Perkins + Will was among the many firms we’ve visited this semester. They have relocated to the Wrigley building and their new office is beautiful. We were given the opportunity to learn more about their research and healthcare practice. Below are some snapshots taken from the tour.
Perkins + Will is a leading firm in design and research, but something that stood out to me was the stance the firm has taken on social purpose and diversity. As one of the leading international firms, taking a stance on supporting diversity and supporting underserved communities could open doors for many other architecture firms to follow suit.
“We have committed resources to serve society through an extensive Social Purpose program. Through this program, we seek to address basic human needs—food, shelter, health, and education. This initiative has expanded since our time in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina, when we had a team on the ground offering our services to assist with disaster recovery. Today, we commit 1% of our billable resources to pro bono initiatives in the communities we serve. Social purpose is a core value of our firm and integral to everything we do. "
Public Architecture is an organization that started in San Francisco in 2002, with the goal of public interest through architecture, serving the community and designing spaces for the public good. In 2005 they began the 1% initiative, where they dedicated 1% of their design services to pro-bono work and for non-profits. They felt like this was a great way to create accessibility to architects that certain organizations may not have received these services otherwise. I appreciate initiatives such as this one because it makes the architect someone that’s more than just “the person who designed the big pretty building.”
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