International design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman and California healthcare design firm Lee, Burkhart, Liu (LBL Architects) have announced the intent to merge their practices.
The merger will significantly build upon the established practices—particularly healthcare—of both firms and diversify their combined expertise, particularly on the West Coast.
The combined international firm will total 880 employees, adding enhanced resources, client value, and opportunities for employees. The firms will combine their practices in San Francisco, and maintain and grow the practice in Los Angeles. The merger is planned to be effective January 1, 2015.
Bradford Perkins FAIA, Chairman of Perkins Eastman, said, “Perkins Eastman has had a longstanding commitment to expanding on the West Coast, and this merger will realize that commitment for the benefit of our clients and staff. LBL’s respected healthcare architectural design practice and established relationships with some of the top regional healthcare providers naturally align with Perkins Eastman’s vision and goals. Further, this merger will diversify the combined firm’s expertise in the region, importantly enhancing value for our clients and providing growth opportunities for employees.”
Erich Burkhart FAIA, a Founding Partner and Principal with LBL, added, “LBL has sought not only expanded reach and enhanced resources for our expertise in designing innovative healthcare environments, but also an unwavering commitment to clients and to creating environments rich with ingenuity and purpose. We have found that in Perkins Eastman’s practice and people. As one of the largest architectural firms in the country and with a substantial healthcare practice, Perkins Eastman provides the depth of resources, creative design vision, and breadth of expertise to allow us to provide a broader scope of services to our clients and greater opportunities for our employees.”
Both firms were founded with similar beliefs—that architecture can have a direct, positive—recuperative, even—impact on peoples’ lives. The award-winning healthcare portfolios of both firms reflect a commitment to the planning and design of healthcare environments that promote healing, instill comfort, and increase efficiency. The merger will strategically position the combined firm to address the complex functional requirements of 21st-century healthcare environments that, above all, must be patient- and family-centered and that also acknowledge rapidly evolving treatment modalities and new technologies.
About Perkins Eastman
Perkins Eastman is among the top design and architecture firms in the world. With more than 800 employees in 13 locations around the globe, Perkins Eastman practices at every scale of the built environment. From niche buildings to complex projects that enrich whole communities, the firm’s portfolio reflects a dedication to inventive and compassionate design that enhances the quality of the human experience.
The firm’s portfolio includes education, science, housing, healthcare, senior living, corporate interiors, cultural institutions, public sector facilities, retail, office buildings, and urban design. Perkins Eastman provides award-winning design through its offices in North America (New York, NY; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Pittsburgh, PA; San Francisco, CA; Stamford, CT; Toronto, Canada; and Washington, DC); South America (Guayaquil, Ecuador); North Africa and Middle East (Dubai, UAE); and Asia (Mumbai, India, and Shanghai, China).
About Lee, Burkhart, Liu
Lee, Burkhart, Liu (LBL Architects) was founded in 1986 with a mission to provide humanistic architectural and design services to a variety of healthcare providers. Today, the firm counts more than 100 healthcare projects for nonprofit health systems, universities, city and county governments, federal agencies, community hospitals, and for-profit healthcare providers in its portfolio. Consistently ranked among the top healthcare design firms in California, the firm was awarded Firm of the Year by a Southern California Chapter of the AIA in 2011. In addition to its healthcare portfolio, LBL’s portfolio includes research and education facilities. LBL has 60 employees in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Related Stories
Architects | Mar 2, 2020
Two ‘firsts’ for Sasaki and LEO A DALY
Following an industry trend, the firms hire chiefs of technology and sustainability, respectively.
Architects | Feb 26, 2020
Seven architects aim to design the “newsstand of the future”
The winning project will be created and presented during Milan Design Week 2020.
Architects | Feb 24, 2020
Design for educational equity
Can architecture not only shape lives, but contribute to a more equitable and just society for marginalized people?
AEC Tech | Feb 22, 2020
Investor interest in the built environment not quite as avid in 2019
Builtworlds’ annual list of venture deals led by workspace providers.
Modular Building | Feb 16, 2020
On the West Coast, prefab gains ground for speedier construction
Gensler has been working with component supplier Clark Pacific on several projects.
AEC Tech | Feb 13, 2020
Exclusive research: Download the final report for BD+C's Giants 300 Technology and Innovation Study
This survey of 130 of the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms tracks the state of AEC technology adoption and innovation initiatives at the AEC Giants.
Office Buildings | Feb 11, 2020
Forget Class A: The opportunity is with Class B and C office properties
There’s money to be made in rehabbing Class B and Class C office buildings, according to a new ULI report.
Architects | Feb 6, 2020
NBBJ acquires immersive technology design studio ESI Design
NBBJ has acquired experience design studio ESI Design. The acquisition signals a new era where buildings will be transformed into immersive and interactive digital experiences that engage and delight.
Sponsored | HVAC | Feb 3, 2020
Reliable Building Systems Increase Net Operating Income by Retaining Tenants
Tenants increasingly expect a well-crafted property that feels unique, authentic, and comfortable—with technologically advanced systems and spaces that optimize performance and encourage collaboration and engagement. The following guidance will help owners and property managers keep tenants happy.
Architects | Jan 29, 2020
Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture school is closing
The school was established in 1932.