Foster + Partners is an international studio for architecture, engineering and design, led by founder and chairman Norman Foster and a partnership board. Founded in 1967, the practice is characterised by its integrated approach to design, bringing together the depth of resources required to take on some of the most complex projects in the world. They have always had a strong interest in the making of things as an integral part of the design process, rooted in what they believe is a duty to design well and responsibly, whether that is at the scale of an airport or a door handle.
The practice has never drawn a distinction between architecture and industrial design. The point of contact, the thing that you touch, is as important as the broader vision. The industrial design team established in 1980, has developed a wide range of products from door handles to wind turbines; from a fountain pen to the cabin of an executive jet; from a tap to the fit-out of an ocean yacht. Frequently, products are designed in response to a particular project, but they also work directly with clients on product commissions or with companies to develop new products for commercial manufacture.
