Largest Architecture Firms in the United States

The results of the largest architecture firms in the US are finally in, based on the amount of revenue generated from services. Since 2017, these firms saw an increase in demand for design activities and services. The architectural industry had an increase in billings and design contracts in January 2020. Its business conditions with new projects are kicking off early this year with the top 10 architecture, engineering, and landscaping companies. The firms received evaluations on sustainability and their creative works of art and science. This is the second year in a row architecture company reported billings growth for services, including consulting, brand design, architecture, sustainability, airports, and more. Showcased below are ten of the largest architecture companies in the nation.

HDR

HDR is an engineer and architect design firm headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1917, the company is one of the largest architecture companies to make the 2020 List of the Largest Architecture Firms in the US. HDR has over 10,000 employees working in 225 offices in North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East. Some HDR’s noteworthy projects include the National Gallery, Deutsche Bank, San Antonio River Walk, Singaporean Airport, and the Taymouth Castle in the UK. From 2017 to 2019, the engineering and architectural firm won many awards. In 2017, the firm received a nomination for the CIBSE Employer of the Year Award and the Grand Conceptor Award. The firm received the 2018 Grand Conceptor Award from the American Council of Engineers. HDR came in number 24 on The Top 150 Consultants in 2019 by Building.com in the United Kingdom. Its 2018 revenue is $449 million.

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HOK

HOK, formerly known as Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum is a design, architect, and engineering enterprise in St. Louis, Missouri. George Hellmuth, George Kassabaum, and Gip Obata founded the private-owned company in 1955. In 2019, HOK was the largest architecture and engineering firm and the fourth largest interior design enterprise. HOK completed the Las Vegas Ballpark, Kentucky International Convention Center Redevelopment, and the Spire Lone Skyscraper in London. With over 1700 workers, the firm has offices in the US, Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe, India, and Dubai. HOK had total revenue of $416 million in architect and engineer services. HOK received the 2020 AISC Innovative Design in Engineering & Architecture with Structural Steel Award. The company also won the 2019 AIA California Firm Award, AIA California Design Award, and the AIA for Joliet Inpatient Treatment. Other awards include the World Travel and the St. Louis Business Journal Building Awards.

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Perkins and Will

Billerica Memorial High School Perkins and Will is a subsidiary company of Dar Al-Handasah in Lebanon. Lawrence Perkins established the firm in Chicago, Illinois, in 1935. Today, the company employs 2,600 workers in 24 locations worldwide. For nearly 95 years, the private firm continues to receive recognition for notable projects and buildings. The Rush University Medical Center, Target Retail Store in California, and Great River Energy are among the firm successful completions. Perkins and Will worked on the Boeing International Headquarters, Chase Tower, and The Clare in Chicago. The University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute received the Best of Design Award in 2019. Various projects won the 2019 Best Design, Best of Design, Best of Year, and Global Excellence Awards. They won the Best of Design for the American Express Sunrise Corporation Center and the Chicago Transit Authority Damen Green Line Station. Perkins and Will’s total revenue in 2018 was almost $608 million.

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Stantec

Stantec is an engineer, architect, and contractor firm founded in 1954 by Dr. Don Stanley. It is a leading international design and award-winning company. As of the 2018 year-end, Stantec had $321 million in total revenue, coming in the top ten of the largest architecture firms in America. The company ranked high in revenue for engineering, architecture, and contractor services. On February 5th, 2020, the Grands Prix du Design recognized Stantec at its 13th Edition in Montreal. The organization awarded a grand prize for the redevelopment of the International Civil Aviation Organization and its public plaza. Newsweek recognized the company as one of the 100 Top Smart City Partners in the Publications for helping to construct buildings, utilities, and public places. The Grands Prix du Design openly acknowledged Stantec for the Beaver Lake Restoration on Mount Royal. The projects were the best designs and architecture in Quebec and the world.

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SmithGroup

In 2016, SmithGroup was ranked among the top 15 architectural companies. In the same year, the firm also ranked among the top 20 ENR California design firms. The firm was founded in Detroit in 1853 and has set a consistent record since. Among the top projects, the firm has been involved in include the award-winning National Museum of African American Culture in Washington DC. Among the awards, SmithGroup has been showered with over the years is the AIA Institutional Architecture Award of Merit in Chicago and the Athenaeum Green Good Design Award. The firm’s projects in California and Los Angeles have brought the company significant recognition from the Los Angeles Business Council and the AIA.

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HKS

The HKS, Inc. was named second in global sports design companies by the B.D. World Architecture after designing the $2.5B Los Angeles Stadium at the start of 2016. The firm also ranks high in ENR Top Design Firms in California, accumulating more than 650 design awards since it was founded in 1987. The firm administers more than 24 offices globally and is the third-largest architecture firm in the U.S. HKS, Inc. was ranked number one in healthcare architecture for more than ten consecutive years. With the firm’s catalog of landmark projects across the globe, it has received numerous awards over the years. Among them are the Los Angeles Business Journal Commercial Real Estate Gold Award, the AIA Citation Award, and the DBIA Award of Merit. They have been involved in a handful of significant projects across the country, most notably being the Los Angeles Hollywood Park stadium and the Zev Yaroslavsky Support Center. The latter earned the Best Project Award in 2016.

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Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM)

With an experience of more than 80 years in the industry, SOM has spread its designs to more than 50 countries. The company was established in 1936 and built the Architectural Engineering Systems software that is currently used throughout the design industry. The Los Angeles design studio was launched in 2012 and currently holds a record for being the only firm that has won the Architectural Firm Award twice. Among the most notable projects, the firm has undertaken the design of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The firm has won upwards of 2,000 awards in total, which is more than any design firm in the world. Two of the most notable are the AIA Architectural Firm Award, and the National Arts Club Gold Medal.

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AECOM

AECOM is one of the largest design firms in both in the U.S. and on the international front. With over $17B in revenue, the Los Angeles-based firm is highly revered in the architectural industry. AECOM operates branches in over 150 countries and employs more than 80,000 people across the globe. Since its establishment in 1966, the AECOM Los Angeles design studio has built a reputation with the AIA Los Angeles, the Environmental Business Journal, and the Spark Design Architectural Awards. AECOM was contracted to design the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) head office. The award-winning design figuratively connects to the community, winning numerous awards as a result. Among them is the Design Green Merit Award from the Architectural Foundation of Los Angeles in 2010. The firm has also gotten a collection of awards over the years for their ingenious designs. Top among these are the DBIA National Award of Merit, the #1 ENR Global Design Firm, and the AIA Los Angeles Merit Award.

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Gensler

Ranked by the Architectural Record as the best among 300 architectural firms, Gensler has designed elegant structures around the globe. The firm was established in 1965 in San Francisco. The Los Angeles branch was set up 11 years later and immediately gained a foothold in the US architectural industry. The firm was initially focused on designing corporate interiors but eventually evolved into large-scale commercial developments over the last five decades. Being a leading global design firm, Gensler has undertaken several major design projects, including the award-winning Shanghai Tower. As a result of the project, the firm’s revenue grew beyond $1B. The firm has managed to garner a lot of awards over the decades, including the AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture, the Center for Active Design Excellent Award, and the AIA Associate Award.

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