History

Founded in 1953 by architect Donald Burr, FAIA, BLRB is one of the leading architectural firms in the Northwest and the only one focused nearly exclusively on educational facilities. Over the years, the firm has evolved to become the region’s leader in school design by tracking educational trends, maintaining dialogue with educators about how architecture can enhance learning, and pioneering advancements in design to best support the goals of educators. Along the way, the firm has set the standard for sustainable architecture, value engineering and school designs that support quality learning.

A history of innovative school design

Since the firm began specializing in educational design in 1960, BLRB has completed over 600 school projects, primarily throughout Washington and Oregon, valued at more than $2 billion. Projects have included both new buildings as well as extensive modernizations of schools beloved by their communities but no longer suited to the educational requirements of the modern era. View portfolio.

Evolving with educational trends

Buzzing fluorescent lights, dark hallways, ill-proportioned gathering spacesâ for many, this was their school experience. No longer. Today, school buildings play an essential role in the quality of the educational experience. Research is mounting that the physical environment- from daylighting to acoustics to indoor air quality- has a direct and measurable impact on both student achievement and teacher performance.

As BLRB has evolved, the firm has become a thought leader in ways that school design impacts student learning. BLRB’s extensive experience in the design of school projects, along with involvement in professional educational organizations, has given the firm an in-depth understanding unique to the architectural profession of the current trends in educational reform.

For example, innovative educators across the country are developing educational strategies to reach all learners.  These strategies include providing instructional opportunities that align with the diversity of learners, and developing personalized learning environments, such as “schools within schools,” to enhance interpersonal relationships and avoid student anonymity. Understanding these shifts in educational philosophy gives us valuable insights and translates into the ability to design physical learning environments that support and inspire students.

Building upon our founder’s legacy

BLRB founder Donald Burr had a strong commitment to energy-conscious design, which remains a focus of the firm and has led to numerous awards. Over the years, our designs have won national (Steilacoom High School) and statewide (Kentlake Senior High School) honors for energy efficiency. We also designed the first United States Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED certifiable “Green” public school in Washington (Greenwood Elementary). In addition, a third of our staff belongs to GreenTEEM, an in-house group of employees accredited by the USGBC LEED program. BLRB strongly believes educational facilities should be models of sustainability in our communities, and our work supports this belief. As a result, BLRB’s educational facilities are leading examples of high performance schools.