NBBJ

NBBJ was founded in 1943 by Seattle architects Floyd Naramore, William J. Bain, Clifton Brady, and Perry Johanson, originally under the name Naramore, Bain, Brady & Johanson. Formed during World War II to undertake large-scale federal projects such as the Bremerton Naval Shipyard expansion, the partnership remained intact after the war and evolved into one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest architecture firms.

In 1976, the firm merged with Columbus, Ohio-based Nitschke–Godwin–Bohm, formally becoming NBBJ and expanding its national reach.

In 2010, NBBJ merged with Cambridge-based urban design firm Chan Krieger Sieniewicz (CKS), enhancing its presence in the Northeast and adding to its urban design capabilities.

In 2020, NBBJ expanded its expertise in immersive and experiential design through its acquisition of ESI Design, a New York-based studio known for integrating interactive media and technology into the built environment.

NBBJ has developed research initiatives focused on the relationship between the built environment and human performance, including studies on climate, temperature, and cognitive function in partnership with neuroscientist Dr. John Medina. In addition, the firm has developed partnerships with The New York Academy of Sciences to study what scientists want in their lab buildings, Professor Dr. Raj Choudhury of the London School of Economics (previously with the Harvard Business School) to design workplaces in an era of disruption and Professor Dr. Kevin Schulman of the Stanford’s Graduate School of Business to inform future hospital design in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).