By any measure—his design projects, his philosophy, his leadership—Tom Polucci is equal parts architect, mentor, big-picture thinker, and born-and-bred New Yorker. As global director of interior design at HOK, he brings more than 25 years of experience and a deeply human perspective to shaping spaces around the world. Classically trained as an architect but long focused on interiors, Tom leads multidisciplinary teams across sectors ranging from workplaces, hospitality, and healthcare to aviation, civic, and residential environments, always with one goal in mind: designing spaces that truly work for the people who use them.

He’s known for pushing teams to think bigger and experiment more boldly, while also creating room for younger designers to find their own voice. Mentorship, to him, is less about instruction and more about opportunity—giving people the freedom to explore, grow, and challenge convention. That same forward-thinking mindset shapes his view of the industry as a whole. Whether he’s championing neuroinclusive design as a lasting shift—not a passing trend—or watching companies rethink the workplace as return-to-office policies evolve, Tom is focused on how design can actively support well-being, productivity, and culture.

So what has a career spent shaping environments taught him about people, creativity, and the power of space? We asked Tom to share the ideas, inspirations, and design instincts that guide his work every day.

What has your journey as an interior designer taught you about life?

Everything is personal. Interior design is a personal expression of one’s ideas of what a space should be and how it represents an individual, a client, or an organization. You must respect that people are coming to this from a personal point of view.

What does “good design” mean to you?

Good design feels timeless, like it could have always existed. I love when I look at a project in our portfolio that's 20 years old, and it still looks like something that could have been crafted yesterday or tomorrow. 

I like when something feels like it has a heft to it, that its materiality is timeless. It doesn’t feel like part of a trend. It feels like something that can stand the test of time. That gets me excited.

What’s one design “rule” you love to break?

Pattern! I like to play with pattern-on-pattern; I can’t get enough of it. I'll mix stripes, checks, and whatever, all day long. It’s so much fun. It’s visually interesting and always catches your eye.

What’s the most surprising source of inspiration you’ve drawn from lately?

I’m obsessed with the TV show “Heated Rivalry,” not because of the story, but because of the design: the house they chose to be the cabin, the way they frame tight shots. … They took such care in how they capture shots; it’s all intimate space. There’s something about the quality of what they're choosing that I think is smart.

What’s the strangest client request you’ve ever actually said yes to?

When designing a global advertising headquarters in New York, the CEO insisted we put a military tank in the lobby. We convinced him that wasn’t a good idea [logistically]. But the idea became a concept: a space that went through the core of the building that we called “The Tank.” It had internal walls that could fold and move for different uses and glass on the ends like a fish tank. It was really cool! We took what he was trying to achieve and made it truly memorable.