Perkins&Will

At the British Columbia Institute of Technology, a new mass timber residence is showing how low-carbon student housing can be delivered quickly, efficiently, and at scale. The recently completed 12-story building adds 469 new beds, more than doubling on-campus housing capacity, and stands as Burnaby’s tallest mass timber structure. It also marks the first building on BCIT’s campus to achieve CAGBC | Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard™ certification.  Using prefabrication, locally-sourced CLT panels, and all-electric systems, the residence reduced material waste, accelerated construction, and now serves as a living lab for students to engage with sustainable design strategies firsthand. “Proactively modelling the project’s embodied carbon enabled our team to understand where carbon savings could be realized in both the structure and envelope design,” says Kathy Wardle, our Regional Director of Regenerative Design.  Thanks to Canadian Architect magazine for the feature: https://lnkd.in/dTSQJXdb

Ralph Johnson celebrated the release of his new monograph, 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, last week. The evening brought architects, collaborators, clients, colleagues, and friends into our Chicago studio for a closer look at the models, sketches, photography, and creative process behind the projects featured in the monograph, including 100 Riverside Plaza, Shanghai Natural History Museum, and Damen Green Line Station. Order your copy here: https://bit.ly/4wKV4Tp #ArchitectureInARapidlyChangingWorld #ReadWithRalph 📷: Randall Starr 

A striking new landmark rises along the Red Sea in Jeddah. Perched on the city’s iconic Corniche, the Jeddah Shangri-La Tower occupies a prominent site in one of the city’s fastest-growing districts. The slender tower is oriented perpendicular to the shoreline to maximize water views, with expansive balconies that encourage seamless indoor-outdoor living for guests and residents. Shaped by climate, culture, and context, the design reinterprets the traditional mashrabiya screens of historic Jeddah. As the tower rises, deeper exterior recesses provide shade and wind protection while maintaining a porous, open form. Glass light fins trace a subtle geometric pattern across the facade, integrating illumination into the architecture. “The Burj Assila represents a thoughtful, site-specific approach to hospitality design,” says Robert Goodwin, lead designer of the project. “By moving beyond formal gestures, historical motifs, and reflective glass to focus on context, environment, and culture, the design offers an authentic experience of life in contemporary Saudi Arabia.” Discover more about this project: https://lnkd.in/e-aJkAqZ

“Caring for Mind and Body” is the focus of this year’s National Women’s Health Week. Women represent 76% of healthcare workers, 76.5% of K–12 teachers, and the majority of the caregiving workforce. The people who care for our communities deserve spaces that care for them in return. Supporting women’s health means considering the full experience, not just moments of care. From puberty and pregnancy to postpartum and menopause, every stage of life brings different needs. Our work focuses on spaces that respond to each through thoughtful design—lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, and conditions that support privacy, pause, and restoration—supporting the full arc of women’s well-being. Learn more on our PRECEDE page: https://lnkd.in/dfkKePCc 📷: Community Partners of Dallas Headquarters HHS Office on Women’s Health #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #WomensHealthWeek #ItsNotAMoment #ItsAMindset

A total work of art. At Museum House, a 33-story mixed-use residential tower in Seattle, art becomes part of the architecture itself. Inspired by the neighboring Frye Art Museum, the tower’s kinetic facade features perforated metal screens printed with works from the museum’s founding collection. Controlled by residents, the screens provide shade, privacy, and thermal regulation while creating an ever-changing composition throughout the day. At night, the building glows “like a lantern on the hill.” The project is composed of two diverging towers connected by a sky bridge, with a seismic strategy informed by bridge engineering. At street level, spaces for restaurants, galleries, and boutiques are envisioned to further connect the project to the surrounding neighborhood and its growing creative culture. Thank you to Rachel Gallaher and Architectural Record for the feature. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eXchQrSq Ryan Bussard, Peter Busby | 📷: Kevin Scott

Public art creates spaces where people can connect—with one another, with culture, and with their communities. Kaleidoscope Garden transforms the visual wonder of looking through a kaleidoscope into a communal, immersive experience. Designed by Katherine Chin and Sarah Brophy in our Boston studio, the installation invites guests of all ages into a vibrant field of color, complete with spaces for concessions, lawn games, and gathering. Dancing Dragon, an interactive installation designed and fabricated by Katherine Chin and Parke MacDowell, draws inspiration from the traditional Chinese dragon dance. Shaped with input from Boston’s Chinatown residents, it became a vibrant symbol of shared identity and unity, transforming the public realm into a place of connection. “Art has the power to connect people in ways that are unexpected and allow them to see ordinary things in a different light,” Katherine says. Asian Community Development Corporation #AsianHeritageMonth #APIHeritageMonth #API #AAPI #ItsNotAMoment #ItsAMindset

𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, a new monograph by Ralph Johnson, is officially out and available to order! As our Firmwide Design Director, Ralph has designed some of the world’s most quietly iconic buildings, from 100 Riverside Plaza in his hometown of Chicago to the Shanghai Natural History Museum. Drawing from this expansive body of work, his latest monograph spans a wide range of project types designed for communities around the globe. Structured in two volumes—one tracing his creative journey and the other highlighting recent work—𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 offers a deeply personal and professional perspective on design practice today. Through sketches, plans, renderings, and photography, the book explores how the intersection of architecture and context can meaningfully serve society and improve lives. Be inspired and learn from one of architecture’s greatest. Get your copy: https://lnkd.in/eKQ6qKih Learn more: https://lnkd.in/esX99hn4 #ArchitectureInARapidlyChangingWorld #ReadWithRalph

Big news: two of our projects have been honored in the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Interior Design Competition! 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 (photos 1-3) 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳: 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 Set above one of Seattle’s busiest light rail stations, this 13-story, 260,000-square-foot building is more than an office tower—it’s a dynamic intersection of transit, architecture, and urban life. Rising along Brooklyn Avenue, it seamlessly integrates with the station below, serving as both a gateway to the University of Washington and a defining piece of the district’s evolving identity. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 (photos 4-6) 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵: 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 At the edge of the Middlesex Fells, this campus becomes a living arboretum. Pathways and overlooks weave through the landscape, leading students into daylight-filled spaces that reflect the textures and rhythms of the surrounding preserve. Flexible, collaborative areas offer places to gather, recharge, and connect beyond the classroom. Explore all the winners: https://lnkd.in/ea4Wk5SG

For Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, our Chicago studio partnered with our Service+ team and Converge Architecture to support the Chinese American Service League (CASL)—the Midwest’s largest nonprofit serving Asian American communities. The hands-on J.E.D.I. workshop focused on assembling donated school supply kits for children in Chicago’s Chinatown, with team members decorating tote bags and pencil cases for each child by name. Each kit became a small but meaningful gesture of care, creativity, and connection. Learn more about CASL: https://casl.org/ #AsianHeritageMonth #APIHeritageMonth #API #ItsNotAMoment #ItsAMindset #CommunityService #CommunityImpact #SocialImpact

Workplaces. Housing. Libraries. Recreation. Research. Transit. Our six Architizer A+Awards finalists highlight what we’re solving for right now, from reuse and housing supply to net zero performance and better transit. Public voting is open until May 15 here: https://lnkd.in/gfQMCG3t 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐮𝐬 47 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘶𝘴𝘦  Originally built in 1947 for goods storage along Copenhagen’s Nordhavn waterfront, this adaptive reuse by SHL - Schmidt Hammer Lassen transforms the warehouse into a contemporary workplace. Its structure and industrial character are preserved, while new systems and layouts enable flexible, modern use.   𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝘜𝘯𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪-𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 & 𝘜𝘯𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵  This prefabricated modular housing concept is designed to accelerate delivery while advancing climate and economic goals in Vancouver, British Columbia. It enables multiple unit types and facade systems within a streamlined structural and fabrication approach.   Western University, 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴 This Brutalist landmark in London, Ontario is being reimagined as an open, connected academic hub, with new learning commons bringing daylight and flexibility to the library experience.   𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞  𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 As Canada’s first net zero energy and emissions community center, this project sets a new benchmark for sustainable recreation design, combining childcare, recreation, and community programming in a diverse neighborhood.   𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐄𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 & 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 Located in São Paulo and designed with Safdie Architects, this project creates an urban oasis organized around a skylit atrium garden that brings nature into the academic environment.   𝐑é𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐮 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌é𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴 Realized in consortium with Lemay, Perkins&Will, and Bisson Fortin, the Édouard-Montpetit and McGill stations respond to distinct urban conditions while advancing collective mobility across the region.