If there is one statement that characterizes the over 125 year history of Ballinger, it is that the firm’s staying power is a direct result of constant transformation to meet the changing needs of clients and their enterprises. From pioneering designs with reinforced concrete to introducing patents in the 1920's for a Super-Span sawtooth roof truss that flooded column-free industrial plants with natural light, Ballinger was the first to integrate the disciplines of architecture and engineering.

1878 – Walter H. Geissinger founded the firm, partnering with Edward M. Hales.
 
1894 – Mr. Hales associates with Walter F. Ballinger to create Hales & Ballinger.
 
1899 – Designed its first healthcare facility, Simpson House, a long-term care facility which is still in operation today.
 
1900 – Completed facilities for RCA’s Victor Talking Machine Division.
 
1911 – Designed its first facility for Joseph M. Campbell Company, now the Campbell Soup Company.
 
1920s – Became an “innovator” with its design of a superspan, sawtooth roof.
 
1930s – Designed buildings for the Budd Company. Ballinger is redesigning one of those buildings today for the Temple University Health System.
 
1940s – At the epicenter of the information age with the design of one of the first “computer rooms” for the ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania.
 
1950s – Designed a state-of-the-art headquarters building for Remington Rand, a division of Sperry Rand and today known as Unisys.
 
1960s – Began a 20-year relationship with IBM, designing for their expanding Development and Software Engineering group.
 
1970s – Coming out of a severe industry recession, Ballinger is awarded the design of a new home for Philadelphia’s Wills Eye Hospital. This project represents the first collaboration for Bill Gustafson and Ed Jakmauh, who are still Principals of the firm today.
 
1981 – The award-winning Wills Eye Hospital building is published in Architectural Record
 
1990s – Successfully completed several award-winning buildings, including the transformation of a diaper plant for Johnson & Johnson, a world headquarters for Crown Cork & Seal, and a gateway building to mark Rowan University’s new School of Engineering.

2005 – Awarded the design of a major new research tower for The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

2006 – Selected as the designer for the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin

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