Following last week’s visit to Portland-based Skylab Architecture, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Atlanta, GA this week to meet multidisciplinary boutique studio House Walker.

Led by Hank Houser and Gregory Walker, the firm has expanded from its 2004 founding to encompass a wide portfolio, including residential, academic, commercial, and civic projects. Walker was also previously a guest on Archinect Sessions back in 2016 in an episode titled ‘Due Protest.’

From their office in Atlanta, the firm is currently hiring for several positions on Archinect Jobs.  For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about life at an architecture studio, we spoke with the Houser Walker team for a behind-the-scenes look at the firm. 

How did Houser Walker get started?

Both Hank (Houser) and Gregory (Walker) met while working at another large firm that was doing a lot of institutional work. We wanted to found our own firm so that we could choose the clients we wanted to work with. Greg started the firm in 2004 and Hank joined in 2005.

How big is your team?

We’ve grown from 10 to 22 in 2022 (so far). It’s a crazy time in the market – we have a strong backlog heading into 2023 and our core clients are more ‘recession proof’ than most. With that said, we’re hoping to grow into this size, culturally, and really re-examine how we work, how the studio is organized, and make adjustments before we look to grow again.

Describe the area of Atlanta your office is located in.

Our studio is located on the ground floor of a 1970’s office building on THE Peachtree Road, just north of Midtown Atlanta. (Atlanta, for the uninitiated, has 34 streets with Peachtree in the name. Go figure). It’s a little bit removed from the density of midtown.

What is your favorite thing about working in Atlanta?

We’re at an interesting inflection point in the city’s history. Cultural, political, living, etc – all of this is creating a new image for Atlanta and we’re excited to be based here.

If you were to organize an office-wide study trip to one U.S. building, which would it be and why?

It might depend on who you’re talking to, but those of us who’ve seen Grace Farms, by SANAA, have been deeply impressed. There would definitely be worse places to take a study trip to. Monday morning presentations cover a lot of places studio mates have seen. 

If you could collaborate with one famous architect from another era, who would it be and why?

We’ve worked with a number of colleagues and we’re pretty open to true conversations and joint efforts on all aspects of a project. From the more distant past, there would probably be a high interest level in working with Jorn Utzon (though he, by a lot of accounts, may not have been the easiest architect to work with!).

Is your office one open-plan space, or subdivided?

Mostly open, with a few private rooms people can retreat into. At this exact moment, it’s pushing maximum capacity but we’re expanding into an adjoining suite next year - we should have room to stretch out again.

What does your office ‘sound’ like? Do you listen to music or radio at work, can you hear the city life outside, or is it a place of quiet work?

Our studio space is just far enough off the road that we don’t hear street sounds as much. However, you would usually find KCRW playing on a central stereo. 

Where is the most popular lunch spot in or around the office?

The outdoor deck just outside the main studio space. It’s really become an integral part of the office space and nearly every day when weather permits, people will take their lunches outside to eat together.

What is the most popular design tool in the office?

Whatever is in hand. We talk a lot about not just settling for what a particular tool (digital or physical) can do but more are we communicating what needs to be communicated and how is that tool helping us. Software-wise, we’re increasingly wary of imagery that looks identifiable with a particular software. Hybridizing images of physical models is one way to do this. 

Tell us a bit about your design process or values

One of our earliest ‘values’ we articulated was, “ We like laughter in the workplace and consider it a gauge for the overall health of the studio.” We still believe this to be true. We see ourselves as stubborn generalists in an era of specialization. We try to listen carefully. We try to remain optimists.

In terms of our process, we try to use the models to help define a core character or atmosphere for a given project and then continue to flesh that out as a broad dialogue using models, digital tools (Revit, Rhino, Sketchup, Illustrator – really whatever we need) through construction. The level of specificity increases, of course, but we try hard not to lose the original feeling of what defines each unique project.

Tell us about a completed project you are proud of.

We’re excited about how our headquarters for ASHRAE came out. It features the largest hydronic HVAC system and lowest EUI (20.8) for a building of its size (66k gsf) in the southeast (that we know of in late 2020, when it was completed). We were able to work with some of the smartest engineers on the planet, were able to get to NZE, with a full interior rework, a new vertical envelope, complete it within 18 months from the start of design (with half the construction period challenged by the onset of COVID) and final construction costs came in at $200/gsf. We’re pretty happy with how that one came out. 

What position(s) are you currently hiring for?

We’re looking for a 15+ year project manager and that ever-elusive 7-12 year project architect who loves getting buildings made.

What project(s) are the new team members likely to be working on?

We’re just starting to see an influx of projects from the National Park Service, including important civil rights sites for NPS in Alabama, work in New Orleans, and probably reconstruction work in Florida and Puerto Rico. We have large in-town church projects, a Holocaust museum, and an interesting retail market concept all starting up or in early stages.   

In three words, how would you describe House Walker’s design ethos?

Architecture is essential.

Meet Your Next Employer is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Job Highlights series looks at intriguing and topical employment opportunities currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.