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When Lehigh University launched a campaign to green-light more development than any time in the previous 100 years, the institution hired an alum to help make it happen. Joe Klocek can build you furniture himself, he can manage a construction site, he can draw the plans, and, most importantly, he can oversee the successful design and build of facilities that will serve students for the next century.
As director of planning, design, and construction at Lehigh—Klocek’s second promotion since returning to his alma mater in 2019—the building professional and his team of eleven are handling around fifty planning requests and eighty construction projects of varying sizes every year on behalf of Lehigh University.
“That might be a simple $5,000 renovation or it might be $100,000,000,” Klocek explains. “We’re all handling different things and the key on our team is to be agile enough to deal with it. I’m not a micromanager, so we have to trust each other to know we’ll get it done and to ask for help when you need it. Communication is the key.”
One of the most high-profile builds at Lehigh is the current complete renovation of the Clayton University Center, the central hub for all students on campus. The massive stone building was built in 1868 by university founder Asa Packer, and the last time the student center underwent a renovation (in 1956), President Dwight D. Eisenhower was running for reelection.
The student center, in recent years, had become more well known for its dimly lit interior and aging infrastructure, but with a significant donation from Kevin L. Clayton and Lisa Clayton, the building is set to undergo a true transformation.
“I’m not a micromanager, so we have to trust each other to know we’ll get it done and to ask for help when you need it. Communication is the key.”
Joe Klocek
The reimagined student center will house student dining, studying, and connection with large “living room”-style rooms for students to congregate. The building will also include glass-enclosed meeting spaces and even a pub on-site. It will serve as the hub for student life, housing many offices that serve students and student leadership groups.
“This is the oldest purpose-built building on campus, and so there is obviously a lot of sentimental attachment felt by alumni and stakeholders,” Klocek says. “And then you need to factor in that you’re essentially taking a building offline for three-plus years. It’s going to be interesting to see what people think when it’s finished, because anyone that’s been in it will only remember that big dark building.”
In addition to supporting his team members who work on the daily management of projects like the Clayton UC renovation, Klocek also dedicates time to long-range development efforts. Lehigh is undergoing a campus-wide master planning effort to support Lehigh’s new “Inspire the Future Makers” strategic plan.
Klocek has some interesting geographical challenges to tackle in an effort to better unite the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, campus, namely the mountain on which its three main campuses sit. It may be a beautiful view, but Klocek says the mile or so between locations can feel much further to students, staff, and faculty trying to make it to a scheduled class or meeting.
“We’re in the process of figuring out how to make that journey a little less daunting,” Klocek says. “The university wants to double our research output in the next ten years, so it’s a problem we need to solve for right now. It’s exciting, challenging, and keeps us all very busy at the moment.”
“I couldn’t see ever leaving this place after all of this work. We’ll have put decades into it. How could you ever leave?”
Joe Klocek
Fortunately, for any challenge that arises, Klocek has either encountered it or at least something similar. Klocek considers his career trajectory meandering, but it really encompasses virtually anything you would want from a building leader. He’s hand-built furniture; done production design work for varied clients including Disney and Mattel; designed commercial and entertainment facilities; managed construction sites for school districts; and worked on the breathtaking Steel Stacks, a converted Bethlehem Steel plant that now acts as an artistic hub for music, comedy, restaurants, and an endless variety of activities.
And when Klocek clocks out at the end of the day, the work continues. The builder is married to, yes, another architect. The One-hundred-and-five-year-old home they purchased fifteen years ago was in severe disrepair, and they thought it would be a fun chance to collaborate and make some quick repairs.
“We figured it would take two years to get it where we want it to be,” Klocek says, laughing. “We’re still renovating it now. We’re in the middle of a first floor and back porch renovation and garage addition all at the same time. Our friends think we’re crazy, and maybe they’re right.”
Lehigh University can rest well knowing the leader overseeing its campus construction won’t be looking for a new city to call home. Klocek and his family have no plans to flip their house once it’s done.
“I couldn’t see ever leaving this place after all of this work,” Klocek says. “We’ll have put decades into it. How could you ever leave?”
HGA is an interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. In a fast-changing, complex world, our challenge is more significant than ever. HGA’s Science + Technology sector works with clients to reimagine how scientific discovery happens in environments that foster the convergence of research domains. Creating engaging spaces that encourage collaboration and accelerate discovery is the essence of our approach. These environments need to cultivate interdisciplinary partnerships, facilitate active applied research, and maximize sustainable design and operations, all while creating a welcoming, safe, and resilient environment.
