Living Design

In 1935, architects Lawrence Perkins (1907–98) and Philip Will Jr. (1906–85), who had met while studying at Cornell University’s Department of Architecture, established their practice in Chicago. Over nine decades, Perkins&Will has grown into a global design firm with more than 30 studios in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Britain, China, Denmark, Ireland, Mexico, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.

Living Design: Perkins&Will Selected Projects delves into the design process behind a collection of the firm’s best recent projects. The featured designs are typologically varied and responsive to geography, climate, and culture. Notables among them include the Shanghai Library East, exploring the future of the library as more than a repository for books; Chicago Transit Authority’s Damen Green Line station, restoring public transit access to the city’s near West Side neighbourhood for the first time since 1948; 150 Holborn, a corporate headquarters that formulates a contextually modern response to Central London; the revitalisation of the Weldon Library at Western University in London, Ontario, updating a 1967 Brutalist monument for the 21st century; and the Jackson West Medical Center in Doral, Florida, transforming the character of healthcare by introducing elements of civic gathering spaces.

Richly illustrated with sketches, drawings, diagrams, models, and photography; punctuated by Q&As with designers and other collaborators; and featuring an introductory essay that connects Perkins&Will’s legacy to its current design approach, this volume demonstrates the deep thought and humanistic ethos behind the firm’s work and offers insights into how its global teams develop their projects.