In a deal announced this morning, Houston-based healthcare and S+T design specialist FKP has merged with design giant CannonDesign (#8 on BD+C’s Giants 300 Top 100 Architecture/Engineering Firms ranking). The merger forms a 19-office, 960-employee practice that produced more than $220 million in combined design revenue in 2016.
Led by CEO Diane R.K. Osan, FAIA, ACHA, FKP is an internationally recognized design firm with offices in Houston, Dallas, and Columbus. Known for its expertise in pediatric healthcare, the firm has designed children’s facilities throughout the U.S., including Nemours’ A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care in Philadelphia, and numerous projects for Texas Children’s Hospital.
“CannonDesign’s five-year strategic framework focuses on proactive strategies for strengthening our client partnerships through personal and firm growth by office expansions, new hires, and mergers,” said CannonDesign’s CEO Brad Lukanic, AIA, in a statement. “Today’s merger with FKP intentionally increases CannonDesign’s commitment to total health solutions with a focus on children’s health, while advancing our design impact, being a top-tier employer, and taking a stronghold in key geographic areas like Texas and Ohio.”
Reflecting on the shared benefits of the merger, Osan notes the opportunity to profoundly impact community health. “In order to effectively improve the conditions of our communities, we have to start by addressing the needs of children. Not just healthcare for children, but education, research, recreation, nutrition and that list goes on. All of these factors are critical in setting the path for a child’s future, and our firms’ combined expertise will allow us to address these factors and set children and communities up for success.”
Osan will assume the role as leader of CannonDesign’s Pediatric Health Practice. Looking beyond the traditional definition of healthcare, she will lead the practice in exploring ways to support the health and wellbeing of children across numerous environmental settings. She’ll also be joining the firm’s board of directors.
“Both of our firms have solid foundations,” added Lukanic. “Now we can expand in key areas to further serve our clients and create partnerships to evolve our design practice.”
Going forward, FKP will conduct business as FKP | CannonDesign.
Related Stories
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2015
Best practices for urban infill development: Embrace the region's character, master the pedestrian experience
If an urban building isn’t grounded in the local region’s character, it will end up feeling generic and out-of-place. To do urban infill the right way, it’s essential to slow down and pay proper attention to the context of an urban environment, writes GS&P's Joe Bucher.
| Jan 6, 2015
Construction permits exceeded $2 billion in Minneapolis in 2014
Two major projects—a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings NFL team and the city’s Downtown East redevelopment—accounted for about half of the total worth of the permits issued.
| Jan 6, 2015
Snøhetta unveils design proposal of the Barack Obama Presidential Center Library for the University of Hawaii
The plan by Snøhetta and WCIT Architecture features a building that appears square from the outside, but opens at one corner into a rounded courtyard with a pool, Dezeen reports.
| Jan 5, 2015
Another billionaire sports club owner plans to build a football stadium in Los Angeles
Kroenke Group is the latest in a series of high-profile investors that want to bring back pro football to the City of Lights.
| Jan 5, 2015
Beyond training: How locker rooms are becoming more like living rooms
Despite having common elements—lockers for personal gear and high-quality sound systems—the real challenge when designing locker rooms is creating a space that reflects the attitude of the team, writes SRG Partnership's Aaron Pleskac.
| Jan 2, 2015
Illustrations of classic architecture bring in the new year with style
New York-based designer Xinran Ma has illustrated a New Year's greeting card that assembles pieces of various brutalist and modernist architecture.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 30, 2014
A simplified arena concept for NBA’s Warriors creates interest
The Golden State Warriors, currently the team with the best record in the National Basketball Association, looks like it could finally get a new arena.
| Dec 30, 2014
The future of healthcare facilities: new products, changing delivery models, and strategic relationships
Healthcare continues to shift toward Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley as it revamps business practices to focus on consumerism and efficiency, writes CBRE Healthcare's Patrick Duke.
| Dec 29, 2014
High-strength aluminum footbridge designed to withstand deep-ocean movement, high wind speeds [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
The metal’s flexibility makes the difference in an oil rig footbridge connecting platforms in the West Philippine Sea. The design solution was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
