On June 1, 2021, Des Moines, IA, based BSB Design acquired Withee Malcolm, a 44-year old planning, architecture and interiors firm based in Torrance, CA. Withee Malcolm will operate under the revised name Withee Malcolm – A BSB Design Studio, and the firm will retain all staff and its existing office location in LA’s South Bay.
The acquisition marks a pivotal step in BSB Design’s long-term strategic plan, arming the firm with additional expertise, talent and resources in Southern California. Withee Malcolm – A BSB Design Studio becomes the third BSB Design location in California, where the firm already provides a full range of design services from offices in Orange County and Sacramento. The team at Withee Malcolm – A BSB Design Studio will enhance BSB Design’s ability to partner with builders and developers on additional affordable housing, commercial, industrial and hospitality projects throughout the region.
Shared Vision, Values & Future
“This is an exciting step in each of our firm’s evolutions,” noted Dan Withee, co-founder of Withee Malcolm. “For our clients, employees, and for Dale Malcolm and myself, the benefits include an enhanced ability to focus on our core design strengths, which will allow for greater innovation and improvements on our projects and stronger relationships with our clients and collaborators. Ultimately, the acquisition of Withee Malcolm by BSB Design allows our firm to be a better ‘us’ across a national platform.”
For Withee Malcolm – A BSB Design Studio, the transition also represents an incredible opportunity for growth through BSB Design’s national presence. Locally in California, BSB Design will support the leadership team at Withee Malcolm – A BSB Design Studio as they foster and maintain new and existing client relationships. Both firms are dedicated to collaboration that will expand the personal attention and client service focus that has been a hallmark of their individual success to date. Additionally, the acquisition provides key leaders at both firms with increased capacity to engage more deeply with planning and design efforts.
“Our two companies and respective teams are all very aligned in our thinking and our passion for doing right by our clients and the consumers they serve,” said Dan Swift, AIA, President & CEO of BSB Design. “We are poised to make our collective futures bigger and brighter than they could have been alone.” The two entities’ shared ideals and similar corporate cultures were tantamount in the decision to add Withee Malcolm and its experienced staff to the overall long-term growth plan for BSB Design. Together, the firms promise to continue extending best in class design, customer service and project delivery in California and across the United States.
About BSB Design
BSB Design was founded in 1966 with a focus on residential architecture and has since grown to 11 locations in major markets across the country. Today, the firm’s community designers, architects, engineers and other design experts collaborate across regions and market segments to deliver client-focused, solutions-driven designs. BSB Design has earned a reputation for truly listening to the needs of its builder and developer clients, striking a balance between aesthetics and functionality to deliver highly marketable, highly profitable projects. As such, BSB Design team members are frequent contributors to the national design discussion via major trade publications, industry associations, and as expert presenters at local, regional and national conventions and seminars.
About Withee Malcolm – A BSB Design Studio
Withee Malcolm – A BSB Design Studio, is a 40+ person Torrance, California-based architecture, planning and interior design firm serving clients in residential, commercial and industrial markets. Projects blend contextually sensitive planning and design approaches with practical construction delivery options to deliver sustainable, efficient, aesthetically beautiful additions to California neighborhoods.
Responsive service that benefits clients and community is central to WM’s working processes, which has built long-term relationships with valued clients who return for multiple projects, including luxury and market rate, affordable and set-aside urban infill housing, ground up and repositioned industrial, mixed use, hospitality and commercial projects. Our work focuses on the future of our neighborhoods, our cities, and our environment—where our design makes a difference. For more information on the firm, visit www.witheemalcolm.com
Related Stories
| Feb 11, 2011
Texas megachurch inspired by yesteryear’s materials, today’s design vocabulary
The third phase of The First Baptist Church of Pasadena, Texas, involves construction of a new 115,000-sf worship center addition. Currently in design by Zeigler Cooper, the project will include a 2,500-seat worship center (with circular layout and space for a 50-person orchestra and 200-person choir), a 500-seat chapel (for weddings, funerals, and special events), and a prayer room. The addition will connect to the existing church and create a Christian Commons for education, administration, music, and fellowship. The church asked for a modern design that uses traditional materials, such as stone, brick, and stained glass. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer.
| Feb 11, 2011
Apartment complex caters to University of Minnesota students
Twin Cities firm Elness Swenson Graham Architects designed the new Stadium Village Flats, in the University of Minnesota’s East Bank Campus, with students in mind. The $30 million, six-story residential/retail complex will include 120 furnished apartments with fitness rooms and lounges on each floor. More than 5,000 sf of first-floor retail space and two levels of below-ground parking will complete the complex. Opus AE Group Inc., based in Minneapolis, will provide structural engineering services.
| Feb 11, 2011
Four-story library at Salem State will hold half a million—get this—books!
Salem State University in Massachusetts broke ground on a new library and learning center in December. The new four-story library will include instructional labs, group study rooms, and a testing center. The modern, 124,000-sf design by Boston-based Shepley Bulfinch includes space for 500,000 books and study space for up to a thousand students. Sustainable features include geothermal heating and cooling, rainwater harvesting, and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
| Feb 11, 2011
Green design, white snow at Egyptian desert retail complex
The Mall of Egypt will be a 135,000-sm retail and entertainment complex in Cairo’s modern 6th of October district. The two-story center is divided into three themed zones—The City, which is arranged as a series of streets lined with retail and public spaces; The Desert Valley, which contains upscale department stores, international retailers, and a central courtyard for music and other cultural events; and The Crystal, which will include leisure and entertainment venues, including a cinema and indoor snow park. RTKL is designing the massive complex to LEED Silver standards.
| Feb 10, 2011
7 Things to Know About Impact Glazing and Fire-rated Glass
Back-to-basics answers to seven common questions about impact glazing and fire-rated glass.
| Feb 10, 2011
Medical Data Center Sets High Bar for BIM Design Team
The construction of a new data center becomes a test case for BIM’s ability to enhance project delivery across an entire medical campus.
| Feb 10, 2011
Zero Energy Buildings: When Do They Pay Off in a Hot and Humid Climate?
There’s lots of talk about zero energy as the next big milestone in green building. Realistically, how close are we to this ambitious goal? At this point, the strategies required to get to zero energy are relatively expensive. Only a few buildings, most of them 6,000 sf or less, mostly located in California and similar moderate climates, have hit the mark. What about larger buildings, commercial buildings, more problematic climates? Given the constraints of current technology and the comfort demands of building users, is zero energy a worthwhile investment for buildings in, for example, a warm, humid climate?
| Feb 9, 2011
Hospital Construction in the Age of Obamacare
The recession has hurt even the usually vibrant healthcare segment. Nearly three out of four hospital systems have put the brakes on capital projects. We asked five capital expenditure insiders for their advice on how Building Teams can still succeed in this highly competitive sector.
| Feb 9, 2011
Businesses make bigger, bolder sustainability commitments
In 2010, U.S. corporations continued to enhance their sustainable business efforts by making bigger, bolder, longer-term sustainability commitments. GreenBiz issued its 4th annual State of Green Business report, a free downloadable report that measures the progress of U.S. business and the economy from an environmental perspective, and highlights key trends in corporate culture in regard to the environment.
| Feb 8, 2011
AIA names 104 members to College of Fellows
The Fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.