Thirty years ago Phil Harrison walked through the doors of our office at 1382 Peachtree Street. With his soft-spoken intelligence, sparkling wit, and keen eye for quality design and execution, he quickly became one of the most soughtafter young architects in the office. I worked with him on several projects in those early days and was impressed with his ability to crit design in a manner that was both constructive and instructive. It was clear that he was a special architect and a powerful presence in our firm. Our Managing Director quickly saw his potential and placed Phil on an accelerated program to learn the business from every angle. Unsurprisingly, Phil excelled. Fast forward to today, Phil is our longtime CEO of Perkins&Will, one of the largest and most respected design firms in the world. He leads with a remarkably balanced understanding of business as well as an unfailing passion for design. Under his leadership, our firm has garnered a book of the most esteemed clients, attracted respected designers and leading design studios to join our firm, become an international leader in truly green design, produced the most iconic work in the firm’s long and distinguished existence, while constantly delivering our most successful business results. And he’s still a young man! Phil, this is a book created by your friends and colleagues to commemorate your first 30 years at Perkins&Will. You have always pushed us to be brave, bold and to stretch our creative wings. “I want more peaks than valleys,” you famously said. We heard you! In this book, you will find 30 sketches from 30 of your friends, marking your 30 years with us. We hope that you will not only enjoy this collection of sketches, words, and reflections, but also revel in the rich community and camaraderie you have built, grown, and nurtured for us all. Happy 30th! ―Manuel Cadrecha
I was doodling while we were talking the other day. You may recall I was sketching for a competition proposal in D.C. A commercial residential project, where we try to make everything about social encounters, openness, biophilia, and generosity. Generosity is a good word. After all, we are nothing but earth, wind, water, and fire—then I doodled you with something like that. ―Kristian Ahlmark
“The Gods were very generous when they created ‘Time.’” Time allows us to inhabit the present, reflect on the past, while dreaming of the future. Our mind and our corporeal being is the element that allows us to exist in all three realms in the same instance. The concept sketch for the addition for the Rice Graduate Business school allows for students to ponder the temporality of it all. The building design forces them to Inhabit the and experience of the new, (the addition), reflecting on the past (The existing historic Building), while pondering the future (the exterior courtyard and terraces). The elements that connect, separate, and tie all the temporal moments together remain as fragile and delicate as the human body and mind—a thin veneer of curtain wall enclosure and two delicate umbilical floating bridges. ―Mide O. Akinsade
SANY Beijing, China This project reminds me of how much we have accomplished with your support. From the very beginning our focus has been to synthesize solutions that prioritize sustainable strategies and design excellence. Located outside of Beijing, this open space—designed as green infrastructure that serves as the heart of a contemporary “company town”—was the first major design award for the Perkins&Will fledgling Landscape Architecture practice in 2009. It paved the way for so many great partnerships and projects throughout the firm. It is even more exciting to envision what tomorrow has in store. Cheers to creating the best work environment in the industry—one that allows us to thrive and be the best versions of ourselves. It’s an honor to be a part of this team. ―Leo Alvarez
There is an embrace that occurs between the natural and the built. An in-between realm where a surprising and unique beauty emerges, and a magical realism can be captured through a journey of discovery and untold stories. Untold but alive; where light, land, its scars, and its collective memory sculpt solutions that can only live in that place and for a given purpose. I’ve never been in search of an image or a perfect reference, but the creation of the unimaginable—to inspire one to feel, react, and at times learn and understand. I labor to capture the essence of a purpose, seeking to respond and resolve, always finding unexpected answers. I search for meaning, performance, and the synthesis of science, technology and poetry in a never-ending process of invention. There is joy in the creative process and its uncertainty, which propels me to deliver with a sense of wonder, fearlessness, and hope. I believe in the unapologetic and bold power of this embrace, where future stories can be found. ―Pat Bosch
VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre Vancouver, Canada The highest challenge for all of us is to seamlessly integrate our designs with nature. Doing so can have many benefits. Nature itself is beautiful—suggesting forms that are elegant, graceful, and welcoming. Nature can provide us with life’s amenities: sunlight to illuminate places, warmth to enjoy for comfort, fresh air for health and wellness, and biodiversity to absorb and enjoy. In turn, we can welcome nature into our work, nurture and regenerate it by restoring and expanding ecosystems, flora, and fauna. Finally, nature is free and equitable to everyone—as it always has been and always should be! ―Peter Busby, 2012
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VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre, 2012
UCSD FAH Concept Explorations La Jolla, California The engineering building at UCSD exemplifies what we aspire to achieve: uniting beauty, inspiration, performance, and program in a simple elegant form. From this singular generative idea, building shading, we created a sculptural object that is serrated and directional-shifting—providing a beautiful and controlled daylight space for the researchers and a new home for the next generation of discoveries. These moments of inspiration, connection, and collaboration captured in these quick sketches and notes are emblematic of what makes our work, the clients and the teams we collaborate with, and the places we transform memorable and meaningful. ―Ryan Bussard
Architecture A rise and a fall, Grounded and floating, Windswept by the sea. Gardens reach towards the sky and carve into the earth, It’s not a place, it’s an idea of a place. A spire of light pierces the sky above, Binding the earth to the heavens, And dreams to the stars. I prefer places unencumbered, Unfastened, unrestricted, Formed by ideals, Places of desire. ―Manuel Cadrecha
This is a print made from the layers of a series of sketches and photographs depicting a walk along the River Clyde in Glasgow. I was interested in points of connection and transition, empty sites and left over spaces. The ‘figure’ is from a piece of graffiti under one of the bridges alongside the word ‘cumbie’, probably referring to the Gorbals Cumbie, one of the many gangs from a time that Glasgow was known for its deprivation and violence. ―Linzi Cassels
Dueling Banjos Façade concept vignettes, diptych “A point is made whole by counterpoint, a point-of-view by opposing perspective, a building by context.” ―Wyatt Frantom
Truro Recreation Complex Truro, Nova Scotia We had to design a big hockey arena and aquatics facility by the side of the trans-Canada highway in Truro Nova Scotia. It’s a humble place and we tried to tap into the spirit of vaulted timber arenas and legion halls that used to accommodate public life. I worked with structural engineer Jerry Epp to develop a heroic timber vault with steel cross ties and a long diagonal dormer. I must have done two dozen perspective sketches of it from this vantage point, before the roof was value engineered out of existence. Oh well, it was fun to draw and they can’t take that away from me. ―Andrew Frontini
Green Heart Grand Theatre Beijing, China This is a sketch from early 2018 when Schmidt Hammer Lassen had just become part of Perkins&Will and we had formed a combined team seeking one of a trio of cultural projects on the outskirts of Beijing. This initial idea of three “containers of culture” raised on a combined plinth overlooking the Grand Canal remained the fundamental idea of simple forms with façades that lifted to engage with a new canal side park. At this stage the rooflines of the performance venues were simple, flat, and calm. It was not until later that the Mayor of Beijing suggested we take the curved forms from our initial library proposal and apply it to the Opera House. A perfect client-architect relationship was born, and for me, the project became the symbolic start of my journey with Perkins&Will. ―Chris Hardie, 2018
United States Courthouse Los Angeles, California Civic iconography, urbanism, and environmental responsiveness play equal parts in the design of the new United States Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Located on a full city block with its entrance at the intersection of First and Broadway, the courthouse lies between lower scale civic buildings like City Hall and the Civic Center Mall, and the high-rise commercial buildings to the north. In its scale and massing, the courthouse makes a visual transition between these two urban areas. As a symbol of government, it draws upon our associations with certain elements of traditional civic architecture while also acknowledging the contemporary desire to create a symbol of government that is inclusive and transparent. ―Ralph Johnson
The HIVE TU, Dublin A responsive envelope for a precision optics laboratory on a growing campus, the form expresses its making: mass timber minimizes embodied carbon as superstructure including walls, floors, and a veil-like lattice forming the primary lateral system and a portion of the vertical structure system. An operable membrane of high performance glazing functions as vertical chambers inducing convective air movement to assist the buildings mechanical systems in ventilating the interior. “Breathing” walls inhale fresh air through a continuous slot along the base of the envelope, and exhale from the summit of the roof. ―Eric Keune
With thousands of sketches in the past three decades, and many more of them unrealized than built, this graphic reflects a body of creativity much richer than the work that has been photographed. What a wonderful profession that we are encouraged to imagine the possible and thus present anecdotal graphite gestures to inspire our clients. This grouping of sketches reflects ideas over the past decade that remain unbuilt, concepts that went in another direction, or clients that were suspended by their own skepticism of possibility. The sketches offered the opportunity to tell a visual story from multiple vantage points, relaxed or exhaustive in detail, reflecting a “metaverse” that allows clients to imagine the possibility and add their own personal narratives. ―Carl Knutson
Competition Entry Georgia Tech Campus in Shenzhen The design takes its form from the uniquely shaped hills that characterize this region. Individual buildings are linked together by a unifying solar canopy which flows from one structure to the next. The canopy serves not only as a symbolic gesture towards the site, but also connects in a very tangible way to Georgia Tech’s emphasis on sustainable building practices and a commitment to the restoration of natural habitats. The academic buildings are arranged on the east side of the creek along a central east-west axis. The student center, the building with the smallest footprint, is positioned on the west side of the creek to reduce excavation and grading activities in this densely vegetated area. An elevated system of walkways and gathering space reduces disruption to natural ecology at grade giving indigenous flora and fauna a way to reoccupy the site. ―Yan Krymsky
Long Meadow Campus Pen and ink on vellum with marker This drawing was an early study of form and material for a design competition for the Long Meadow Campus development—a future aerosol physics research and innovation park. This sketch illustrates the campus entry looking southeast towards the Minnesota River Valley. The laboratory, workplace, manufacturing, and residential “buildings” float above a vegetated plinth and are connected by open air and enclosed atriums that serve as gateways to the wildlife refuge beyond. The building takes its shape by following the edge of the bluff– optimizing views and preserving heritage oak trees on site. The design aspires to carbon neutrality and boundary-pushing sustainability. The project was a delight to be a part of—a time when our team, our client, and the opportunity all aligned to embody the best in our shared collective values. ―Tony Layne
Sketch of Coppede District Rome, Italy A charming area in Rome away from the crowds, designed by Italian architect Gino Coppede. Completed between 1917-1925 with various architectural and artistic styles, with a bit of a “fairy-tale feeling.” ―Lara Leskaj
Figure to Formwork Colin Rowe’s Collage City and legacy of figure ground drawings are important influences in our approach to urban space. They inspired this museum’s dramatic intervention in a remarkable sequence of monastic courtyards and public spaces deep in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. Passages are key moments in the experience. The museum’s rotunda and arc wall punctuate and facilitate transition from quiet garden to a new Plaça dels Angels, literally through the building. These details reflect the rotunda’s underlying geometry that required days of pre-technology hand crafted calculations for concrete formwork to accommodate finish locations with precision at each level. ―Renny Logan
540 West 21st Street New York, New York Welcome to 540 W21st, a place for people who are looking to re-align with collaboration on their own terms. It’s the place where unparalleled access to out-door and mid-door spaces redefine workplace productivity and wellness. It is also a good neighbor, asking key questions about the future of neighborhood retail and amenity offerings. The program has been fine-tuned to reach out to the community and structure partnerships with local businesses. Here, official on-the-clock meetings can occur within the 15-minute city. I like the way Jason McLennan talks about leaving a “hand print” instead of a “foot print,” implying that our approach to the built environment can be regenerative and intentional. ―Mike McElderry
BMW Spartanburg, South Carolina A high performance retreat built for our friends at BMW. The building is nestled in a wooded reserve of Plant 10 as an escape from the production line. The project pleased both the German and Southern audiences by celebrating high performance surrounded by nature. ―Bruce McEvoy
Uplift Located in the civic core of Anchorage, the “gateway to Alaska.” The project is a full block mixed-use high-rise comprised of hotel, executive apartments, event spaces, destination attractions, dining, and retail. An exploration in iconic reinvention, the project seeks to establish a memorable identity through symbolism and synergetic relationships to present and past places, buildings, and artifacts. The most recent engagement in a decades-long client relationship, the project reinvents the past in favor of a visionary future as imagined by a globally aware private client with the courage to take chances. The project is a neighbor and companion to our nearly completed transformational redesign of a former bank tower for the same client. Currently in conceptual design, the formal types of “bar,” “tower,” and “podium” fuse into a single hybrid dynamic formal type shrouded with a unifying scrim to enhance profile, scale, and formal expression. ―Erik Mott
Dobyns-Bennett High School Kingsport, Tennessee The design for Dobyns-Bennett High School reaches towards the future with an expression that signifies a commitment to science and technology, uniquely defining the community and the education of its students. The project consists of learning spaces wrapped around a 3-story atrium providing views through the building and out to Bays Mountains beyond. In contrast to the existing structure, daylighting is used extensively throughout the new building, both in the atrium through a large clerestory and in the classrooms by having glazing on both the façade and hallway walls. The triangular shape of the new addition allows for a minimal connection to the existing structure and its challenging geometry and the maximum width for the new façade which completely transforms the view of the school from the street. ―Marco Nicotera
1 De Haro San Francisco, California Located on the triangular site of a former urban gravel yard, 1 De Haro is San Francisco’s first cross-laminated timber (CLT) building and California’s first multistory, fully mass timber building. The four-story, 134,000 square foot building blends into its urban surroundings, while expressing the architecture of our low carbon future. Designed to evoke a jewelry box, its warm mass timber interiors are wrapped with a glimmering glass curtain wall that optimizes transparency to celebrate its wood tectonics. 1 De Haro mixes creative office and light industrial (PDR) space to provide an active urban streetscape and give back to the neighborhood around it. It also explores a beneficial ambiguity between the plaza and the loading area, creating an urban space defined by changing use and human interpretation. 1 De Haro is also an expression of the Living Design values that your leadership helped create and that guide our practice. Thanks for your good spirit, friendship, and leadership that has meant so much to all of us! ―Peter Pfau
Initial sketch of Damen Green Line “El” Station Chicago, Illinois To me, this sketch speaks to a clarity we strive for in our designs and suggests a celebration of spaces – both indoor and outdoor. The sketch acknowledges function while elevating experience. More personally, this represents collaboration and comradery. Ralph and I returned to the office after the first weekend of this project with multiple concept sketches, but we both had a scheme like this which we gravitated to. From there we worked back and forth as we have for years to create what will be a great addition to our city. Great memories, lots of challenges and endless learning. ―Bryan Schabel
Food and Art in the Woodlands The Hub: A new retail food building for the University of Houston aims to unleash the senses of the students and faculty with a convergence of food, art, and connections to nature. Awakening: A part of campus defined by opaque, brooding structures, becomes the site of intersections that culminate in an inhabitable tree canopy within the Woodlands. Beginnings: The adjacent sketch represents the initial architectural expression for the first Perkins&Will mass timber project in Texas, for the first Perkins&Will project on the University of Houston campus, and the University’s first mass timber structure. ―Ron Stelmarski, 2024
Perkins&Will uses materials and historical references to celebrate regional culture in new ecumenical space in Brazil Contemporary project refers to local history through symbolisms
São Paulo – The history and tradition of Minas Gerais state, in the southwest region of
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state’s flag.materials, “Symbolisms in design materials were simple, smart solution, where the In addition the the is and also inspired byaby the local culture. Into addition to the materials, the design isshapes also inspired the local culture. Pronounced main piece does the entire project work”, explains Douglas Tolaine, Design Principal at sacred architecture is a strong part of the region’s that holds churches Pronounced sacred architecture is a strong part of theculture, region’s culture, that designed by Perkins&Will’s São Paulo studio. artists as Aleijadinho. The metallic structure that covers the ecumenical space has a holds churches designed by artists as Aleijadinho. The metallic structure triangular shaped void in reference to the religious triad (father, son, and holy spirit) and that covers thealludes ecumenical space has arrow a triangular void reference also to a land anchored pointingshaped to the sky. Thein triangle is also a nod to the state’s flag. “Symbolisms in materials and shapes were a simple, smart solution, where the to the religious triad (father, son, and holy spirit) and also alludes to a land main piece does the entire project work”, explains Douglas Tolaine, Design Principal at anchored Perkins&Will’s arrow pointing to the sky. The triangle is also a nod to the state’s flag. São Paulo studio. Symbolisms in materials and shapes were a simple, smart solution, where the main piece does the entire project work.
―Douglas Tolaine
Office Cluster Pen and ink on vellum with Karismacolor pencil This drawing emerged from some initial design studies for a small commercial development associated with a large car dealership. Unfortunately, the project never developed further than a preliminary massing, but the single truncated triangular block stimulated an idea that this form might be extended, in an additive manner, to create a cluster. This sketch illustrates a grouping of four blocks, but the modular nature of the office component, and its associated service elements, could be extended and, rather like an articulated wooden snake, the string of modules could describe a variety of plan profiles. The inherent dimensional and proportional relationships between similar forms within such a simple arithmetic aggregation suggests further potential for formal exploration. ―Adrian Watson, 2020
This sketch represents the entry sequence to the American Society of Interior Designers Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The intent was to create a unique and memorable experience for visitors and staff. The sketch is meant to explain how the seemingly random folded planes allow for glimpses into the flanking spaces while maintaining visual privacy between them. ―Ken Wilson
Huatai Securities Design Competition Nanjing, China A recent integrated headquarters competition asked for a pavilion to be placed within the landscape of the project. The pavilion is to provide flexibility for events, Ted Talks, training, entertaining, etc. This sketch exploration followed a contextual and programmatic study. This is the time where I put myself into “the place.” To imagine how the space feels, what makes the experience memorable, and what the inhabitants will remember. It is the most meaningful and rewarding time in the design process. ―Tim Wolfe, 2021
After spending 30 years immersed in the evolution and success of large and complex enterprise, Phil Harrison has earned a moment of luxurious reflection. The preceding pages have hopefully provided an inspiring, and if not inspiring, at least amusing, portrait of our firm’s diverse of creative impulses. This last page has intentionally been left blank so that Phil, in one of his rare moments of leisure, might take the drawing instrument of his choice in hand and whip off a little doodle. Thus, completing this collection of 30 drawings by 30 of his favorite architects.
Theoretical Reflection No particular place or time ―Phil Harrison
Book Binding and Craft This book is printed on 135# Jack Richeson cold pressed archival watercolor paper, using a seven pigments jet printer. The binding uses materials and methods of the Renaissance period. The book is sewn with linen thread on five hemp cords and the board and calf leather cover are integral with the text block. This type of binding, known technically as Flexible binding, is typical of the Renaissance period and is an exceptionally durable structure as proven by many 500 years old books in excellent shape. South Shore Bindery Archival Restoration of Books and Manuscripts 3950 South Shore Road Amherst Island, Ontario KOH 2S0 +1 613 539 3538 gianfron@gmail.com Bookbinders live long and rewarding lives in perfect bliss.