Архитектурное бюро McFarlane Architects присоединилось к DLR Group для сохранения команды и развития практики

SAN DIEGO – McFarlane Architects, based in University City, has joined DLR Group. Founded by Neal McFarlane in 2003, McFarlane Architects has focused on life science and technology work. Clients included Alexandria Real Estate Equities, BioMed Realty, Healthpeak Properties, Longfellow Real Estate Partners, and Phase 3 Real Estate Partners. McFarlane said that he decided to join DLR Group as a way to preserve his legacy and ensure that his team would remain intact. “I’ve got a great staff that’s been here a long time. They know I’m not a spring chicken any longer and I wanted to find an opportunity that would not only keep us going, but also give us generational opportunities,” said McFarlane, 62. “It was time to start planning for the future of this firm and I was determined to find a partner firm that shared our design and business philosophy. I was looking for a firm with a long-term view, an established presence in California, and a commitment to growing a leading science and technology practice.” With 1,900 employees worldwide and California offices in downtown San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, Sonoma and Sacramento, DLR is one of the largest architectural firms in the nation compared to McFarlane Architects, which has a staff of 23. “Being the size that they are, they have many more resources in house that we don’t have as a smaller firm and a local firm,” McFarlane said. “We’re going to be able to draw on their resources.” McFarlane said that he will bring the science and technology experience to DLR that the firm lacked, adding that DLR’s San Diego office has focused primarily on K-12 school projects. “We’ve never had a huge problem finding work, but we have been somewhat limited on the size of a project,” McFarlane said. “I will see a widening of my responsibilities to expand the platform that they have.” Transition DLR will keep its San Diego office downtown near Horton Plaza and McFarlane Architects will keep its offices in University City, but with a new name – DLR Group/McFarlane Architects. “DLR Group is committed to growing an industry-leading science and technology practice and McFarlane elevates our capabilities in California and across the nation,” said DLR Group CEO Steven McKay. “Neal and his team have earned an outstanding reputation in one of the country’s most competitive life science markets.” As part of the merger of McFarlane Architects and DLR Group, Cecilia Krump, Aimee Kelly-Kirkland, William Rindone and Joanna Christy of McFarland Architects will become principals of the merged firm, along with McFarlane. “I will be here for a minimum of three years. That’s part of the acquisition, that I be here to be part of that transition,” McFarlane said. “At the end of those three years, a lot of my responsibilities will be shared with the senior staff here.” Demand for life science space nosedived in the past few years after a post-COVID rush to build or convert space to life science, leaving a lot of vacant space. “That’s kind of why there’s been a slowdown in our work,” McFarlane said. “I think it’s bottomed out and started to grow a bit.” McFarlane opened his architectural firm in 2003 after working for others, including HDR and HMC. Over his 30-year career, McFarlane personally designed more than 15 million square feet of life science and advanced technology projects after earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Utah. DLR Group FOUNDED: 1966 SAN DIEGO OFFICE: Downtown San Diego CEO & MANAGING PRINCIPAL: Steven McKay BUSINESS: architecture EMPLOYEES: 1,900 WEBSITE: www.dlrgroup.com(opens in new tab) CONTACT: 619-795-2450; 858-453-1150 NOTABLE: Since 2020, DLR Group added nine offices and more than 600 design professionals, grew revenue from $279.6 million to $536.8 million, and increased employee owner investment by 126.7%. The firm’s design work earned more than 90 awards in 2025 alone. A native of New England, Ray Huard has been a reporter at newspapers in California, Florida and New England, including The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, the Miami Herald, the Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the North County Times, and the San Diego Business Journal. He has covered a wide variety of beats including real estate, politics, science, the environment, state and city government and courts.