Global architecture and design studio Perkins+Will has acquired London-based Portland Design Associates (PDA)—a branding, retail strategy, and design consultancy that roots its concepts in predicting changes in consumer behavior.
“The customer experience is an integral component of every project we undertake around the world,” says Phil Harrison, president and CEO of Perkins+Will. “Whether it’s a hospital or an airport, a university campus or a hotel, it’s essential that the places we design really engage the people who visit them, work in them, and live in them. Our clients will benefit from Portland’s consumer insights, creativity, and strategic thinking, and Portland’s clients will benefit from Perkins+Will’s global reach and broad architectural design and planning expertise.”
Under Perkins+Will, PDA will continue to independently operate its own brand, however the two companies will collaborate to provide clients with engagement strategies that include physical and digital branding for retail, entertainment, mixed-use, transportation, and urban renovation projects. PDA will also benefit from Perkins+Will’s Branded Environments practice to service more clients on a global scale.
“We consider our work a kind of anthropology, in a way—a study of human interaction with brands and places and how we translate that into compelling, user-centric customer experiences,” says Ibrahim Ibrahim, managing director of PDA, who will continue in his position following the acquisition. “The fact is, retail is ubiquitous and has an impact on all sorts of spaces, from museums to hotels to hospitals to schools. We are thrilled to be able to bring this knowledge and expertise to Perkins+Will clients worldwide.”
PDA was established in 1987 and has maintained a staff of 40 employees under Ibrahim’s leadership since 2007. Perkins+Will was founded in 1935 and now encompasses 24 offices worldwide with more than 1,800 employees.
