARB have jointly selected HBG as a recipient of the 2015-2018 Intern Development Program (IDP) Outstanding Firm Award! Only four firms in the country were recognized at this elite level.
This is HBG’s FIRST AIA National Firm Award, so it is especially significant for us.
In our submission, HBG demonstrated a deep commitment to our IDP program by going above and beyond the baseline criteria. We earned an “Outstanding” designation from AIA by demonstrating innovation in our commitment to career growth and leadership development through programs such as EDGE Leadership Development; our Professional Sponsorship Program; the Emerging Professionals Studio; and the GOH Travel Scholarship. This award celebrates the importance we place on a culture of learning and leadership at HBG. We are thrilled to be among such a select few firms in earning this prestigious honor.
Read more about it on the AIA website
Read more about it in Architect Magazine
HBG Named a Winner of the 2015 Top Workplaces Award by Memphis’ Commercial Appeal
HBG is excited to be named one of Memphis’ Top Workplaces by The Commercial Appeal. Congratulations to our incredibly talented employees – thank you for voting HBG a Top Workplace!
The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by WorkplaceDynamics, LLC, a leading research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Several aspects of workplace culture were measured, including Alignment, Execution, and Connection, just to name a few.
Through their comments, HBG employees indicated their highest confidence in where the firm is headed and how it’s going to get there, and noted that the environment is highly collaborative and supportive of one another in achieving both project and career goals.
HBG is pleased to join many of our Memphis clients who also achieved this honor, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, International Paper, University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Southern College of Optometry.
WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES HAD TO SAY ABOUT HBG
“Great leadership across the board! Interesting projects and talented, forward-thinking co workers.”
“I am appreciated.”“I have the freedom to do my job without being micromanaged.”
“The opportunity for continued advancement and success.”
“There is no glass ceiling, your career is what you make of it within a very collaborative and supportive environment. You give 110 percent — you get that back from the organization in many ways.”
Hnedak Bobo Group – Responses from Employee Survey
Check out The Commercial Appeal’s Top Workplaces issue here:
Top Workplaces: Workers love perks
The Commercial Appeal Top Workplaces 2015
Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal files Thor Harland, left, and Mark Weaver, with the Hnedak Bobo Group, are designing the One Beale Skyscraper.
Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal Plans, drawings and renderings for the One Beale Skyscraper are tacked on the walls inside of the critique area in the Hnedak Bobo Group building.
HBG Wins Gold for Corporate Citizenship
HBG has just been named a Gold Winner for Corporate Citizenship in the 2015 Workforce Magazine Optimas Awards for expanding cultural awareness among employees through visionary and impactful human resources initiatives, in particular, the GOH Travel Scholarship program.
HBG was among 21 finalists which included organizations and corporations from Peterbilt Motors Company to Red Robin International Inc.
This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Workforce Magazine Optimas Awards, which recognizes HR and workforce management initiatives that achieve business results for the organization. Each winner produced measurable business results. “Companies are not just realizing their people are their strongest asset, they are acting on it and setting in motion HR initiatives and solutions that develop and empower their workforce,” said Rick Bell, managing editor of Workforce. “The groups named Optimas Award winners are some of the top performing organizations producing fruitful and lasting change where it was needed.”
Below is the article published in Workforce Magazine about the Optimas Award Winners:
For its commitment to expanding cultural awareness among employees, Hnedak Bobo Group is the gold 2015 Optimas Award winner for Corporate Citizenship.
It’s been said in corporate conversations that as economic globalization grows, the world continues to shrink.
As corporate America learns more every day about those far away places with the strange sounding names, there’s still a great big world that stokes the imagination and awaits exploration.
Gregory Hnedak was one of those people who, like Willie Nelson, couldn’t wait to get on the road again. Except Hnedak wasn’t a country music singer crooning in a different town each night. In 1979, Hnedak was an architect who had just opened his new local firm in Memphis, Tennessee. While that could have been a burden to a young man with the itch to travel, Hnedak instead grew his regional firm to one of national prominence, along the way designing the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, as well as projects for mega corporations FedEx Corp., International Paper and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.
To share his love for travel with employees, Hnedak Bobo Group initiated the Gregory O. Hnedak Travel Scholarship in 2014.
“We thought it only fitting to honor his legacy at HBG through an experiential travel scholarship that gives one employee a year a unique opportunity to experience travel with a sense of purpose,” said Terri Struminger, chief operating officer, in the nomination form. “The trip is intended to enable personal connection to the one element that most significantly impacted personal and professional growth for our firm’s founder: travel.”
Church in La Portela de Valcarce taken by Branden Canepa who travelled the Camino de Santiago
The competitive program was designed to help employees make a deep connection to the firm’s core values while broadening their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
Among the four objectives is external messaging, which has a broader motive than a two week business trip. Traveling to broaden knowledge and enrich the design experience for their clients’ benefit is well communicated externally and is a key component in the firm’s marketing messages.
One of the winners of the 2015 scholarship — which is open to any non principal level employee with two years’ tenure — was operations coordinator Branden Canepa, who spent her 12 days walking the 145 miles along Spain’s El Camino de Santiago.
“Mr. Hnedak’s legacy will live on through generations in part because of this program’s positive effect on enriching our culture.”
For its commitment to expanding cultural awareness among employees, Hnedak Bobo Group is the gold 2015 Optimas Award winner for Corporate Citizenship.
Click here to read the article in Workforce Magazine
Workforce Magazine Announces HBG as 2015 Optimas Awards Finalist
Workforce magazine, published by Human Capital Media, announces the companies that are the finalists for the 2015 Optimas Awards. The awards program, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, recognizes companies that are achieving measurable business outcomes through visionary and impactful human resources initiatives.
Twenty-one companies have been named finalists from this year’s pool of nominees. Gold and silver Optimas Awards are awarded in the following categories: Benefits, Business Impact, Corporate Citizenship, Global Outlook, Innovation, Managing Change, Partnership, Recruiting, Training and Vision. Additionally, Workforce will name a General Excellence winner for a company demonstrating excellence in at least six of the aforementioned categories.
“Throughout the 25 years of these awards, we’ve seen companies place increasing importance on human resources initiatives, realizing the potential a strong HR department can have on business growth,” said Rick Bell, managing editor of Workforce magazine at Human Capital Media. “This year’s finalists stand out in an ever-expanding field of qualified nominees, and we’re pleased to see so many organizations using innovative HR practices to improve their business.”
Workforce will announce the winners of the 2015 Optimas Awards on Dec. 2 in a special edition of the Workforce Web series “5 Minutes of Management,” and winners will be profiled in the December issue.
This year’s finalists include:
- County of San Mateo (California)
- Cyberjaya University
- Global iLabs
- Hnedak Bobo Group Inc.
- Hydro Ottawa
- Imajine That
- Inflection
- Kronos Inc
- LaSalle Network
- Level 3 Communications
- LyondellBasell Industries
- MOL Group
- NCR Corp.
- Oakland County, Michigan
- Peterbilt Motors Co.
- Red Robin International Inc.
- Tallahassee (Florida) Memorial HealthCare
- Tenaris
- Washoe County (Nevada) School District
- West Virginia University School of Medicine
- Zoombezi Bay
For more information on the program and past winners, please visit workforce.com/optimas .