In addition to his professional practice, Mr. Höcek teaches design studios in both the Master of Architecture and Undergraduate programs at the Spitzer School of Architecture at City College of New York. One of his graduate studios collaborated with a non-profit to design a year-round educational pavilion at a community garden in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.

The Powell Garden Pavilion in Brownsville emerged from Mr. Höcek’s philanthropic work with Claus Meyer, the former chef of the Noma restaurant in Copenhagen. Höcek had designed the Brownsville Community Culinary Center (BCCC), a teaching kitchen, community center, and restaurant, for the BCCC.

Through his work with the BCCC, Höcek partnered with Ms. Brenda Duchene and her local non-profit The Isabahlia Ladies of Elegance Foundation. Isabahlia operates agricultural and healthy food education programs in five community gardens in Brownsville and provides produce to the BCCC. Duchene wanted a year-round educational space for the local residents near the Powell Garden to learn about healthy foods and cooking, and Höcek tasked the students of his advanced design studio with the initial drawings for the project, working extensively with third party consultants, NYC Parks and Green Thumb representatives, local city officials, labor union members, community members, as well as with the Isabahlia Foundation. ACHA then prepared and submitted a set of final construction documents for the Pavilion to the NYC Building Department for permitting.