Richard Dattner founded the firm in 1964 with a commitment to civic architecture. Under his leadership and creative direction, Dattner Architects has designed a wide variety of award-winning projects. Richard attended the Architectural Association in London and received his Bachelor of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has taught design at Cooper Union, City College of New York, and University of Wisconsin, and has often been a visiting design critic and lecturer. He was Vice President of the AIA New York Chapter, former Trustee of the City Club of New York, and served on the boards of The Bureau of Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment of the National Research Council and the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. The AIA New York Chapter awarded Richard the Medal of Honor, the highest honor the Chapter can bestow for distinguished architecture. Richard received the Thomas Jefferson Award from the American Institute of Architects in recognition of his significant contributions to public architecture. He is the author of Design for Play and Civil Architecture–The New Public Infrastructure.