International design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman and California-based firm Dougherty are pleased to announce the intent to merge their practices. The merger will significantly build upon the established practices—particularly K12 and higher education design—of both firms and diversify their combined expertise, particularly in California. The combined firm will total over 1000 employees, adding enhanced resources, client value, and opportunities for employees. The merger is planned to be effective May 1, 2018.
Erich Burkhart FAIA, Executive Director and Managing Principal of Perkins Eastman’s San Francisco office, says, “Perkins Eastman has had a longstanding commitment to expand on the West Coast. Dougherty’s respected and highly-regarded architectural design practice here in California naturally aligns with Perkins Eastman’s plan to diversify the firm’s expertise in the region, enhancing our client relationships, and providing growth opportunities for our valued employees.”
Betsey Olenick Dougherty FAIA, LEED AP, Dougherty’s founding principal, furthers: “The merger of Dougherty with Perkins Eastman represents the perfect alliance of a highly respected international design firm with a regional hands-on studio. Both firms share a common cultural commitment to personal service, quality, technology advancement, sustainability, and community-based quality of life projects.”
Both firms were founded with similar beliefs—that architecture can have a direct and positive impact on people’s lives, achieved through close collaboration with the client and community. In particular, the award-winning K-12 and higher education portfolios of both firms reflect a commitment to the planning and design of high-performance environments that enhance educational outcomes for students and function as the centers of their communities. The merger will strategically position the combined firm to better address the requirements—and opportunities—of 21st-century high-performance educational and other civic environments.
Related Stories
| Feb 22, 2011
LEED Volume Program celebrates its 500th certified Pilot Project
More than 500 building projects have certified through the LEED Volume Program since the pilot launched in 2006, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED Volume Program streamlines the certification process for high-volume property owners and managers, from commercial real estate firms, national retailers and hospitality providers, to local, state and federal governments.
| Feb 22, 2011
HDR Architecture names four healthcare directors
Four senior professionals in HDR Architecture’s healthcare program have been named Healthcare directors.
| Feb 15, 2011
Iconic TWA terminal may reopen as a boutique hotel
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey hopes to squeeze a hotel with about 150 rooms in the space between the old TWA terminal and the new JetBlue building. The old TWA terminal would serve as an entry to the hotel and hotel lobby, which would also contain restaurants and shops.
| Feb 15, 2011
New Orleans' rebuilt public housing architecture gets mixed reviews
The architecture of New Orleans’ new public housing is awash with optimism about how urban-design will improve residents' lives—but the changes are based on the idealism of an earlier era that’s being erased and revised.
| Feb 15, 2011
LAUSD commissions innovative prefab prototypes for future building
The LA Unified School District, under the leadership of a new facilities director, reversed course regarding prototypes for its new schools and engaged architects to create compelling kit-of-parts schemes that are largely prefabricated.
| Feb 15, 2011
New 2030 Challenge to include carbon footprint of building materials and products
Architecture 2030 has just broadened the scope of its 2030 Challenge, issuing an additional challenge regarding the climate impact of building products. The 2030 Challenge for Products aims to reduce the embodied carbon (meaning the carbon emissions equivalent) of building products 50% by 2030.
| Feb 15, 2011
New Urbanist Andrés Duany: We need a LEED Brown rating
Andrés Duany advocates a "LEED Brown" rating that would give contractors credit for using traditional but low cost measures that are not easy to quantify or certify. He described these steps as "the original green," and "what we did when we didn't have money." Ostensibly, LEED Brown would be in addition to the current Silver, Gold and Platinum ratings.
| Feb 15, 2011
AIA on President Obama's proposed $1 billion investment in energy conservation
The President’s budget increases the value of investment in energy conservation in commercial buildings by roughly $1 billion, reports AIA 2011 President Clark Manus, FAIA. The significant increase from the current tax deduction of $1.80 per sq. ft. now on the books is an increase for which the AIA has been advocating in order to encourage energy conservation.
