Many architectural firms start an additional location. The firm might see business opportunities or have a client with a job that needs service or an employee who wants to move there. Many firms also close those offices when they can’t sustain the financial base necessary to be self-supporting or the original project that launched the satellite is completed. The Salt Lake Studio of HKS, however, is a success story. In March 2024, HKS Salt Lake City will celebrate its 25th anniversary. The Salt Lake office, which began modestly to serve clients in the Intermountain West and the Pacific Region, now has 27 employees and a healthy portfolio of work in and outside of Utah. The studio is busy and growing. The growth of the HKS Salt Lake City office was shaped by HKS’s home office philosophies. In 1939, Harwood K. Smith founded what was then a one-person firm in Dallas. Smith began his career by designing several residential communities and high-rise office buildings. By the 1970s, HKS included a diversified portfolio of education, industrial, banking and healthcare work. Today the firm is an interdisciplinary design firm with 29 offices in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. There are more employees working outside the Dallas office than within it. The firm has won numerous awards for the quality of its design, including the prestigious AIA COTE Top Ten Award in 2023. At the heart of each office’s success is the approach that HKS has to expansion. Emir Tursic, AIA, Salt Lake HKS’s current office director, said, “It’s not an easy task. We thoroughly research the demographics of each location and consider our client relationships and the availability of talent. You can’t overlook the challenges in a new market. Before opening a business in an area or region, there has to be an incredible understanding of the market and emphasis on what HKS can bring to clients.” Michael Vela, AIA, opened the Salt Lake office in 1999. His chief focus, then, was to keep current clients happy. Michael’s office oversaw the construction of the 26-story American Stores Tower (now Wells Fargo Center) and primarily served healthcare clients that had a presence in Utah and the Pacific region. HKS: Local Roots, Global Expertise 10 REFLEXION
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