The senior principal joined HOK’s Washington, D.C., office in 2004 and has served on the firm’s global design board since 2015.
HOK has promoted Roger Schwabacher, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, to design principal in its Washington, D.C., Tampa and Miami studios. He takes over in Washington, D.C., for Bill Hellmuth, FAIA, LEED AP, who recently announced that he will retire in April 2023. In addition to his role as HOK chairman and CEO, Hellmuth has been the office’s design principal since 1993.
“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working closely with Roger in D.C. for the past 18 years,” said Hellmuth. “He has made significant contributions to shaping our studio culture and growth. Roger’s design leadership in D.C. also freed me up for my firmwide leadership responsibilities. I could not have done both without his help.”
“Roger is an exceptional designer and a strong collaborator who has the rare ability to bring a creative, artistic vision to each project while also solving its complex technical constraints,” said Susan Klumpp Williams, AIA, LEED AP, managing principal of HOK’s Washington, D.C. office and interim co-CEO. “This leads to projects that delight people while providing real value to our clients.”
Schwabacher’s design experience includes architectural, urban and sustainable design for a wide range of building types, including government, corporate, higher education, commercial office, healthcare, science and technology, hospitality, civic and cultural, retail and residential buildings. His work has earned numerous awards and been featured in publications such as Architectural Record, The Washington Post, Inform: Architecture & Design, ENR, Middle East Architect, ArchDaily, The Architect’s Newspaper, Cityscape, GB+D and Faith & Form.
“Bill has been an unparalleled mentor to me,” said Schwabacher. “While he leaves big shoes to fill, I am excited by the opportunity to expand HOK’s cross-disciplinary, collaborative firm culture while continuing to create thoughtful and meaningful projects for our clients.”
Schwabacher’s projects have included:
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Surgery, Radiology and Lab Medicine Building in Bethesda, Maryland
- U.S. Embassy Chancery and New Office Annex, Moscow, Russia
- King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Weather & Climate Prediction, College Park, Maryland
- Ajyal Master Plan, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
- Three Constitution Square, Washington, D.C.
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- INOVA Center for Personalized Health Campus Master Plan, Fairfax, Virginia
- University of Oman and the Science & Technology City Master Plan, Muscat, Oman
Schwabacher is a member of HOK’s global design board, the University of Maryland School of Architecture’s Board of Visitors, the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Green Building Council. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University.