New York-based workplace strategy and design firm Architecture Plus Information (A+I) has officially merged with global design practice Perkins&Will, the second-largest design firm in the U.S. The merger arrives amid major shifts in commercial real estate trends, including an increased return-to-office demand, according to reports from CBRE and JLL. “This is a critical business strategy for us—and one that we know will be hugely impactful,” says Perkins&Will CEO Phil Harrison. “Together with A+I, we’re creating a multidisciplinary design powerhouse in one of the most competitive commercial real estate markets in the world. And we’re doing it at one of the most exciting times in the history of our profession—an era in which the desire for information and technology is coalescing around a renewed return-to-office ethos. In effect, it’s driving up demand for premium, high-tech office buildings and workplaces.”
A+I touts a robust portfolio of clients in the commercial real estate sector including Bloomberg, Commonwealth, Google, Hines, Tishman Speyer, TPG, and Vornado. Merging with Perkins&Will dramatically expands combined capabilities to deliver strategic consulting, planning, and design services across numerous typologies. A+I’s expertise in the visual and architectural expression of a client’s brand, values, and culture will be enhanced within Perkins&Will’s branded environments studio as well. “This merger intentionally positions us to meet the rising demand for high-performance, amenity-rich workplaces. Together, we’re more than just our size and reach: We’re going to deliver design excellence and innovation with every engagement and set the standard for superlative client care,” says A+I CEO Kate Thatcher. “By integrating A+I’s client-centered approach to transformative workplace design and brand strategy with Perkins&Will’s robust advisory services and deep expertise in architecture and interior design, we’re creating a formidable new practice that’s ready to lead the industry.”
The addition of A+I’s 80-person team nearly doubles the headcount in Perkins&Will’s New York office, while staffing in the firm’s Philadelphia office jumps to 190 people. A+I cofounders Brad Zizmor and Dag Folger now serve as managing principals within Perkins&Will, while Thatcher serves as managing director of Perkins+Will’s New York and Philadelphia studio alongside current managing director Robert Clemens. Following integration, Clements will focus on client engagement, business development, and project design leadership as corporate and commercial practice leader for both studios. Additional personnel updates include the appointment of Sommer Schauer, A+I’s chief design officer to design director for New York and Philadelphia offices and chief design strategist Peter Knutson’s transition to design principal.
theMART. Photography by Magda Biernat / courtesy of A+I
