Design Inspirations Panel Discussion – David Hocker Moderator

Moderator David HOCKER of Hocker Design Group will lead a conversation with three practitioners on the topic of visual communication and what inspires them to create their virtual design. Over the last year of Zoom and similar meetings, the need has grown for clear, strong visuals for designers to express concepts and ideas effectively. Even as in-person connectivity resumes, these skills will continue to be paramount. Panelists will include Andrea ALVAREZ, US Partner of VER 3D who does architectural renderings, Michael POTTS, Owner of M2 Studio who creates animation, and Bob BORSON, FAIA, Principal at BOKA Powell, who utilizes analog tools of communication with sketches and drawings. The Panelists will share with our audience what life experiences, educational opportunities, and other creative disciplines inspire their design process. They will also share how their firms assist clients and other designers and craftsmen with their work to create unified design projects.

David HOCKER, Moderator

Founder and Design Partner, HOCKER

David Hocker has been challenged with many unique opportunities, since he launched Hocker Design Group (Hocker) in 2005. His efforts to push the design envelope all while bringing the project into reality fuels his determination to guarantee the resultingsynthesis of design and construction is of the highest quality. David’s guiding philosophy, that the design is in the details, keeps him focused and curious about how things work and fit together. With over twenty years of experience in landscape architecture and a vast knowledge of horticulture, David has spent many years in the broader landscape construction and maintenance industry. He approaches each project with a strong, hands-on methodology. As lead designer, he extracts influence from surrounding architecture and contextual influences to create outdoor spaces with a clear aesthetic, an approach that is heavily influenced by his time in Italy. Creative use of sustainable materials and native or adaptive plants across each site is integral to the design process he has established at HDG.

Response to unique design challenges with a commitment to providing responsible and innovative solutions has earned his firm accolades in national and international publications, as well 40 plus design awards in the firm’s initial 15 years. He has collective experience collaborating on project typologies including parks, urban plazas and streetscapes, schools, institutions, retail, hospitality, and residential projects. David graduated from Texas A&M University in 2000 with a degree in Landscape Architecture and credits the two memorable semesters he spent studying design and architecture in Italy with fueling his fascination with how things are designed, constructed, and even deconstructed.

US Partner, VER 3D

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Andrea Alvarez graduated from the Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESO) with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture. Alongside independent projects and endeavors, Andrea has worked with distinguished architects and firms in both Guadalajara, and Dallas. Her work has been exhibited in the Instituto Cultural Cabañas, and the MURA Museum in Guadalajara and in Dallas, the Latino Cultural Center and ADEX as part of the Enlaces Exhibit.

Pairing world perspectives gained from time lived abroad, with her insatiable regard for the human conscience, her sensibilities reach far and wide. Andrea is also VER 3D’s U.S. partner, a visualization firm based in Guadalajara with international experience and recognition. Driven by a pure passion for architecture, art, photography and phenomenology, Andrea’s vision helps guide VER in creating absorbing atmospheres through unique and inspiring imagery—offering VER’s clients the ability to visualize and emotionally connect with a space, yet to be built.

Principal, BOKA Powell

Dallas architect Bob Borson, FAIA, is widely recognized as the blogger behind Life of an Architect—one of the world’s most popular architectural blogs with over 80 million views and visitors from every country on the planet. As an emerging voice within the architectural community, he has bridged the gap and engaged multiple generations of architects and architectural enthusiasts by sharing his personal experiences, professional practice tips, and anecdotes on what it’s like to work with and be an architect.

Bob was recognized by the Dallas AIA as “Young Architect of the Year” in 2009, received the Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media from the Texas Society of Architects in 2015, and was elevated into the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2017. Bob is a Principal and a Senior Project Designer at BOKA Powell and heads up their Residential Studio.

Owner, M2 Studio

Michael Potts started M2 Studio over 21 years ago motivated to bring cutting edge visualization technologies to the A.E.C. companies of Texas. 2700 projects later his company is now pioneering the delivery of augmented reality and virtual reality solutions to large scale municipal, institutional, and transportation projects across the region.

His decades of experience in VR and AR technology paired with his company’s massive portfolio is unmatched in the industry. Companies and municipalities hire M2 to deliver world-class presentations used for P.R., fundraising, and sales. He is experienced with airport expansions, highways, bridges, city parks, master-plan, as well as high speed and light rail projects.