Larry Hlavacek

Industry veteran Larry Hlavacek recently joined HDR as the firm’s Director of Public Safety Facilities.

Larry, an architect with over 30 years of experience, leads with authenticity, curiosity and resilience to develop innovative, operationally efficient, flexible and future-ready solutions that aim to capture clients’ needs and visions. His professional journey, enriched by his time in dual practice as a licensed structural engineer, is marked by a passion for designs that connect citizens to critical public services, enhancing the quality of life in communities.

Based in HDR’s Chicago architecture studio, Larry collaborates across the organization to solve its clients’ public safety facility challenges. He is responsible for growing our public safety design practice, aiming to develop an internal team experienced in all aspects of public safety to expand our existing markets and explore new geographic territories.

His professional portfolio includes several U.S.-recognized projects. His project teams have received numerous awards for design excellence from the AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice, including the Davidson County Criminal Justice Center, the In-Patient Treatment Center for the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Oswego Police Headquarters. His prominent projects include the Lawton Public Safety Facility and the Romeoville Village Hall and Police Headquarters.

Larry impacts the industry with his thought leadership and community involvement. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Property and Evidence. From 2021-2024, he partnered with the IACP as an instructor for their “Planning, Designing, and Construction of Police Facilities Seminar.” He has authored several articles on pandemic design considerations and future-ready design.