2014 Economic Impact Awards 6-15 Years in Operation Winner: H Design Group LLC

In the quiet confines of a south Springfield office park, H Design Group LLC founder Rob Haik is working a broad-scope approach to the design and execution of public and private building projects.

Since its inception in 2000, principals Haik, Brent Stevens and Todd Bolin have assembled a multidisciplinary creative team of designers. Working in tandem, the group strives to produce buildings that are not only aesthetically distinctive – inside and out – but also serve to support the spatial functionality and purpose of the structure.

The byproducts of this approach are embodied in some of Springfield’s most distinctive buildings. Examples include the blended angular lines of Springfield First Community Bank on South Glenstone Avenue to the 3,500-seat O’Reilly Family Event Center at Drury University.

H Design delves deep to ensure form fits the function, going so far as helping craft presentations for public hearings and review meetings. It’s all part of Haik’s holistic view of how the process should be, and it has produced steady business growth of around 10 percent annually, pushing revenue to $2.34 million in 2013.  

The capabilities of this unique approach were further extended last year with the formal addition of Patrick McWhirt, principal of marketing firm Clawhammer Branding & Design. Having done freelance work with Haik for many years, the former Marlin Co. creative director brings another level of thought to the process.

That impact is most evident in the $6 million Fieldhouse, a 2013 H Design project envisioned as a regional sports destination for basketball, volleyball and other indoor athletics. After the building’s completion, the operators faced a typical challenge of establishing interior, exterior and wayfinding signage. Rather than choosing from traditional styles of displays, McWhirt set out to enhance the building’s character by integrating current concepts used by Nike, Under Armour and other mainstream athletic marketers.

“You can make anything that looks cool,” McWhirt says. “But for this, we felt it really had to matter. We focused on why people will be there: ‘What is the residual benefit of the building, of being there, of the experience?’ It had to more than just about a game. We wanted to champion athleticism, friendship and camaraderie.”

Currently, Haik, McWhirt and the broader H Design team are bringing their collective talents to bear on designs for City Utilities’ downtown bus transfer station, a partnership project with fellow Springfield-based architecture firm – and sometimes rival – Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. But as in all other things, Haik believes that a functional outcome justifies the means – however unorthodox they may be.

“The Springfield market is so involved with costs that we’re losing quality,” he says.

“(BR&P) are right there next to the site, with a vested interest in the project, and we have a ton of experience with transit stations. We decided to put egos aside and put together the right team for the job.”[[In-content Ad]]