Project brief: The third volume of Ideas + Buildings provided a platform for a firmwide retrospective and celebration of the firm’s 75th anniversary, helping to guide the visual and brand language of a series of short films, a microsite and print communications. Volume .03 was also a critical component in helping to reposition one of the world’s largest architecture firms as a global leader in design innovation. The book helps to bring the mission, vision and spirit of the firm to the fore through a series of case studies that will help Perkins+Will maintain the firm’s leadership in the global architecture and design community.

Approach: In this concept, we bring the authentic voice of collaboration to the foreground through large-scale images, quotes and text that artfully invite the reader to walk with us on the collective journey that is Perkins+Will. We felt that a book was the best medium for capturing the sheer depth, scope and complexity of this project. Although books can be shared or collected, reading them is ultimately a personal experience. For this reason, a book has a natural measure of intimacy about it, making it a memorable and meaningful keepsake.

Effectiveness: The approach to developing the third volume of Perkins+Will’s series Ideas + Buildings was to provide the world’s largest sustainable design firm with a concise and compelling telling of its unrivaled history. The book demonstrates the firm’s mission, vision and values across its 75-year history and provides an intimate recollection for current and prospective clients and employees alike.

In years to come, the return on investment will be measured in the firm’s ability to attract and retain the industry’s best talent and to develop new client opportunities around the world.

The book, which celebrates the stories of Perkins+Will employees throughout its 75-year history, was given to the firm’s 1,600 employees working in 23 offices across three continents. In its anniversary year, the third volume of the Ideas + Buildings series provided a finale to a series of yearlong events.

As the largest sustainable design firm in the world, considering environmental impact was a mandate. This piece was printed on Mohawk Options PC100, a chlorine-free FSC-certified paper. The FSC principles and criteria include conserving biological diversity, conserving old-growth forests, protecting the well-being of indigenous groups and slowing global climate change. Mohawk Options PC100 is made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled fiber, 100 percent certified renewable electricity, and is Green Seal Certified. The printer, Sandy Alexander, derives 100 percent of its electricity from Green-e certified renewable wind-energy resources.

For Perkins+Will, Volume .03 helps to reposition the firm and establish a new brand voice, told through a bolder and more impactful visual language. The graphic and bold experience that is brought to life within the book will provide a voice for the firm as it continues to engage with younger generations in the architecture and design community through social and online media.

Nice way of talking about architecture, not just buildings. Refreshing to see not only architecture photographs. Responsible size.