HOK announced that Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, has rejoined the firm as director of business development in Chicago. Dowdell, a licensed architect, brings a wealth of expertise in strategic planning, design, project management, housing policy and real estate development. She previously worked in HOK’s New York studio from 2008-2011.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kim back to HOK,” said Riccardo Mascia, managing principal in Chicago. “She is a nationally recognized leader in the design profession, and we know that her deep professional connections and expertise will help us continue to expand our successful practice in Chicago while contributing to the ongoing success of the entire firm.”
Dowdell will collaborate with other members of HOK’s leadership team in Chicago to develop and implement strategic business development and marketing initiatives. In addition to cultivating and maintaining relationships with clients and partners, she will speak at industry conferences and events and mentor HOK’s emerging leaders.
“I’m excited about returning to a design practice as a principal with HOK in Chicago,” said Dowdell. “While I have enjoyed many aspects of my prior work in public service and real estate, my professional roots are in design. I look forward to leveraging my diverse experiences to serve our clients, create transformative projects and expand the reach and impact of our Chicago office.”
Dowdell is the 2019-2020 National President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). She initiated the concept behind Social Economic Environmental Design (SEED), an organization that she cofounded in 2005. Dowdell is a member of the Detroit Developer Roundtable (DDR) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). In 2019, Dowdell delivered the 19th Annual Dunlop Lecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She holds a bachelor of architecture from Cornell University and a Mid-Career Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, where she was a Sheila C. Johnson Leadership Fellow.
HOK’s current and recent projects in Chicago include design of new offices for WPP in the West Loop, the renovation and expansion of the Chicago Bears’ Halas Hall training facility in Lake Forest, a new law office for Polsinelli in Chicago and the expansion of Terminal 5 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
