We believe meaningful design can make a difference in the lives of all people. As a firm and individuals, we channel our passion for design to support local and globally based non-profits dedicated to improving education, the environment and access to the arts to help ensure opportunities for all.
In 2010, our culture of giving and community investment coalesced around our passion for positive action after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. As a result, a unique opportunity resulted with The Children’s Academy outside of Port-Au-Prince. BAR’s Social Impact Group was formally established to expand our reach and maximize the effectiveness of our commitment to corporate social responsibility. Our engagement with The Children’s Academy continues to this day, as we work on the design of a third classroom/multipurpose building, part of the 13-building master plan BAR designed for Haiti Partners.
Each year BAR commits 1% of our time to pro bono design opportunities. We measure our impact in four areas:
• pro bono design and reduced-fee design services
• volunteering
• community engagement and education and
• financial contributions
Recent recipients of financial giving include No Us Without You, the All Stars Project and both SoCal and SF NOMA Project Pipeline programs. Additionally, we support and help arrange various volunteer opportunities for our firm as well as introductions to active non-profits throughout California.