This holiday season, we are celebrating the past 49 years of BNIM, recognizing the defining moments, milestones, and remarkable individuals who have shaped BNIM’s story and continue to shine a light on the path ahead.

Overlaying BNIM’s history is a series of integral themes that embody our core purpose and underscore BNIM’s commitment to sustainability and design.

Since 1970, BNIM staff have:

On winning 2019 Architect 50's  number one ranking for sustainability, author Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson writes, "The green ethos has become so baked in at BNIM that the word “sustainability” isn’t bandied about as it once was. “It’s so much a part of who we are and how we work, it’s almost redundant to use that word. We are truly focused on outcomes,” McDowell says."

Some time ago, during the intense discussions about naming a Kansas City street after Dr. King, some thoughtful person proposed that the thoroughfare to be named should be 1-435. I thought that was a great and appropriate suggestion worthy of debate. I don’t know the name of the individual who made this suggestion – they should get credit - but I would like to expand on that idea.

Knowledge is Our Currency

As we continue to think about what Redesigning Design means at BNIM, we consider how an interdisciplinary design practice continues to allow us to evolve in the way we execute our work. Diversity is an essential, functioning component of life. The survival of our planet and its ecosystems rely on the evolution of each species’ biodiversity. We can use biodiversity in nature as precedent in the evolution of how we practice as architects and designers.

This year, BNIM’s sustainability group developed a clear, aspirational strategic action plan that looks towards the future and redoubles the firm’s commitment to sustainable design. Driven by metrics, our efforts mark a significant step towards updating our holistic sustainable goals to advance our practices on all of our projects, not just those working towards certification.

Citizen Architects

It was a big day this past March as hundreds of architects represented the voice of our profession on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. through the Grassroots Leadership Conference of AIA, each carrying a recycled felt folder with "I'm a citizen architect" emblazoned on it. It demonstrated that each of us has a unique perspective and has the capacity to reach out to our elected officials, letting them know what is important to our profession and promoting the critical role that design plays in our nation.

As a founding member of the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) and the establishment of the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards, we are continually thrilled by the quality of projects and number of designers committed to building in a similar manner, with a focus on performance metrics as a major driver of design excellence. The annual awards program, which AIA calls “the best-known recognition program for sustainable design excellence,” launched in 1997.

Before finish installation begins at The REACH at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the form in its raw state is revealed. Complex geometry combined with innovative construction techniques result in a uniquely poetic experience. BNIM — as architect of record — is responsible for ensuring the design is achieved to its full, intended potential. As our team members walk the site, we visualize the components yet to fall into place.

Des Moines is a special place with a rich history and identity. In regard to the architectural moments that shape this unique city, the Miesblock project establishes a conversation with the adjacent Catholic Pastoral Center building designed by Mies van der Rohe Architects, which was constructed 1962 as the Home Federal Savings and Loan building and renovated in 2018.