Just as Meier Partners believes that its buildings should be good citizens of the communities they are constructed in, the firm itself strives to be a good citizen in the design community. Meier Partners promotes a generous studio culture and believes in sharing its knowledge and expertise to spread the benefits of good design as widely as possible. The firm regularly collaborates on outreach initiatives and ongoing research projects that seek to better understand the ways in which well-designed buildings can positively affect the wellbeing and quality of life of those who live and work in them, and the firm is committed to maximizing the spread and impact of this knowledge. Meier Partners believes deeply that architecture can change the way we feel and live, and seeks to make positive and lasting contributions to the future of the architectural profession, ensuring that today’s young designers are positioned to build a brighter, more optimistic future.
The Model Museum occupies a 15,000 square foot space that comprises of a large model exhibition area, a sculpture exhibition area, an archive, and a library that includes over 1,0000 volumes from Richard Meier’s personal collection. Many of the studio’s most iconic projects are exhibited in this space, including the Smith House, the Neugebauer Residence, and the High Museum of Art. A range of study models of the Getty Center in Los Angeles are on view, in addition to large scale presentation models of the final design, allowing visitors to experience the evolution of the renowned project and gain insights into the studio’s complex design process. The collection also includes important unbuilt competition proposals, including those for the World Trade Center Memorial and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. The facility welcomes students and scholars, and seeks to make the influential historical legacy of Meier Partners—which now spans more than half a century—available for study.
It is a priority for Meier Partners to provide all team members with substantive opportunities for growth and professional development, and to ensure that they are engaged with the broader architectural community. The firm’s principals regularly lecture at universities around the world, sharing the studio’s work with a diverse audience of academic colleagues and young designers in training. The studio also has a robust outreach program to university students, which includes Meier Partners’ COO George Miller’s role as chairman of Global Penn State, an initiative that seeks both to bring international students to Penn State University and to encourage currently enrolled students to study abroad, bringing a crucial global perspective to the next generation of architects. Meier Partners is deeply committed to teaching and mentorship within the studio, and both the firm’s internship program and the development opportunities provided for new team members are designed to help recent architecture school graduates become licensed architects with a broad and substantial range of real-world professional experience.
