The firm is involved in multiple markets and building types including: cultural and civic, corporate, commercial, healthcare, education, science, sports, and urban environments.

[1][2][3] The firm was an early signatory of the Architecture 2030 challenge, a global initiative stating that all new buildings and major renovations reduce their fossil-fuel GHG-emitting consumption by 50 percent by 2010, incrementally increasing the reduction for new buildings to carbon neutral by 2030.

[4] In addition, the firm is recognized as CarbonNeutral® certified by Natural Capital Partners and has signed the Amazon Climate Pledge.

[5][6] The firm was founded in 1943 by Seattle architects Floyd Naramore, William J. Bain, Clifton Brady, and Perry Johanson, and was initially called Naramore, Bain, Brady & Johanson.

[8][9] NBBJ is the master planner for Net City, Tencent's smart city-concept urban development in Shenzhen which was announced in June 2020.