2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Robert Ikes III, R.A., LEED AP, CDT, NYSCEO, NCIDQ, H2M architects + engineers

Recent goal and impact: 

As NYC office director, I aim to raise the bar for excellence. I’m proud to foster a culture of collaboration and align our vision with industry trends. I focus on key performance indicators and work with my team to assess internal operations, explore opportunities to improve, and expand our visibility. The efforts of my team and I have led to more NYC opportunities and multidisciplinary projects that support our growth. For example, we recently won a ground-up project for an energy company, enabling us to refine our design talent, demonstrate value to clients, and grow relationships.

Turning problems into opportunities: 

We recently completed our first project for a new client that wanted to move departments from a leased building into three they owned. We reimagined the spaces to accommodate staff and equipment. The client was new, so we were unaccustomed to how they operated. We remained tightly connected with the client and did additional research to learn the company’s protocols. The client liked our work and contracted us for another project. It was crucial to learn about them in order to effectively collaborate; the next project will be easier to navigate with a better understanding of their procedures.

Best books, podcasts, or apps for aspiring leaders: 

Growthitect is a great podcast for architects looking to learn more of the business side of things.

Best advice for new leaders: 

Don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t worry about things that are out of your control. 

Who was/is your role model and/or leadership mentor? 

H2M’s current COO, Joe Mottola, and real estate discipline director Kevin Paul.

Sharing knowledge and expertise: 

I try to have meaningful personal interactions with my team members. I take on technical roles on projects, such as quality reviews and one-on-one feedback sessions. Our team has varying skillsets and experience levels, so they may think about and approach projects differently. One-on-one sessions help me coach on specific issues rather than being overly general. When I need to address a group, I find it more impactful and relatable to share lessons learned from my own experiences. I also participate in H2M’s Mentorship Program, where I provide advice and guidance to our young professionals.

Giving Back:

My kids grew up on our boat from the time they were infants and, like me and my wife, have grown to respect our waterways and beaches. A clean environment is important to me, so my wife and I collect garbage on the beaches we frequent by boat. We’re also organizing a “Friends of Silver Lake” community initiative to collect bottles, bags, and debris from our local duck pond. It’s important to preserve our ecosystem as well as ensure that our children, grandchildren, and beyond have access to the same beautiful natural spaces that we’ve been able to enjoy.