Executive of the Month: Galioto, HOK managing principal: Experienced in design/implementation of large, complex projects

With more than 30 years of management and project delivery experience, Carl Galioto's expertise is in the design and implementation of large, complex projects in New York City and throughout the world. His diverse projects encompass the aviation, transportation, healthcare, commercial high-rise and mixed-use sectors. Galioto is the managing principal of HOK's New York office and is a member of HOK's executive committee and board of directors. He is the chair of HOK's project delivery board, which establishes the firm-wide standards and processes for methods of project delivery, project documentation, construction phase services, building science and HOK's virtual design and construction initiative, buildingSMART. Prior to joining HOK in 2009, Galioto was a partner at SOM, where he served the New York office for three decades, leading the practice's Technical Group on projects such as One World Trade Center, 7 World Trade Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Zuckerman Research Center, Moynihan Station and major terminal projects at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. Galioto is a past vice chairman of the New York Building Congress and has been active in numerous organizations such as the ACE Mentor Program, The Partnership for New York City and the Regional Plan Association. Currently Galioto is active in the design of a 450,000 s/f Ambulatory Care Center for New York Presbyterian Hospital. The building will be built on York Ave. between 68th and 69th Sts. and will provide a wonderful experience for patients and improve the architectural quality of York Ave. He is also involved in the design for a new Chancery for the Government of Singapore near the United Nations, the LG Electronics headquarters in New Jersey, the first phase of the Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center and a multi-use tower in China that is approximately the height of 1 World Trade Center. Galioto believes that the most beautiful designs are high performance buildings based on building science, geometric logic and a clear expression of the primary design concept rigorously pursued from the building massing to the smallest detail. He loves using science and craft to realize beautiful designs. "Carl is an exceptionally talented architect, leader and visionary," said HOK CEO Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA. "HOK has greatly benefited from his leadership in leveraging technology and innovation to design better buildings that are responsive to the environment and that serve the needs of our clients." Galioto also has been actively engaged in exploring new ways to design high-rise buildings and to the implementation of security and special life safety designs for complex buildings. He advised the New York City buildings commissioner on the viability of a new building code for New York City and served on the managing committee that developed and implemented the code as well as serving on a panel advising the New York City Fire Department on a new fire prevention code. He also is a member of a special task force convened by the National Institute of Building Sciences to draft recommendations for high-rise codes of the future, a subject he has written and lectured about frequently. Galioto considers his greatest challenge to be that of defining HOK as the industry leader: to use technology to improve how buildings are designed, constructed and operated. While every other industry has recorded incredible productivity gains through the second half of the 20th Century and accelerated in the 21st, the productivity in the construction process has experienced a minor improvement during that period. He believes we need to see the AEC industry as being one, using common digital tools and integrated processes to deliver better buildings. Galioto finds satisfaction in many aspects: Working with clients to help them realize their dreams, working to change the process of design and construction, guiding people in their career development but ultimately it comes down to the joy of design and construction.