Perkins&Will

Making travel more intuitive, welcoming, and dignified for everyone.   For travelers with visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments, navigating airports can feel overwhelming—characterized by noise, confusing layouts, and sensory overload. But thoughtful design and emerging technologies are beginning to change that.   Adam Ariano AIA, senior aviation architect and designer, explores how innovations like digital wayfinding and auditory streaming systems are enhancing airport accessibility. As a father of two hearing-impaired daughters, Adam’s commitment to advancing communications equity is personal. Projects like Concourse A Phase I at Charlotte Douglas International Airport show how reducing visual clutter, offering interactive maps, and providing multilingual displays are transforming the travel experience for all. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gwq2pyea #aviation #communicationsequity #inclusivedesign

Designing for brain health: As economies shift toward the bioeconomy, green economy, and digital economy, they’re transforming entire industries and changing how we live, work, and interact with our environment. Central to this change is the concept of "brain capital," the value of human brain health, function, and potential, and its role in driving innovation, adaptability, and resilience—key to socio-economic success. In this piece, Dallas-based advisory services principal Debbie Beck and Atlanta senior interior designer Hala El khorazaty examine how our built environment impacts cognitive function, emotional wellbeing, and mental health. Speaking at the 2024 United Nations General Assembly’s Science Summit, they joined global experts to advocate for a brain-positive future, promoting a strategic approach that includes both immediate actions and long-term goals. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/d2jWerj8 #brainhealth #neuroarchitecture #builtenvironment

We’ve always embraced the possibilities technology brings, ensuring every innovation serves to elevate design, sustainability, and resilience. https://lnkd.in/gUvf7SPg In this era of artificial intelligence and machine learning, our focus is clear: adopting tools that amplify creativity, streamline routine tasks, and help our designers tackle our clients’ toughest challenges. With more than 30 AI experiments underway, global thought leadership, and new tools in development, we’re finding smarter ways to work—always guided by strong ethical standards. For us, it’s not just about chasing the latest trends; it’s about building a better, more innovative future.   💡🌍✨ #AIinArchitecture #DesignExcellence #Innovation

The University of Victoria is taking a bold step toward a healthier, more vibrant, sustainable campus with a new student housing and dining facility. Designed to meet the growing demand for on-campus living, this project sets new benchmarks for performance, inclusivity, and design excellence—creating a more walkable and connected student experience. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g9qKqUpj   • 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭: Positioned as the “heart of residence life,” the complex integrates mixed-use spaces with a vibrant public realm. Ground-floor active spaces and expansive windows redefine the campus commons while aligning with the first phase of the University’s Campus Greenway plan. • 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞: Guided by the university’s Indigenous Plan, this project is the first to actively collaborate with on-campus and local Indigenous communities. It focuses on design opportunities that honor and preserve the history of the land while connecting students to Indigenous culture. Key features include a dedicated Indigenous student lounge and the integration of native plant species into the landscape. • 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧: Built to #PassiveHouse standards, the facility achieves a 90% carbon footprint reduction and surpasses Step 5 of British Columbia’s Energy Step Code. It adds 600+ beds and operates entirely on electric power, eliminating reliance on fossil fuels. • 𝐀 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧: Serving approximately 8,700 meals daily, the kitchen is 500% more energy efficient than conventional designs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. It’s now the largest Passive House-certified commercial kitchen in North America.

✨ Spaces tell stories ✨ Cities are vibrant storybooks, with narratives etched into their neighborhoods, streets, and communities. Yet, in an increasingly globalized world, trends often dictate what is deemed “good” design, causing individuality to give way to a homogenized aesthetic. The result is a design landscape that often lacks the richness and depth of localized creativity and diverse perspectives. This raises a critical question: How do we create spaces that are imbued with a city’s unique character? Here, Mariana Giraldo, associate principal and design strategy practice leader at our New York studio, explores several ways the urban realm can be designed to reflect the qualities of its locale and deeply engage the people who experience it, shaping their lives and serving as a canvas for their stories. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/eM3_d8iy #designthinking #senseofplace #authenticstorytelling #newyorkcity

As our world becomes more unpredictable, futures literacy is emerging as a crucial skill for businesses wanting to navigate today’s challenges and prepare for what’s next. Answering the UN Secretary-General’s call that “we cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents,” our #London studio and Portland Design are partnering with superFUTURES.RCA—the Royal College of Art’s research-driven speculative spatial design branch—to bring #futuresthinking to the forefront of the built environment.  Over the next six months, we’ll host a series of small roundtable discussions to explore the themes shaping our future spaces: magic, community, and resilience. Resident Spatial Futures Advisor gem barton lead these conversations, diving deep into designing spaces that embrace change and inspire connection. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/exBmP4Jg To further support the next generation of designers, we’re also offering three study prizes, mentorships, and an internship to superFUTURES’ 2025 Interior Design MA cohort at the Royal College of Art. Follow along for insights from our first roundtable, “spaces for: MAGIC,” coming soon! 

Chris Hardie, design director of our Shanghai studio, was recently featured on Harper's Bazaar's exclusive "New Shanghainese" list—an honor recognizing foreigners who have made #Shanghai their home and contributed significantly to the city’s growth and development. Chris was instrumental in the design of notable projects like Shanghai Library East—China's largest new library—and the West Bund Dome Arts Center, which transformed China’s oldest cement production facility into a versatile venue for performing arts and sports. Read more about his impact here: https://lnkd.in/eRXSQesp

The E. Todd Wheeler Fellowship is back for 2025-2026, and we’re looking for bold, creative thinkers to help shape the future of healthcare design and planning with us. This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in impactful, hands-on work that blends design innovation with real-world application. In honor of former Perkins&Will principal and design visionary E. Todd Wheeler, the fellowship challenges the next generation of designers to rethink what healthcare environments can be—through research, experimentation, and a commitment to excellence. Learn more and apply to join our program today: https://lnkd.in/e_6QzBxq #designcareers #fellowships #healthcaredesign

We’re proud to announce that our Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) project, designed in collaboration with Lemay and Bisson Fortin, has won an Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) in Transportation.   As Montréal’s largest transit project since 1966, the REM is transforming the city’s future through sustainable, connected transit. The architectural and landscape design of each station follows an urban integration charter, featuring unifying design elements for a consistent signature. The use of wood, along with horizontal and vertical lines, reflects the trains’ forward motion while facilitating wayfinding, enhancing security, and integrating into a variety of neighborhoods and urban settings. The stations are starting points for urban development—incubators of possibilities that stand to transform urban life.   Congratulations to our transit team, client, and partners!

Swipe to explore 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘢: Nine new community centre designs by our Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver studios, each as unique as the communities they’re built to serve. This document is both inspiration and a challenge—to build public architecture that is as meaningful as it is beautiful: https://lnkd.in/evcFyNVN   Each design is driven by a singular big idea that brings clarity to the experience, supports the project goals, and creates memorable spaces. In a world of sameness, the goal is to elevate civic architecture by reflecting the unique character, values, and identity of each community.   Special thanks to our graphic collaborators, Doublenaut, for designing the nine squares, and to our landscape and engineering teams for their invaluable contributions.