New York City-based Deborah Berke Partners creates buildings and spaces that are poised between background and foreground, where the presence of architecture is in a constant balance with the forces of life.
Deborah Berke founded the firm in 1982 and has created a body of work with a distinct and lasting character. Deborah establishes the overall vision of our work and brings her unique design vision to each project. In addition, she leads the marketing and development sector of our firm. Public service is an integral part of Deborah’s professional life. She is a Trustee and Vice President of the Forum + Institute for Urban Design and was a Founding Trustee of New York City’s Design Trust for Public Space. Over the past two decades, Deborah has also served as Trustee and Vice President of desigNYC; Trustee of the National Building Museum; Chair of the Board of Advisors for the Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture at Columbia University; Trustee of the Brearley School; and a Vice President of the AIA New York Chapter. Deborah is also Professor (Adjunct) of Architectural Design at Yale University, a post she has held since 1987. Previously she taught at the University of Maryland, the Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Miami, and the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, of which she was a fellow. In addition, Deborah serves as a juror in numerous architecture and design award programs and lectures throughout the US and Canada.