DLR Group Acquires Science and Technology Design Firm McFarlane Architects

McFarlane Architects enhances DLR Group’s client network while gaining a national platform for its design of R&D, life sciences, and advanced technology facilities

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The global integrated design firm DLR Group announced today that San Diego-based science and technology design firm McFarlane Architects has joined the firm. The addition of McFarlane Architects strengthens DLR Group’s science and technology practice and accelerates access to science and technology clients in San Diego, one of the largest life science hubs in the country.

Founded by Neal McFarlane, McFarlane Architects is nationally recognized for architecture, planning, and interior design of science and technology and advanced manufacturing environments. It brings a diverse portfolio through long-standing relationships with science and technology clients including Alexandria Real Estate Equities, BioMed Realty, Healthpeak Properties, Longfellow Real Estate Partners, Phase 3 Real Estate Partners, as well as active clients in Boston and San Francisco.

“DLR Group is committed to growing an industry-leading science and technology practice and McFarlane elevates our capabilities in California and across the nation,” said DLR Group CEO Steven McKay, AIA, RIBA. “Neal and his team have earned an outstanding reputation in one of the country’s most competitive life science markets. McFarlane Architects brings proven science and technology expertise, a deep portfolio of laboratory and research environments, and a commitment to design excellence that mirrors our own.”

Joining DLR Group ensures the continuity of McFarlane Architects’ design legacy for its employees and clients. McFarlane Architects gains access to DLR Group’s depth of specialized design resources across 38 offices, enabling pursuit of larger and more complex science and technology projects as a combined science and technology practice.

“It was time to start planning for the future of this firm and I was determined to find a partner firm that shared our design and business philosophy,” said McFarlane Architects Founder Neal McFarlane. “I was looking for a firm with a long-term view, an established presence in California, and a commitment to growing a leading science and technology practice. DLR Group is that firm.”

The opportunity to be part of a 100% employee-owned firm was also a key factor in McFarlane’s decision to join DLR Group.

“I’ve watched our industry consolidate over the years, and I wanted to find a partner with real experience guiding firms through this kind of transition,” said McFarlane. “DLR Group’s 100% employee-ownership model gives our people a real stake in what we design next, and it’s the right way to carry our firm’s legacy forward.”

McFarlane Architects will operate as DLR Group|McFarlane Architects in San Diego and complements DLR Group’s existing 35-person office in downtown San Diego, and offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, Sonoma, and Sacramento.

About DLR Group

Celebrating 60 years in 2026, DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering sustainable, human-centered solutions for communities locally and globally. The firm’s architects, engineers, interior designers, and planners collaborate with public and private sector clients to create projects with long-lasting social, economic, and environmental value. Fast Company named DLR Group among the World’s Most Innovative Companies for its industry-leading adaptive reuse strategies: innovative design that serves clients and communities while significantly reducing carbon emissions.

DLR Group’s promise is to elevate the human experience through design. As a 100% employee-owned firm, DLR Group fosters a culture of ownership and accountability that shapes its daily practice and drives its commitment to sustainability initiatives, including the 2030 Challenge, the China Accord, and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

About McFarlane Architects

McFarlane Architects is a San Diego-based architecture firm specializing in laboratory, research, and science and technology design. Founded by Neal McFarlane, the firm has built a reputation as one of San Diego’s leading science and technology design practices, serving clients across the science and technology sector.