Add as a preferred source on Google

DLR Group Acquires Two Education Design Firms

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/23/21

Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced the acquisitions of two major education design firms stationed on the east and west coasts. The San Diego-based BakerNowicki Design Studio and the Washington, D.C.-based Bowie Gridley Architects (BGA) will expand DLR Group’s reach to K–12 clients all around the U.S.

“By joining forces with these exceptional design firms, DLR Group is enhancing our competitive position in K–12 education on both coasts,” said DLR Group Senior Principal Jim French, FAIA. “We’ve added expertise in design and educational funding in California, as well as planning and design for private, independent K–12 school clients in the Northeast to elevate DLR Group as the premier education design practice.”

BakerNowicki Design Studio was founded in 2011 and focuses exclusively on educational architecture for K–12 and higher education facilities. One of the organization’s specialties is an intimate knowledge of education funding in California. The firm will operate as DLR Group|BakerNowicki within the San Diego market, and it will work alongside DLR Group’s K–12 studios in Los Angeles, Riverside, Sacramento, and San Francisco.

Bowie Gridley Architects, meanwhile, specializes in master planning and design for K–12 independent school clients. According to a news release, it brings to the table specializations in performing arts, museums, preservation, higher education and hospitality design, as well as a variety of experience and its reputation along the Atlantic Coast and in the northeastern United States. BGA will combine its operations with DLR Group in a new Washington, D.C., location in spring 2022.

BakerNowicki brings 28 design professionals and Bowie Gridley Architects 24 design staff to the DLR Group’s ranks. Both firms’ project teams will be able to provide clients with a deep design experience across the fields of engineering, interiors, high performance design, landscaping, science and technology, and various specialized design services.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Fayetteville State University Opens New Residence Hall

    Fayetteville State University (FSU) in Fayetteville, N.C., recently completed construction on a new $50-million residence hall, according to a news release. The university partnered with KWK/Jenkins • Peer Architects on the design of Bronco Pride Hall.

  • Beyond Four Walls

    Operable glass walls provide a dynamic solution for educational spaces. They align with today’s evolving teaching methods and adapt to the needs of modern learners. Beyond the functional versatility, movable glass walls offer clean, contemporary aesthetics, slim and unobtrusive profiles, and versatile configurations that cater to the evolving needs of students and educators alike.

  • Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools

    The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.

  • Embry-Riddle Breaks Ground on New Office Building

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced that construction has begun on a new office building for its campus Research Park, according to a news release. The university partnered with Hoar Construction on the 34,740-square-foot Center for Aerospace Technology II (CAT II), which will be used for research and lab purposes.

Digital Edition