Perkins+Will (www.perkinswill.com) has acquired MBT Architecture (www.mbtarch.com), the 50-person, San Francisco-based firm nationally recognized for its work in the science and technology and higher education sectors.
Part of a broader Perkins+Will strategy to expand its capabilities in the scientific and educational facilities markets, the acquisition also creates a stronger Western Region presence for Perkins+Will.MBT has long maintained a successful Seattle office in addition to its San Francisco headquarters. As with other Perkins+Will acquisitions, MBT’s leadership and key staff will continue with the firm without disruption to existing client relationships, projects, or schedules.
Established in 1954, MBT has received widespread acclaim for its design of research laboratories and related facilities for academic, corporate and government clients.Six MBT projects have received awards from the prestigious Lab of the Year Awards program from R&D Magazine, including three in the past five years. The firm also has a strong design history, having received more than 50 design awards including six National Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects. Building on its national leadership in sustainability, MBT recently designed one of the very few LEED V2.0 Silver-certified research laboratories.
MBT’s client list includes some of the most prestigious organizations from both the private and public sectors, including Stanford University , the University of Washington , UCSF, UC San Diego, the University of Virginia , Genentech, Allergan, Merck, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and the U.S. Department of State, among many others.
In San Francisco , Perkins+Will and MBT will consolidate into a single office to form a strong and diversified Perkins+Will practice in the Bay Area.The existing San Francisco office practices across a wide variety of market sectors and client types. MBT CEO H. Russell Drinker, AIA, will be Managing Director of the office and Allison Williams, FAIA, currently leader of the San Francisco Perkins+Will office will be Design Director. Similarly, MBT’s Seattle personnel will join with Perkins+Will’s current Seattle office to create a more significant presence in that community and throughout the Pacific Northwest . “Both firms are dedicated to pursuing projects that benefit society, challenge us to innovate, and allow the practicing of sustainable design,” said Drinker.
