Perkins and Will

Perkins and Will is a global architecture and design firm founded in 1935 by Lawrence Perkins and Philip Will Jr.. The firm became prominent through commissions for institutions such as Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and corporate clients like McDonald's and United Airlines, expanding into healthcare, education, workplace, and urban design. Perkins and Will's work has intersected with major projects, collaborations, and movements connected to figures and entities including Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Darling and Downey, and various municipal authorities.

History

Perkins and Will traces origins to the partnership of Lawrence Perkins and Philip Will Jr. in Chicago during the interwar period alongside contemporaries such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe. Early commissions from institutions like Northwestern University and firms tied to R. R. Donnelley and Sears, Roebuck and Company established the firm amid the rise of modernism and the influence of Bauhaus-era ideas. Throughout the mid-20th century the firm engaged with postwar expansion projects linked to entities including General Electric, United States Steel Corporation, and municipal clients in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston. By the late 20th century Perkins and Will expanded through acquisitions and international offices, partnering with healthcare systems like Cleveland Clinic and academic clients including Harvard University and Yale University. The firm’s trajectory has intersected with professional organizations including the American Institute of Architects and sustainability movements associated with LEED and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Notable Projects

Perkins and Will has delivered projects for a wide array of clients and contexts, often collaborating with institutions, developers, and civic agencies. Representative projects include work for Northwestern University campus planning, facilities for University of Chicago divisions, corporate headquarters for McDonald's and facilities for United Airlines. The firm has designed healthcare campuses for organizations such as Cleveland Clinic and Kaiser Permanente, laboratory and research facilities for institutions like The Scripps Research Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and museum and cultural projects associated with entities like Smithsonian Institution and regional art museums in cities including Chicago and San Francisco. Urban and civic commissions have connected the firm to master plans and transit-linked developments in municipalities such as Vancouver, Toronto, London, and Singapore, often intersecting with transit agencies and authorities like Transport for London and regional planning boards. Educational architecture work includes projects for University of British Columbia, Columbia University, University of Toronto, and secondary-school campuses for independent school networks. Research, laboratory, and science park projects involved collaborations with governmental labs and corporate R&D clients including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and multinational pharmaceutical firms.

Practice and Design Philosophy

Perkins and Will's practice emphasizes integrated design that engages clients, communities, and technical consultants such as structural engineers from firms like Arup and sustainability consultants linked to World Green Building Council initiatives. The firm’s approach reflects influences from modernist practitioners including Le Corbusier and Eero Saarinen and aligns with professional standards set by organizations such as the Royal Institute of British Architects and the American Institute of Architects. Sustainability commitments reference certification frameworks including LEED and collaborations with research centers like the Rocky Mountain Institute and university sustainability programs at Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley. Perkins and Will integrates disciplines spanning interior design linked to firms like Gensler, landscape architecture in dialogue with practices associated with James Corner Field Operations, and urban design aligning with policies from agencies such as UN-Habitat and regional planning commissions.

Organizational Structure and Global Presence

Perkins and Will operates as an international practice with offices across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, maintaining regional leadership and project teams that engage local authorities and clients such as municipal governments in Chicago, provincial ministries in Ontario, and national agencies in Singapore and Saudi Arabia. The firm’s governance has involved principals and partners who are members of professional bodies including the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the AIA; leadership transitions have included figures who previously worked at firms like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and HOK. Strategic growth has employed acquisitions and alliances with boutique studios known for expertise in healthcare, workplace, and urbanism, enabling collaborations with developers and investors such as Related Companies and institutional capital from pension funds and foundations.

Awards and Recognition

Perkins and Will has received awards and honors from professional institutions including multiple National Design Awards tied to organizations like the Smithsonian Institution and accolades from the American Institute of Architects, regional chapters across California, Ontario, and the United Kingdom, and sustainability recognitions from the U.S. Green Building Council and international bodies such as the World Architecture Festival. Individual projects have been cited in publications like Architectural Record, Dezeen, and The New York Times design coverage, and firm leaders have been honored by universities including Harvard Graduate School of Design and Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

Category:Architectural firms