Embracing our roots, empowering our future.

Roots
Founded in 1963, by David Wallace, Ian McHarg, Bill Roberts, and Thomas Todd, the early years of WRT were immediately punctuated by large scale plans that formed the foundation for the firm’s philosophy.
In the 1960s, The Plan for the Valleys, the Baltimore Inner Harbor, and the Lower Manhattan Plan each provided successful exemplars for what would become the ethos behind Design With Nature, Ian McHarg’s seminal text outlining an approach to planning and design that worked in conjunction with ecological realities and geographical contexts.
Thomas Todd, Bill Roberts, + David Wallace
Ian McHarg
THE Plan for the Valleys
Baltimore inner Harbor
The Lower Manhattan Plan
The 1970s saw this approach implemented in numerous projects, including the Amelia Island Master Plan, the New Orleans Growth Management Plan, and The Woodlands in Texas, all of which continue to have significant impact on their respective cities and sites.
The 1980s were bookended by major projects including the U.S. Capitol Master Plan and the construction of Camden Yards in Baltimore, both of which sparked downtown reinvestment and served as catalysts for the urban renaissance to follow.

W(M)RT's influential work included the Lower Manhattan Plan, U.S. Capitol Master Plan, and the New Orleans Growth Management Program.

U.S. Capitol MasteR PLAN

Efforts in the 1990s remained focused on the twin firm beliefs of designing with nature and reinforcing urbanism, characterized by the master plan for the 6,800 acre Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa, and the downtown Richmond Virginia Canal Redevelopment project.

As these ideas gained mainstream acceptance under the label of sustainability at the turn of the century, WRT continued to execute projects that sought to expand the impact of planning and design, through the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative in Washington D.C., to the Trinity Lakes Corridor Design in Dallas, Texas.

Most recently, the firm has established a well-respected book of affordable and mixed-use development projects, along with a broader architecture portfolio of institutional and residential construction.

Today, with offices in Philadelphia and San Francisco, the firm seeks to initiate, understand, and execute projects that create simple and effective solutions for complex problems across all scales.

We embrace our roots and continue the legacy of design that has flowed through the firm for the past five decades.