About

Graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1968 after finishing a year on an excavation in Greece, Richard Keating informed his mentor in Architectural History that if he was to pursue a PhD in that field he wanted to write on Tall Buildings. For that reason and with the intention of returning to academia after gaining specific knowledge, Richard Keating began his career at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago. During the first eight years with SOM he decided to pursue a career in architecture rather than History. Working with senior partner Bruce Graham, he was a designer on numerous international projects, new towns, large office buildings, research facilities, and retail centers. In 1976, he was asked to open an office for SOM in Houston, Texas which he built to a practice of 200 architects, engineers, and interior designers. In 10 years, the office designed and built nearly 40 million square feet of buildings. It was during this time that Keating gained a national design reputation and he was named a full partner at the youngest age in the firm’s history. In 1986, Keating also assumed charge of SOM Los Angeles which coincided fortuitously with the emergence of greater architectural opportunities in the West Coast and Pacific Rim markets. In Los Angeles he is best known for the 52 story Gas Company Tower, called by many, the finest office building in America.

After 23 years at SOM, he formed his own firm in 1990. Since that time, he has designed a wide variety of U.S. corporate headquarters, won numerous competitions and continued his lasting relationship with the premier developers of the United States. Along with a significant number of buildings in the US, the firm has enjoyed extensive work in Asia, principally in Korea including the 1 million square foot Korea Development Bank, a new Corporate headquarters office tower in Seoul, and led designs for the National Archives as well as the National Musuem of Korea. In 2010 the firm was acquired by Jacobs and he now is the managing director for architecture and design for Jacobs.

He has been widely recognized for his skills and experience in making strategic design decisions in the most cost-effective manner. Accordingly, he has successfully completed numerous design-build projects. In addition, he has consistently contributed concepts for large-scale urban visions of his own volition and frequently is called upon as an architectural participant in discussions about the city.

Keating's work has evolved to include a diverse range and scale of building types from high rise offices to performing arts facilities, high rise condominiums and surgery centers. In each case, relatively simple forms and optimized building systems provide for his skills in finessed details and materials to achieve the resultant design excellence. He has been called an “architects architect” and has used his extensive knowledge of developer designs to apply to other building types with beneficial cost results while maintaining high design integrity.

Keating’s range of experience includes numerous award-winning interiors projects, several single-family residences, hotels, office buildings, rehabilitation projects and ultra high-rises. Over his career he has mentored numerous others that have developed to their own prominence in both architecture and interiors.

Graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1968 after finishing a year on an excavation in Greece, Richard Keating informed his mentor in Architectural History that if he was to pursue a PhD in that field he wanted to write on Tall Buildings. For that reason and with the intention of returning to academia after gaining specific knowledge, Richard Keating began his career at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago. During the first eight years with SOM he decided to pursue a career in architecture rather than History. Working with senior partner Bruce Graham, he was a designer on numerous international projects, new towns, large office buildings, research facilities, and retail centers. In 1976, he was asked to open an office for SOM in Houston, Texas which he built to a practice of 200 architects, engineers, and interior designers. In 10 years, the office designed and built nearly…

See more See less