Bill Hellmuth (June 3, 1953 – April 6, 2023) was an American architect who designed several notable projects worldwide. Since 2005, he had been president of HOK, a global architecture, engineering and planning firm, while also heading its Washington, D.C., office.[1][2]
In April 2016, Hellmuth succeeded Patrick MacLeamy as HOK's CEO while continuing to serve as the firm's president and design principal in Washington, D.C.[3]
Life and career
Hellmuth was a nephew of George F. Hellmuth,[4] who founded HOK and its predecessor, Hellmuth, Yamasaki and Leinweber, in 1949.[5]
Hellmuth received a Bachelor of Science (Architecture) degree from the University of Virginia, and, in 1977, a Master of Architecture from Princeton University, where he studied under Michael Graves.[1] After leaving school, he joined Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. In 1991, he joined HOK (the "Hellmuth" in HOK was his uncle), and became president of the firm in 2005.[1]
As a longtime champion of sustainable design, Hellmuth began integrating sustainability into projects long before LEED certification became commonplace.[6]
In 2014, Hellmuth was named a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, an interdisciplinary network of design, product and construction leaders.[7]
Hellmuth was married and had two children.[1] He died of Glioblastoma on April 6, 2023, at the age of 69.[8]
