The Ballinger Company

Ballinger
IndustryArchitecture
FoundedPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (1878 (1878))
FounderWalter Geissinger in 1878, renamed The Ballinger Company in 1920 by Walter Francis Ballinger
Area served
International
ServicesArchitecture, Engineering, Interior Design, Master Planning, Workplace Strategy, Adaptive Reuse
Number of employees
250+
Websitewww.ballinger.com

Ballinger is an interdisciplinary design firm, one of the first in the United States to merge the disciplines of architecture and engineering into a professional practice. The firm's single office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, houses a staff of over 250 people. Ballinger is one of the largest architectural firms in the Philadelphia region and known for its work in academic, healthcare, corporate, and research planning and design.

History

Photograph of Walter Francis Ballinger from 1902
Walter Francis Ballinger

Ballinger traces its history to 1878 when Walter Harvey Geissinger established a practice in Philadelphia. In 1885, Geissinger entered into a partnership with Edward M. Hales.[1] Four years later, Walter Francis Ballinger entered the firm of Geissinger and Hales. In 1895, Ballinger replaced Geissinger as a principal in the firm, and it became known as Hales and Ballinger. In 1901, Edward M. Hales retired, and in 1902, the firm was renamed Ballinger & Perrot. Emile G. Perrot was a young architect at the time who gained national recognition for his innovative design work with reinforced concrete. After Ballinger bought out Perrot in 1920, the firm became known as Ballinger Company.[2]

In the 1950s, Robert Ballinger[3] succeeded his father, Walter Ballinger, and along with brothers John D. de Moll[4] and Louis de Moll,[5] introduced the “power pole” to deliver power, chilled water and laboratory gases in research and health care environments.

In 1983, the deMoll brothers sold the firm to ten Ballinger employees. The transfer of ownership included promising young architects William R. Gustafson FAIA and Edward Jakmauh FAIA who would continue to lead the firm into the new millennium.

Today, the firm is owned by leaders who actively guide projects from concept through to completion.

Ballinger's early accomplishments and designs

1900s

In the early 1900s, Ballinger was one of the largest commercial and industrial design firms in the United States, designing a number of landmark projects for the Victor Talking Machine Company (e.g. The Nipper Building), and subsequently RCA, as well as the first facility for the Joseph M. Campbell Company, now known as the Campbell Soup Company. Additionally, Walter Ballinger and Emile Perrot published Inspector's Handbook of Reinforced Concrete in 1909.[6][7]

1920s

In 1928, Ballinger built the Commodore Theatre, a grand cinema in West Philadelphia that held 1,105 seats. This building is now home of the Masjid Al-Jamia of Philadelphia.[8]

In 1923, Ballinger began design on its first hospital, the Philadelphia Home for Incurables/Inglis House.[9] Also in 1923, Ballinger built Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge Number 878 in New York City.[10][11]

Walter F. Ballinger and Clifford H. Shivers file a patent in 1921 for the Super Span saw-tooth roof truss which reduced the need for columns and opened up manufacturing plant floor space.[12]

1930s

By the mid 1930s, Ballinger had completed 16 new hospitals.

1940s

In the 1940s, Ballinger was at the epicenter of the Information Age with the design of one of the first "computer rooms." Utilizing over 17,000 vacuum tubes, the ENIAC was developed by the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering during World War II.

The ENIAC initiated the modern computing industry and the firm went on to design technology-related facilities for IBM and the Rand Corporation (later to become the Sperry Rand Corporation, and now known as Unisys).

1950s

Ballinger designs the TWA Maintenance Hangar at Philadelphia International Airport – "an early and unusual example of the use of a cable supported roof structure to provide the clear floor space needed for an airplane hangar." (Constructed 1955–1956)[13]

1970s

Architects William Gustafson and Ed Jakmauh join Ballinger and bring in a major commission for Wills Eye Hospital in Center City Philadelphia. This 230,000 SF new hospital building laid the foundation for what would become a thriving healthcare design practice at Ballinger.

1980s

Under new leadership, Ballinger wins a national competition to design a new 200-acre world headquarters for Hershey Foods and teams with Pei Cobb Freed on the design of high rise complex Commerce Square. The Wills Eye building is completed in 1981 and becomes the first Ballinger project to be published in Architectural Record.

Notable recent projects

Project Location Date of
Completion 		Notes Ref.
University of Wisconsin, Chemistry Building Madison, WI 2022
Penn Medicine, Radnor Ambulatory Care Center Radnor, PA 2020 AIA, Pennsylvania, Honor Award, 2021

AIA, Philadelphia, Honor Award, 2021

AIA/Academy of Architecture for Health, National Healthcare Design Award, 2021

University of Michigan, Kinesiology Building Ann Arbor, MI 2020 AIA, Pennsylvania, COTE Award of Excellence, 2022

AIA, Pennsylvania, Merit Award, Preservation, 2022

AIA, Pennsylvania, Merit Award, 2022

University of Rhode Island, Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering Kingston, RI 2019 AIA, Pennsylvania, Honor Award, Architecture, 2022

AIA, Rhode Island Chapter, Honor Award AIA, Tri-State Design Awards, Merit Award, 2021

Delaware Valley Association of Structural Engineers, Engineering Excellence Award

American Institute of Steel Construction, IDEAS2 Awards, Finalist

[14]
University of Maryland Baltimore County, Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building Catonsville, MD 2019 AIA, Philadelphia Chapter, Merit Award

ASHRAE, Philadelphia Chapter, Technology Award ASHRAE, Mid-Atlantic, Technology Award

International Interior Design Association, PA/NJ/DE Chapter, Best of Education/Institution

AIA, Maryland Chapter, Institutional Architecture, Jury Citation

Construction Owners Association of America, Project Leadership Award

[15]
Linode, Corporate Headquarters Philadelphia, PA 2018 Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, Grand Jury Award, 2019 [16]
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, David H. Koch Center for Ambulatory Care New York, NY 2018 Healthcare Design Magazine, Award of Merit, 2019

SALUS European Healthcare Design Award, Healthcare Design over 25,000 SM, 2019 SALUS European Healthcare Design Award, Design Innovation for Quality Improvement, 2019

Interior Design Magazine Best of Year Honoree, 2018

Greater New York Construction User Council Outstanding Healthcare Project, 2018

Engineering News-Record New York Health Care Best Project, 2018

University of Maryland College Park, A. James Clark Hall College Park, MD 2018 Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Award, Concrete, 2017 [17]
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research Philadelphia, PA 2017 ENR Award of Merit, Higher Education/Research, 2017
DVASE Outstanding Project Award, Buildings over $100M, 2017		 [18]
Adelphi University, Nexus Building Garden City, NY 2016 AIA Silver Award, Unbuilt, Philadelphia Chapter, 2014
AIA Merit Award, Unbuilt, Pennsylvania Chapter, 2013		 [19][20]
Tower Health, HealthPlex for Advanced Surgical and Patient Care Reading, PA 2016 International Academy for Design and Health, Highly Commended, Sustainable Urban and Built Environment, 2017 [21]
University of Rochester Medical Center, Golisano Children's Hospital Rochester, NY 2015 HCD Expo & Conference, 2013 – An EBD Report Card for Pediatrics [22][23][24]
George Washington University, Science & Engineering Hall Washington, D.C. 2014 SCUP Honor Award for Excellence in Architecture for a New Building, 2017
IIDA Best of Year Award, PA, NJ, and DE Chapter, 2015
Concrete Foundation Association, Grand Project of the Year, 2015
Delaware Valley Association of Structural Engineers, Merit Award, 2015
AIA Pennsylvania Merit Award, Interiors, 2016
AIA Philadelphia Merit Award, Interiors, 2016
ENR MidAtlantic, Award of Merit, Specialty Contracting, 2014
American Concrete Institute, National Capital Chapter, Award of Merit, 2014
ABC Metro Washington, Excellence in Construction Award, Specialty Concrete
 [25][26]
[27][28]
Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health New Brunswick, NJ 2014 AIA Merit Award, New Jersey chapter 2014 [29][30]
[31]
University of Florida, Harrell Medical Education Building Gainesville, FL 2014 AIA Orlando Design Award, Built Award Honor, 2016
City of Gainesville, City Beautification “Outstanding Institution” Award, 2016		 [32]
Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital, Lasko Tower Chester County, PA 2014 PDC Summit 2016 – Studying the Past to Build a Better Future [33][34][35]
The Wistar Institute, Facility Master Plan + Robert and Penny Fox Tower Philadelphia, PA 2014 Delaware Valley Association of Structural Engineers, Outstanding Project Award, 2015 [36][37]
NYU Langone Medical Center, Ambulatory Care Center West Side New York, NY 2014 Adaptive Reuse Award, Symposium Distinction Awards, 2015 [38]
Johns Hopkins University, Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories Baltimore, MD 2013 ASHRAE Technology Award, First Place, 2017
AIA Honor Award, Philadelphia Chapter, 2014
AIA Merit Award, Maryland Chapter, 2014
AIA Merit Award, Pennsylvania Chapter, 2015
SCUP, Excellence in Architecture, Honor Award, 2016
USGBC, Maryland Chapter, Wintergreen Award, 2016		 [39][40]
[41][42]
Penn Medicine, Lancaster General Health, Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute Lancaster, PA 2013 International Academy for Design and Health, Winner, Interior Design, 2017
International Academy for Design and Health, Highly Commended, Use of Art in Public and Private Spaces, 2017
AIA/AAH Healthcare Design Award, 2014
Healthcare Design Architectural Showcase, Honorable Mention, 2014
IIDA Design Excellence Award, Philadelphia Chapter, 2014
Best of the Year Honoree, Interior Design Magazine, 2013		 [43][44]
[45]
University of Maryland Medical Center, Shock Trauma Critical Care Tower Baltimore, MD 2013 American Concrete Institute, Maryland Chapter, Excellence in Concrete Award, 2013 [46][47]
Shore Medical Center, Surgical Pavilion Somers Point, NJ 2012 IIDA, Design Award, Philadelphia Chapter, 2012 [48][49]
The Boeing Company, H-47 Focused Factory Ridley Park, PA 2012 ENR MidAtlantic, Best Project: Manufacturing, 2014
ENR Best of the Best Project: Manufacturing, 2014		 [50][51]
University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Madison, WI 2011 Lab of the Year, R&D Magazine, 2012
USGBC Innovation in Green Building Award, 2012
AIA Merit Award, Wisconsin Chapter, 2011
Focus on Energy Award of Excellence, Wisconsin Green Building Alliance, 2011
Future Landmark Award, Madison Trust for Historic Preservation, 2011		 [52][53]
[54][55]
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Colket Translational Research Building Philadelphia, PA 2010 Best Green Building Award, General Building Contractors Association, 2011 [56][57]
Temple University School of Medicine, Medical Education + Research Building Philadelphia, PA 2009 School of Medicine's first new building in 40 years [58][59]
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Anne and Mike Armstrong Medical Education Building Baltimore, MD 2007 School of Medicine's first new building in 25 years [60][61]
Weill Cornell Medicine, Weill Greenberg Center New York, NY 2007 Modern Healthcare Award of Excellence, 2008
AIA/AAH National Design Award for Healthcare, 2008
IIDA Design Award, Philadelphia Chapter, 2007
Interior Design Magazine’s 2007 Best of Year Award: Project Design, Healthcare		 [62][63]
[64][65]
Brown University, Sidney Frank Hall (Life Sciences Building) Providence, RI 2006 AIA Merit Award, Rhode Island Chapter, 2008
AIA Special Recognition Award, Philadelphia Chapter, 2002		 [66][67]
Sidney Frank Hall at Brown University (2006)
University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery

Notable recent awards

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Ballinger Company.

References

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