Foster + Partners was originally established by Norman Foster (born 1935) as Foster Associates in 1967.  The firm was renamed Sir Norman Foster and Partners Ltd. in 1992 and subsequently shortened to Foster + Partners Ltd. in 1999.  Foster is the founder and executive chairman of Foster + Partners, a global studio for architecture, urbanism and design, rooted in sustainability.  He also chairs the practice's design board that provides strategic design direction to all projects.  He was born in Manchester, and after graduating in Architecture and City Planning from Manchester University in 1961, he won a Henry Fellowship to Yale University, where he was a fellow of Jonathan Edwards College and gained a Master's Degree in Architecture.  Over five decades the practice has evolved and been responsible for a strikingly wide range of work, from urban masterplans, public infrastructure, airports, civic and cultural buildings, offices and workplaces to private houses and furniture design.  Major projects include Beijing Airport, Millau Viaduct in France, 30 St Mary Axe (also known as the Gherkin) and the Great Court at the British Museum in London, the Hearst Headquarters tower in New York, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.  In addition to numerous architectural commissions, Foster + Partners has collaborated with furniture and lighting manufacturers including Artemide, FontanaArte, Lumina, Molteni & C., and Walter K.