Admission to the College of Fellows is the highest honor paid by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and recognizes those whose design work has significantly influenced the profession.
IIDA this week announced the induction of five design leaders, two of whom include HOK’s Julia Monk and Tom Polucci, into the association’s prestigious College of Fellows.
IIDA has more than 15,000 members. Fewer than 1 percent have been elevated to the College of Fellows. Induction into the group honors an individual’s achievements, contributions and leadership in both the field of interior design and the IIDA. This year’s Fellows will be celebrated June 9 at IIDA’s annual meeting in Chicago.
Tom Polucci, Firm-wide Director of Interiors
Based in HOK’s New York studio, Tom Polucci, FIIDA, AIA, LEED GA, serves as global director of interior design. Over the past three decades, he has worked to solve his clients’ most urgent design challenges, helping to shape the modern office and set new standards for working environments. In leading the interiors practice across 24 offices, Polucci has mentored and shaped numerous HOK design leaders. In 2010 he co-founded HOK IMPACT, which seeks to promote architecture as social work, encouraging synergies between the built form and philanthropic outreach through pro bono design work.
His recent projects include GroupM offices in New York, White & Case offices in New York and Aegis Media offices in New York and Boston. He has been quoted as a workplace expert in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, Interior Design, Metropolis, Interiors & Sources and Contract. Polucci has also been a frequent speaker on workplace strategy and design for CoreNet Global, IFMA and NeoCon events.
Julia Monk, Director of Hospitality
Based in HOK’s Hong Kong office, Julia Monk, FIIDA, FAIA, LEED AP, is the global director of Hospitality. Throughout her 40-year career, Monk has focused on defining and creating luxury guest experiences, starting with the historic renovation of The St. Regis New York and including Rosewood Abu Dhabi Hotel and Residences and the MGM Grand Sanya in Hainan, China.
Earlier this year Monk was inducted into the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows. She co-founded and co-chairs the AIA New York Architecture of Hospitality Committee and has been a juror for the distinguished AIA Interior Design Awards, Hospitality Design’s Gold Key Awards, Sleeper’s AHEAD Awards and The Hotelier Awards. A renowned speaker, Monk also teaches an annual course at Harvard Graduate School of Design on the design and development of hotels. Her work and design expertise have been published and represented in numerous design publications including Hospitality Design, Contract, Hotel Management, Interior Design and LODGING Magazine.