Redefining the practice to reflect its commitment to a more diverse and equitable future
HMC Architects is excited to announce that the firm’s civic practice has been renamed Community + Culture. The new name reflects the firm’s 83-year legacy of anticipating community needs and points toward its future under HMC’s Design for Good ethos.
“It’s time to change how we represent ourselves in this practice to better communicate HMC’s values and vision,” said Kyle Peterson, AIA, LEED AP, DBIA, community + culture practice leader.
The change is not a replacement for HMC’s core practice and capabilities but rather a better reflection of where the practice is today. It represents the firm’s ability to adapt to today’s changing world while retaining focus on the success of HMC’s legacy clients.
“Today’s challenges—including pandemics, social inequities, and mental health struggles demonstrate a changing world in which we must invest in design’s restorative power as a public good,” said HMC Community + Culture Practice Leader Kyle Peterson. “These spaces are about meaningful connections, inclusivity, wellness, and support, and the new name reflects that.”
HMC’s community + culture practice comprises experts in each of HMC’s six California offices. Focused on creating an inclusive sense of place for its communities, the practice delivers increasingly diverse projects aiming to positively impact lives and bring people together. The name change comes when HMC has recently grown significantly in the community + culture sector and is currently designing projects for Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, the City of Santee, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, and many other public clients.
The firm has recently racked up several regional and national design awards for its community + culture work, including those from AIA Inland California, AIA San Diego, the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA), and The Architect’s Newspaper.
The practice recently released an impact paper, Creating a Culture of Wellness, which delves into the role of community centers and why we need them now more than ever. In it, HMC experts explore community recreation centers’ critical role in society and how they can make a lasting, positive impact on the people they serve.
See our breadth of community + culture work and learn more HERE.
