Edward Friedrichs admits that expanding his firm's global reach has not exactly been a primary initiative over the past several years. But the globalization of Gensler's clients has taken the firm into international territory at a swift pace. The firm billed approximately $33.3 million - or 13.5 percent of total revenue - in foreign projects last year, up from $15.7 million in 1998.
'About 50 percent of our clients have multiple geographic locations,' says Friedrichs, who took over day-to-day responsibility as president and CEO of Gensler after Arthur Gensler stepped aside last October. 'The diversity and growth of our practice has been a direct result of the growth of our client's businesses.'
Friedrichs says the firm has experienced tremendous growth in Europe, in particular. For instance, the firm's London office more than doubled in size during the past 1½ years to 300 employees. 'And, as the economy settles out of this current malaise, we expect to see growth in Asian work, as well,' Friedrichs says, adding that the firm operates offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
One of the main challenges to operating such a large, diverse firm - 2,300 employees in 25 offices - is ensuring that the company behaves as a single enterprise. 'The idea is to be able to provide the same service anywhere,' adds Friedrichs. 'The biggest investment we've made over the last decade has been in technology - phone, e-mail, intranet - to keep people linked.'
Also important, says Friedrichs, is utilizing and managing the knowledge and expertise of the entire staff. 'So many people today are buried in large organizations, and no one knows where to look for expertise, or if anyone will respond,' he says. 'Our people know where to go to find the definitive expert on a certain subject within the company. And we have a sacred rule that if an employee gets a call, no matter where in the world, calling back with an answer is high priority.'
As for Friedrichs' direction as the new CEO: 'We will continue to focus on offering 'cradle-to-grave' services, working with clients through the full life-cycle of the facility, from strategic planning to design to facilities management services. All of our services are interlocked and mutually supportive.'
| 1 (1) $246.50 | Gensler 600 California St. San Francisco, CA 94108 (415) 433-3700 www.gensler.com |
Gensler easily retains the top spot in this category thanks, in part, to the inclusion of international work in this year's rankings, which accounted for 13.5 percent of the firm's billings last year. The company continues to focus on commercial work from its 22 offices worldwide. Projects slated for completion this year include the $117 million U.S. Patent Office in Alexandria, Va. (See company profile, above.) M. Arthur Gensler Jr., Chmn.; Edward Friedrichs, Pres., CEO. |
| 2 (2) $93.70 | NBBJ 1555 Lake Shore Dr. Columbus, OH 43204 (614) 224-7145 www.nbbj.com |
NBBJ's work last year was split evenly between commercial and institutional projects. Representing the commercial sector was the unveiling of Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium, home of the city's NFL team, and the completion of the $95 million Reebok Headquarters in Canton, Mass. Foreign projects accounted for 15.4 percent of the total revenues, the most significant being the 3 million-sq.-ft. Maslak mixed-use development in Turkey. Friedrich K.M. Bohm, Chmn. |
| 3 (-) $62.75 | Perkins & Will Inc. 330 N. Wabash, Suite 3600 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 755-0770 www.perkinswill.com |
Previously listed in the architects/engineers category, Perkins & Will employs a staff of 542, including 167 architects, in eight U.S. offices. Institutional work accounted for nearly three-quarters of the firm's billings last year; commercial projects comprised the rest. Public work, such as design of the 60,000-sq.-ft. Institute for Healthy Indoor Environments building in Minneapolis, accounted for 23 percent of revenues last year. Henry A. Mann, CEO. |
| 4 (3) $62.00 | Callison 1420 Fifth Ave., Suite 2400 Seattle, WA 98101-2343 (206) 623-4646 www.callison.com |
It was all commercial work for Callison last year, including the completion of five retail developments, two office complexes and a mixed-use project. The company also wrapped up the $20 million addition and renovation of Seattle's Space Needle. Foreign projects, including the 300,000-sq.-ft. Alaya Center Greenbelt retail and entertainment center in The Philippines, accounted for 12 percent of total billings last year. William B. Karst, CEO; Robert Tindall, Pres. |
| 5 (-) $60.00 | WorkPlace USA 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1100 Dallas, TX 75206 (214) 696-6900 www.wp-usa.com |
Formerly The Amend Group, WorkPlace USA is a design/builder of commercial office buildings, and is also new to this list. The firm operates four offices in the United States and has 300 employees, including 10 registered architects. Recent projects include the 150,000-sq.-ft. Chase Customer Care Center in San Antonio and several 110,000-sq.-ft. network information centers for WorldCom at a total cost of $760 million. John T. Amend, Pres.; Jack Seifrick, Exec. VP. |
| 6 (5) $53.30 | Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates 2700 Promenade 2, 1230 Peachtree, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30309-3591 (404) 888-6600 www.tvsa.com |
TVS had a busy 2000. Besides opening a new office in Chicago, the firm acquired architect RDM Associates, increasing its staff to 280, including 92 architects. Institutional work, including the design of convention centers in Richmond, Va.; Hartford, Conn.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Washington, D.C., accounted for 52 percent of billings last year; commercial, 48 percent. Roger Neuenschwander, Pres.; Thomas W. Ventulett III, VP. |
| 7 (4) $49.10 | Hillier 500 Alexander Park, CN-23 Princeton, NJ 08543-0023 (609) 452-8888 www.hillier.com |
Hillier continued to focus on commercial and institutional work, which accounted for 55 percent and 35 percent of billings last year, respectively. Projects include a 650,000-sq.-ft. laboratory for Novartis Pharmaceutical Co. in East Hanover, N.J., and the $29 million Center for Human Genetics at Duke University. Nearly half of the company's billings last year involved reconstruction work. J. Robert Hillier, Chmn.; David Erik Chase, CEO. |
| 8 (13) $41.00 | Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC 111 W. 57th St. New York, NY 10019 (212) 977-6500 www.kpf.com |
The inclusion of international billings in this year's survey vaulted KPF five spots into the top 10. Accounting for 40 percent of the firm's billings last year, foreign projects include the Plaza 66, a 3.3 million-sq.-ft. mixed-use development in Shanghai, China. Commercial work accounted for 68 percent of total revenues last year; institutional, 32 percent. The firm has offices in New York, London and Tokyo. A Eugene Kohn, Pres.; William E. Pedersen, VP. |
| 9 (6) $40.94 | Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership 320 S.W. Oak Street, Suite 500 Portland, OR 97204-2737 (503) 224-3860 www.zgf.com |
ZGF's recent initiative to secure more foreign work has paid off, as the company landed several international jobs last year, including the U.S. Consulate General building in Istanbul, Turkey. Institutional work accounted for 65 percent of revenues, with 45 percent of all activity last year comprising government projects. Projects include the 21,000-seat Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints conference center in Salt Lake City. Robert G. Packard III, Mng. Ptnr. |
| 10 (7) $36.43 | Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates Inc. 3565 Piedmont Rd., N.E., Bldg. 1, Suite 303 Atlanta, GA 30305 (404) 233-5453 www.srssa.com |
SRSS saw an increase in high-rise office and mixed-use projects last year, including the $85 million, 1.2 million-sq.-ft. Plaza in Clayton, a mixed-use development in Clayton, Mo. Commercial work accounted for 70 percent of total billings last year; institutional, 20 percent; and industrial, 10 percent. The company started work on an addition to the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta, which is set for completion in July of 2003. Howard H. Stewart, Pres. |
| 11 (26) $31.98 | MulvannyG2 Architecture 1110 112th Ave., N.E., Suite 500 Bellevue, WA 98004 (425) 463-2000 www.mulvannyg2.com |
Mulvanny is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a new name, reflecting its merger with Seattle-based G2 Architecture, which specializes in office design. The company also recently relocated its headquarters to the $50 million, three-building One Twelfth @ Twelfth office complex in Bellevue, Wash., which was designed by the company and completed this spring. One-quarter of the firm's revenue last year stemmed from reconstruction work. Mitchell C. Smith, Pres. |
| 12 (12) $31.00 | Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz 222 Vallejo St. San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 398-5191 www.kmd-arch.com |
Inclusion of foreign work, which accounted for 10 percent of the company's billings last year, helped KMD hold the 12th spot for a third year. Institutional projects, including the 12-story Cheil General Hospital in Seoul, Korea, accounted for 60 percent of revenues last year; commercial work, 40 percent. Public projects, such as the County Administration Building in San Luis Obispo, Calif., made up 45 percent of total billings. Herbert McLaughlin, Chmn. |
| 13 (30) $29.60 | Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo 700 Bishop St., Suite 1800 Honolulu, HI 96813-4124 (808) 521-8888 www.watg.com |
The firm leapfrogged 17 spots to 13th on this list, thanks to the inclusion of foreign work, which accounted for 45 percent of billings last year. The firm continues to focus entirely on commercial work, especially hospitality, leisure and entertainment projects. Projects completed last year include the three-building Chevron Renaissance retail village in Queensland, Australia, and a 350-room Sofitel hotel in Taba, Egypt. Ronald J. Holecek, Pres., CEO. |
| 14 (15) $29.54 | HMC Architects 3270 Inland Empire Blvd. Ontario, CA 91764-4854 (909) 989-9979 www.hmcgroup.com |
Last year, HMC opened offices in Irvine and Calexico, Calif., and added 48 employees, including 15 registered architects, bringing its staff to 300. The company continues to focus mainly on institutional work, especially health-care projects like the $400 million Kaiser Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, Calif., and the $130 million Kaiser West Los Angeles Medical Center. Robert J. Kain, Chmn.; James L. Gilliam, Pres., CEO. |
| 15 (8) $29.30 | Corgan Associates Inc. 501 Elm St., Suite 500 Dallas, TX 75202 (214) 748-2000 www.corgan.com |
Aviation work continues to be a specialty for Corgan, with projects ongoing at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Miami International Airport. Revenue from commercial work, including corporate offices for Cisco Systems and Chase Manhattan Bank, both in Dallas, accounted for half of billings last year. The company increased its staff by 65 to a total of 312 employees, including 100 architects. David Lind, Bob Morris, Phil Mein, Suzanne Charriere, Mng. Prins. |
| 16 (10) $25.90 | VOA Associates Inc. 224 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1400 Chicago, IL 60604 (312) 554-1400 www.voa.com |
Institutional work, especially in the education and health-care sectors, accounted for 55 percent of billings last year. In the commercial sector, which accounted for 43 percent of total revenues, VOA saw an increase in multifamily housing and mixed-use development. Projects completed last year include a $42 million residence hall for the University of Chicago and the $25 million College of Business building at Illinois State University in Bloomington, Ill. Michael A. Toolis, Chmn. |
| 17 (20) $25.74 | Gould Evans Affiliates 4041 Mill St. Kansas City, MO 64111-3008 (816) 931-6655 www.geaf.com |
GEA continues to experience revenue growth in the Southwest U.S. construction market, including three university projects in Arizona: a $9.8 million dorm at Arizona State University in Tempe, the $6 million Ina E. Gittings Performing Arts Center at University of Arizona in Tucson, and the $4.3 million Chandler-Glibert Community College Performing Arts Center in Chandler. The company also opened an office in Salt Lake City. Robert E. Gould, Prin.; David C. Evans, Prin. |
| 18 (9) $24.11 | BBG/BBGM Architecture & Interior Design 515 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10022 (212) 888-7663 www.bbg-bbgm.com |
In a rebuilding year, Brennan Beer Gorman/Architects changed its name to BBG/BBGM but continued to focus on commercial work, such as hotels, resorts, office buildings and mixed-use developments, which accounted for 90 percent of total revenue. The firm wrapped up several large projects last year, including the 2,600-room Aladdin Resort Casino in Las Vegas and the 398-room, 31-story Hotel Sofitel New York. Peter Gorman, Ptnr. |
| 19 (-) $22.50 | RSP Architects Ltd. 120 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 339-0313 www.rsparch.com |
RSP attributed 60 percent of its billings last year to commercial work, especially corporate offices and retail developments. The remaining work was split between institutional and industrial buildings. Projects include the 1 million-sq.-ft. American Express Financial Center in Minneapolis and the 350,000-sq.-ft. Target Corp. Financial Services campus in Phoenix. The firm employs 229, including 46 registered architects. Michael J. Plautz, Prin.; David C. Norback, Pres. |
| 20 (29) $22.03 | ADD Inc. 210 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 234-3100 www.addinc.com |
Commercial work, including completion of a 240,000-sq.-ft. office complex in Woonsocket, R.I., for CVS Corp., accounted for 98 percent of revenue last year. The firm attributed 30 percent of billings to reconstruction work. Projects slated for completion this year include the 150,000-sq.-ft. Sun Microsystems building in Burlington, Mass., and the 100,000-sq.-ft. headquarters for New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. Wilson F. Pollock, Pres.; Wayne S. Koch, CEO. |
| 21 (24) $20.61 | Swanke Hayden Connell Architects 295 Lafayette St. New York, NY 10012 (212) 226-9696 www.shca.com |
The firm acquired New York City-based Taylor Clark Architects last year, expanding its health-care portfolio. Commercial work, especially low- and high-rise office buildings, accounted for 77 percent of revenue last year. The firm attributed 37 percent of billings to foreign projects, including the 300,000-sq.-ft. Riekerpolder office building in Amsterdam. Other projects include the 600,000-sq.-ft. Reuters headquarters in New York City. Richard S. Hayden, Mng. Prin. |
| 22 (14) $20.60 | Cooper Carry Inc. 3520 Piedmont Rd., N.E., Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30305-1595 (404) 237-2000 www.coopercarry.com |
The lion's share of Cooper Carry's work last year involved commercial work, mainly in the mixed-use, office, retail, hotel and multifamily housing sectors. Projects completed last year include the 12-story, 300,000-sq.-ft. Southern Energy headquarters in Atlanta and the 216,000-sq.-ft. Renaissance hotel and conference center in Portsmouth, Va. One-quarter of the firm's projects were design/build. Kevin R. Cantley, Pres.; E. Pope Bullock, Exec. VP. |
| 23 (17) $20.00 | Perkowitz + Ruth Architects Inc. 111 W. Ocean Blvd., |21st Floor Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 628-8000 www.prarchitects.com |
P+R continues to focus exclusively on retail, entertainment and hospitality design. The firm recently expanded services to include urban mixed-use developments, including Burbank Center in Burbank, Calif. and Rio Entertainment Center at the Washingtonian in Gaithersburg, Md. Commercial work, including two 700,000-sq.-ft. Target stores in Costa Mesa and Cerritos, Calif., accounted for all of the firm's work last year. Sy Perkowitz, Pres., CEO. |
| 24 (-) $19.50 | Murphy/Jahn 35 E. Wacker Dr., Suite 300 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 427-7300 www.murphyjahn.com |
Murphy/Jahn attributes 85 percent of its revenue to international work, which is being included for the first time in this year's rankings. The firm has 102 employees, including 47 registered architects, operating out of four offices: one in Chicago and three Germany. Commercial work, especially office buildings and mixed-use developments, accounted for 85 percent of the firm's billings last year; institutional, 15 percent. Helmut Jahn, Pres., CEO; Sam Scaccia, Exec. VP. |
| 25 (11) $19.40 | Elkus/Manfredi Architects Ltd. 530 Atlantic Ave. | Boston, MA 02210 (617) 426-1300 www.elkus-manfredi.com |
Billings from commercial work jumped to 82 percent of total revenue for the firm last year, up from less than half of total revenue two years ago. The firm focuses on corporate offices and retail and mixed-use developments. Projects completed last year include the 1 million-sq.-ft. CityPlace mixed-use development in West Palm Beach, Fla., and the 265,000-sq.-ft. Putnam Investments Call Center in Norwood, Mass. Howard F. Elkus, David P. Manfredi, Prins. |
| 26 (33) $18.70 | Spector Group 3111 New Hyde Park Rd. North Hills, NY 11040 (516) 365-4240 www.spectorgroup.com |
Spector Group saw growth in institutional projects last year, which accounted for 54 percent of total billings, thanks to several extensive school projects. In particular, the firm will complete eight schools in Great Neck, N.Y., this year, and has an ongoing seven-school project in Hewlett, N.Y. Commercial work accounted for 46 percent of billings last year, which half of the company's revenues stem from reconstruction work. Michael Harris Spector, Prin. |
| 27 (18) $18.50 | MCG Architects 200 S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 300 Pasadena, CA 91101 (310) 276-7303 www.mcgarchitecture.com |
MCG consolidated its two Los Angeles-area offices into one in Pasadena, Calif. The company continues to focus on commercial work, especially retail, hospitality, office, entertainment and mixed-use projects, which accounted for 99 percent of revenues last year. Projects include the Palm Springs Art Colony in Palm Springs, Calif., which combines retail and entertainment venues with a 150-unit apartment complex. Frederick J. Gaylord, CEO. |
| 28 (-) $18.14 | LS3P Associates Ltd. 24 N. Market St., Suite 300 Charleston, SC 29401 (843) 577-4444 www.ls3p.com | Since merging with Charlotte, N.C.-based TBA2 in April 1999, LS3P has grown to 180 strong, including 65 registered architects, and has strengthened its design services in the office, retail, mixed-use, hospitality and education sectors. Commercial work accounted for 57 percent of billings last year; institutional, 40 percent. Projects slated for completion this year include the $45 million New Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, S.C. John L. Mack, VP. |
| 29 (27) $17.41 | Niles Bolton Associates Inc. 3060 Peachtree Road, Suite 600 Atlanta, GA 30305 (404) 365-7600 www.nilesbolton.com |
The office, education, mixed-use, hospitality, multifamily housing and retail sectors continue to be the focus for NBA. Commercial projects accounted for 69 percent of total revenues; the balance was institutional. Current projects include the 5,000-bed Campus Village student housing building at San Jose (Calif.) State University, the 30-story Kensington condominium complex in Atlanta, and the First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga. G. Niles Bolton, Pres. |
| 30 (44) $17.40 | MBH Architects 1115 Atlantic Ave. Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 865-8663 www.mbharch.com |
MBH jumped 14 spots and cracked the top 30 thanks to increased work in the retail and hospitality sectors, including the 1 million-sq.-ft. Marriott Newport Coast Villas resort in Newport Beach, Calif., and the 100,000-sq.-ft. Wax Museum retail center in San Francisco. Commercial work, including office buildings, restaurants and multifamily housing, accounted for 100 percent of billings last year. John McNulty, Dennis Heath, F. Clay Fry, Joseph Smart, Prins. |
| 31 (25) $17.00 | Griswold, Heckel & Kelly Associates Inc. 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 600 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 263-6605 www.ghk.net |
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| 31 (49) $17.00 | LPA Inc. 17848 Sky Park Circle Irvine, CA 92614 (949) 261-1001 www.lpainc.com |
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| 33 (-) $16.80 | KKE Architects 300 First Ave., North Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 339-4200 www.kke.com |
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| 34 (23) $16.60 | Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates 902 Broadway, 19th Floor New York, NY 10010 (212) 677-6030 www.hhpa.com |
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| 35 (22) $16.57 | Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott Inc. 40 Broad Street Boston, MA 02109-4306 (617) 423-1700 www.sbra.com |
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| 36 (39) $15.64 | DeStefano + Partners Ltd. 445 E. Illinois St., Suite 250 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 836-4321 www.destefanoandpartners.com |
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| 37 (35) $15.02 | LMN Architects 801 Second Ave., Suite 501 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 682-3460 www.lmnarchitects.com |
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| 38 (-) $15.00 | Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates Inc. 625 Michigan Ave., Suite 800 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 896-1100 www.scbdesign.com |
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| 39 (31) $14.78 | Langdon Wilson Architecture Planning Interiors 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1500 Los Angeles, CA 90017 (213) 250-1186 www.langdonwilson.com |
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| 40 (43) $14.65 | Davis Brody Bond LLP 315 Hudson St. New York, NY 10013 (212) 633-4700 www.davisbrody.com |
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| 41 (45) $14.09 | Legat Architects Inc. 24 N. Chapel St. Waukegan, IL 60085 (847) 263-3535 www.legat.com |
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| 42 (16) $13.92 | McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners 1900 Main St., 8th Floor Irvine, CA 92614-7318 (949) 809-3388 www.mve-architects.com |
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| 43 (46) $13.85 | Schenkel Shultz 111 E. Wayne St., Suite 555 Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (317) 574-6975 www.schenkelshultz.com |
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| 44 (28) $13.48 | Granary Associates 411 N. 20th St. Philadelphia, PA 19130 (215) 665-7000 www.granaryassoc.com |
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| 45 (38) $13.40 | Cuningham Group 201 Main St., S.E., Suite 325 Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 379-3400 www.cuningham.com |
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| 46 (37) $13.14 | Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP 88 Pine St. New York, NY 10005 (212) 751-3122 www.pcf-p.com |
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| 47 (19) $12.94 | Morris Architects 3355 W. Alabama, Suite 200 Houston, TX 77098 (713) 622-1180 www.morrisarchitects.com |
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| 48 (34) $12.91 | FRCH Design Worldwide 311 Elm St., Suite 600 Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 241-3000 www.frch.com |
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| 49 (50) $12.40 | RBB Architects 10980 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024 (310) 473-3555 www.rbbinc.com |
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| 50 (-) $12.27 | OZ Architecture 1580 Lincoln St., Suite 1200 Denver, CO 80203 (303) 861-5704 www.ozarc.com |
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