History

In 1968 John H. Beyer, Richard Blinder and John Belle met in New York as young practicing architects and founded an architecture and planning firm with a decidedly social mission.

Beyer Blinder Belle was created in response to the urban renewal movement in the United States, during which the social fabric of cities, communities, and buildings was compromised by the prevailing approaches to planning and architecture. The firm's founding ethos focused on the social integrity of communities and institutions as a means to better the daily life of people; their interaction with each other on streets and in neighborhoods; their potential to take pleasure in moving through the city; and their memories and associations with the surrounding physical fabric. This mission has guided Beyer Blinder Belle for more than five decades and has shaped a broad and award-winning architecture, planning, and interiors practice. Please view the slide show for a window into the history and evolution of BBB.

Please click for a tribute* to Founding Partner Richard Blinder, FAIA (1935-2006), our friend and inspiration.

Please read New York Times reporter David Dunlap's tribute to our dear friend and colleague John Belle, FAIA, RIBA, Hon. PhD (1932-2016): "An Architect Who Built His Career on Resuscitating New York Landmarks" and please also see BBB Story: "Celebrating the Life and Work of John Belle 1932- 2016."

*Written by Founding Partner John H. Beyer for Harvard Design Magazine Spring/Summer 2007