Perkins & Will is a global design practice founded in 1935.[1] As of 2022, the company had 28 global offices and 2,600 employees.[2] It provides professional services in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban design. Phil Harrison has been the firm's CEO since 2006.[3]
History
Architects Lawrence Perkins (1907–1998)[4] and Philip Will Jr. (1906–1985)[5] established the firm in 1935, in Chicago. Perkins and Will met while studying architecture at Cornell University. Perkins' father, Dwight Perkins (1867–1941), was also an architect, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright who designed more than 200 buildings in the Chicago area.
The firm attracted national attention in 1940 with the Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois, designed in association with Eliel Saarinen and Eero Saarinen. In 1986, Dar Al-Handasah, a Lebanese consulting firm, purchased Perkins&Will.[6]
Since 1986, the group has been a subsidiary of Lebanon-based Dar Al-Handasah (Arabic: دار الهندسة).
In March 2014, Perkins&Will announced its planned acquisition of The Freelon Group, led by Philip Freelon. After the close of the transaction, Freelon joined Perkins and Will's board of directors and became managing and design director of the firm's North Carolina practice.[7]
In October 2017, Perkins&Will acquired sports and recreation architecture firm Sink Combs Dethlefs. Sink Combs Dethlefs, founded in 1962, operated offices in Denver and Chicago.[8]
In February 2018, Perkins&Will acquired Danish practice Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, known for their extensive work in the cultural sector, were founded in 1986 with offices in Copenhagen and Shanghai.
Sustainable design
The firm's website claims to have more Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professionals than any other design firm in North America.[9] In 2011, Perkins&Will announced the LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) platinum level certification for its 100th sustainable building, the Dockside Green Phase Two Balance project, located in Victoria, British Columbia.[10]
Great River Energy Corporate Headquarters in Maple Grove, Minnesota - a LEED Platinum Building that is the first to combine Lake Source Geo-Exchange with displacement ventilation.[13] The building has an urban wind turbine.[14]
Discovery Health Center – 1st LEED NC Certified ambulatory care facility in the country.[15]
Arlington Free Clinic – 1st LEED CI Gold free health clinic in the USA.[16]