Buell Kratzer Powell (BKP) was founded by architects Duncan Buell, Darrell Kratzer, and Joseph Powell in 1996. It was a merger of two predecessor firms: Joseph Powell & Associates was established in 1991 when Powell won the Evanston Public Library international design competition; Buell-Kratzer Architects began in 1995 when Buell and Kratzer were awarded the Brosens Residence commission.
Buell Kratzer Powell combined two firms with a shared design approach: create memorable places through collaborative client partnerships and excellent service. These tenets forged the foundation of the Buell Kratzer Powell practice and remain the firm's most recognized strengths.
Quiet accomplishments have marked Buell Kratzer Powell's history. Several awards from the American Institute of Architects, Lower Merion Township Historic Preservation Board, and Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia have been bestowed on its projects. In 2001, Buell Kratzer Powell was one of the earliest Philadelphia architecture firms to become a US Green Building Council member; in the same year, they began design on Philadelphia's first LEED-registered building project, the Walnut Street West Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Multiple repeat clients attest to Buell Kratzer Powell's professionalism and collaborative spirit, including Bryn Mawr College, the University of Pennsylvania, Rosemont School of the Holy Child, and the City of Philadelphia.
Dedicated to design that is both useful and timeless, and to service that enriches the human experience, Buell Kratzer Powell creates Architecture with a Purpose.
