Cecil Baker + Partners is an architecture firm providing design services to governmental, educational, institutional and private sector clients. Established in 1982 and based in Philadelphia, the firm's services include feasibility studies, programming, design of new structures, adaptive reuse of existing structures, and interior design.

          The persuasion of place.

          The power of simple shapes.

          The choreography of passage.

          The shared exploration.

These four markers are the firm's guideposts in the pursuit of cohesive, harmonious architecture. The resulting works subtly unfold to reveal their character over time, offering inhabitants an intimate and unique relationship with their environment.

Cecil Baker + Partners is dedicated to creating buildings and sites that bring people in touch with culture, community and nature. The firm's projects evolve through an interactive dialogue with the client that continually evaluates the project goals as new information materializes. The designs emerge from a careful process that adheres to the budget, incorporates users' desires, and assists the owner in establishing clear priorities. The firm's projects absorb the influence of contextual elements and affirm the building program through restrained concordant forms. The resulting works become integral to both their community and natural setting.

Cecil Baker's background as an architect and a real estate developer is his foundation for innovation and practicality. He stresses, "spending his money on the sunny side of the drywall;" a fascination with the poetic possibilities of the everyday. The firm's design process often becomes a choice on what to leave out, rather than what to put in.

Embracing this notion of practical poetry, he seeks to retain the essential character of a place while redefining its use, spatial geometry, or materiality. He is informed by the natural and cultural context present at a site and emphasizes its relation to the contemporary condition through clean, minimal forms. As Cecil has said, "Simplicity has the potential to resolve the visual chaos around us."

The firm's designs have received regional and national accolades, including awards from The American Institute of Architects, Progressive Architecture, Architectural Record, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The firm's designs have been published in the United States, Europe, Japan and South America.