B & L

Partner Résumé

  Margaret Bakker received a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the State University of New York at Albany,  and a Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  She has managed a variety of project types, including new construction, renovations and additions.  She combines a regard for good design with a strong interest in energy conservation and building ecology.  And beyond buildings, her interests extend to environmentally-sensitive design.  Architecture can greatly enhance the quality of human experience when both aesthetics and technical concerns are joined in the solution of a design "problem".  Before forming her own firm, in 1988, with partner Robert S. Lewis, Ms. Bakker was employed by three architectural firms in Albany and Schenectady, New York, before she served, for nine years, as Project Architect with the firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.  With BCJ, she worked on the design and administration of several award-winning, private residences in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
       In addition to her architectural career, Margaret enjoys playing cello in the Performing Arts Institute - Civic Symphony, at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School in Kingston, Pennsylvania, as well as various chamber music ensembles.

  Robert Lewis received a Bachelor of Building Science and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  Upon graduating, he was employed by the Office of Facilities Planning at RPI where he worked on campus planning projects, and the programming and management of projects such as the Johnsson Engineering Center and the Folsom Library.  Before forming his own firm in 1988, he served as project architect for eight years for the firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, where he designed a number of academic buildings for research, recreation and the performing arts. Along with his partner, Margaret, he has successfully completed a mixture of fine residential and commercial projects primarily in Northeastern Pennsylvania, with a few residences in New York and Washington State.  They both attend the annual conference of the New England Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) held in Boston each spring, to stay informed of the latest developments in building science and energy conservation.
     In addition to his architectural career, Rob has a continuing interest in the design and hand-crafting of fine furniture.  He has provided custom pieces for residential, institutional and corporate clients.  Past clients include:  Syracuse University, InterMetro Industries Corporation, as well as numerous private residences designed in Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland.  In his spare time, Rob now enjoys playing jazz standards on his arch top guitar, or afro-cuban drumming with his mates.