An analysis of Dun & Bradstreet stats by consultant Paul Abramson indicates that some $11 billion was spent on higher ed construction last year—up a billion from 2012, with nearly 70% comprising new buildings (http://bit.ly/1qhMzaw).
As examined in BD+C’s in-depth May report, university stakeholders face complicated cap-ex stressors, from chronic (lender stinginess, deferred maintenance) to impending (President Obama’s pledge to start rating colleges on value delivered, consumer pushback on ever-rising costs).
Creative approaches to financing, design, and delivery are top-of-mind. Paula Stamp, Business Development Manager in the Los Angeles office of PCL Construction, says clients are exploring CM at risk, design-build, and design risk. Margie Simmons, VP and Education Sector Leader at Stantec, adds: “Higher debt levels will encourage institutions to seek off-balance-sheet financing solutions and P3s.”
Teri Jones, VP at Sundt Construction, sees a similar pattern, plus emphasis on revenue-generating buildings like dorms and recreation centers.
Facility trends observed by Stamp include housing construction by community colleges (serving a growing international-student population) and better use of indoor and outdoor circulation and common space. John Baxter, Education Sector Leader at EYP, says clients are asking for features that enhance an interactive “corridor culture” in dorms.
Michael Medici, AIA, NCARB, Learning Practice Leader and Senior VP at SmithGroupJJR, mentions growing demand for facilities that support interprofessional health sciences education and project-based, career-oriented learning. Also gaining traction: office zones that mimic private-sector workplaces, with less assigned space and more team zones.
Perkins+Will higher ed designers Jeff Ziebarth, Jeff Stebar, and John Long are also seeing this pattern; Long says younger faculty and administrators have been a lot more receptive than veterans.
Top University Sector Architecture Firms
| Rank | Company | 2013 Higher Ed Revenue |
| 1 | CannonDesign | $76,000,000 |
| 2 | Perkins+will | 45,582,532 |
| 3 | Stantec | 42,368,888 |
| 4 | EYP Architecture & Engineering | 39,000,000 |
| 5 | Gensler | 29,492,000 |
| 6 | SmithGroupJJR | 27,088,190 |
| 7 | Clark Nexsen | 21,732,694 |
| 8 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | 20,933,579 |
| 9 | Page | 19,771,000 |
| 10 | ZGF Architects | 19,397,489 |
| 11 | Wilson Architects | 18,500,000 |
| 12 | Ennead Architects | 18,086,505 |
| 13 | Flad Architects | 16,260,000 |
| 14 | SHW Group | 15,991,000 |
| 15 | Shepley Bulfinch | 15,595,000 |
| 16 | Harley Ellis Devereaux | 15,120,000 |
| 17 | Moseley Architects | 15,016,516 |
| 18 | Lord Aeck Sargent | 13,533,882 |
| 19 | HMC Architects | 13,440,933 |
| 20 | NBBJ | 13,242,000 |
| 21 | HKS | 12,847,559 |
| 22 | Ballinger | 12,113,215 |
| 23 | Beyer Blinder Belle | 11,627,926 |
| 24 | DLR Group | 11,100,000 |
| 25 | LS3P | 10,532,964 |
| 26 | Morris Architects | 10,000,000 |
| 27 | Solomon Cordwell Buenz | 10,000,000 |
| 28 | Davis Brody Bond | 9,835,655 |
| 29 | FGM Architects | 9,821,820 |
| 30 | LPA | 9,561,760 |
| 31 | Perkins Eastman | 9,300,000 |
| 32 | Moody Nolan | 9,104,965 |
| 33 | CO Architects | 8,912,400 |
| 34 | EwingCole | 7,430,000 |
| 35 | Heery International | 7,186,274 |
| 36 | Hastings+Chivetta Architects | 6,378,602 |
| 37 | Westlake Reed Leskosky | 6,325,000 |
| 38 | FXFOWLE Architects | 6,200,000 |
| 39 | Mithun | 6,158,000 |
| 40 | Goodwyn Mills & Cawood | 6,127,329 |
| 41 | HOK | 5,876,913 |
| 42 | BSA LifeStructures | 5,789,413 |
| 43 | NTD Architecture | 5,586,000 |
| 44 | LMN Architects | 5,549,900 |
| 45 | Ratio Architects | 5,537,316 |
| 46 | Leo A Daly | 5,395,356 |
| 47 | Bergmann Associates | 5,304,175 |
| 48 | Little | 5,249,190 |
| 49 | Hammel, Green and Abrahamson | 4,836,088 |
| 50 | Legat Architects | 4,685,600 |
| 51 | GBBN Architects | 4,560,000 |
| 52 | Carrier Johnson + Culture | 4,060,468 |
| 53 | Parkhill, Smith & Cooper | 4,026,000 |
| 54 | Cooper Carry | 3,961,244 |
| 55 | CTA Architects Engineers | 3,737,320 |
| 56 | Cambridge Seven Associates | 3,473,000 |
| 57 | PGAL | 3,260,300 |
| 58 | BLDD Architects | 3,000,000 |
| 59 | IBI Group ? Gruzen Samton | 3,000,000 |
| 60 | Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates | 2,974,000 |
| 61 | Slaterpaull Architects | 2,879,532 |
| 62 | Hord Coplan Macht | 2,843,072 |
| 63 | OZ Architecture | 2,825,000 |
| 64 | Kirksey | 2,822,225 |
| 65 | Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio | 2,801,380 |
| 66 | WDG Architecture | 2,757,000 |
| 67 | RS&H | 2,450,000 |
| 68 | SchenkelShultz Architecture | 2,386,000 |
| 69 | Payette | 2,282,352 |
| 70 | Corgan | 2,202,280 |
| 71 | Integrus Architecture | 2,191,762 |
| 72 | BLTa | 2,175,000 |
| 73 | H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture | 2,141,323 |
| 74 | WHR Architects | 1,958,367 |
| 75 | Baskervill | 1,853,208 |
| 76 | Ashley McGraw Architects | 1,836,510 |
| 77 | KZF Design | 1,698,300 |
| 78 | Eppstein Uhen Architects | 1,691,787 |
| 79 | VOA Associates | 1,628,847 |
| 80 | GWWO | 1,623,501 |
| 81 | Wight & Company | 1,586,000 |
| 82 | Hoffmann Architects | 1,548,000 |
| 83 | Symmes Maini & McKee Associates | 1,530,000 |
| 84 | PBK | 1,500,000 |
| 85 | NAC|Architecture | 1,424,431 |
| 86 | LaBella Associates | 1,310,186 |
| 87 | Niles Bolton Associates | 1,263,210 |
| 88 | Nelson | 1,213,987 |
| 89 | Fentress Architects | 1,120,400 |
| 90 | Urban Design Group | 1,100,000 |
| 91 | Environetics | 1,087,370 |
| 92 | NORR | 1,052,484 |
| 93 | Becker Morgan Group | 1,037,159 |
| 94 | Albert Kahn Associates | 904,065 |
| 95 | RTKL Associates | 849,000 |
| 96 | Good Fulton & Farrell | 815,800 |
| 97 | Goettsch Partners | 810,000 |
| 98 | BBS Architects | 800,240 |
| 99 | Commonwealth Architects | 775,074 |
| 100 | Francis Cauffman | 707,774 |
| 101 | RNL | 690,000 |
| 102 | RBB Architects | 657,149 |
| 103 | RSP Architects | 620,000 |
| 104 | Gresham, Smith and Partners | 567,000 |
| 105 | Fanning/Howey Associates | 541,000 |
| 106 | Rosser International | 539,460 |
| 107 | Harvard Jolly Architecture | 530,103 |
| 108 | DesignGroup | 457,970 |
| 109 | Hnedak Bobo Group | 353,000 |
| 110 | JRS Architect | 295,000 |
| 111 | Emersion Design | 273,766 |
| 112 | Ware Malcomb | 240,000 |
| 113 | H+L Architecture | 236,252 |
| 114 | Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates | 226,716 |
| 115 | Sherlock, Smith & Adams | 219,000 |
Top University Sector Engineering Firms
| Rank | Company | 2013 Higher Ed Revenue |
| 1 | AECOM Technology Corp. | $76,410,000 |
| 2 | Jacobs | 35,150,000 |
| 3 | URS Corp. | 29,434,668 |
| 4 | Vanderweil Engineers | 26,614,500 |
| 5 | Burns & McDonnell | 24,152,332 |
| 6 | Affiliated Engineers | 22,469,000 |
| 7 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 20,057,993 |
| 8 | STV | 18,416,000 |
| 9 | Arup | 14,561,909 |
| 10 | KJWW Engineering Consultants | 13,071,767 |
| 11 | BR+A Consulting Engineers | 10,120,000 |
| 12 | WSP Group | 9,120,000 |
| 13 | Simpson Gumpertz & Heger | 9,070,000 |
| 14 | Thornton Tomasetti | 7,942,631 |
| 15 | M-E Engineers | 7,243,000 |
| 16 | P2S Engineering | 7,170,208 |
| 17 | Shive-Hattery | 6,612,598 |
| 18 | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates | 6,550,000 |
| 19 | Dewberry | 6,331,593 |
| 20 | Environmental Systems Design | 6,144,227 |
| 21 | RMF Engineering | 5,400,000 |
| 22 | AKF Group | 5,261,000 |
| 23 | Glumac | 4,922,565 |
| 24 | M/E Engineering | 4,699,367 |
| 25 | TTG | 4,600,100 |
| 26 | Newcomb & Boyd | 4,505,166 |
| 27 | RDK Engineers | 4,490,000 |
| 28 | Heapy Engineering | 4,426,631 |
| 29 | KCI Technologies | 4,400,000 |
| 30 | Interface Engineering | 4,351,590 |
| 31 | Joseph R. Loring & Associates | 4,100,000 |
| 32 | I. C. Thomasson Associates | 3,500,000 |
| 33 | Spectrum Engineers | 3,347,542 |
| 34 | Highland Associates | 3,200,000 |
| 35 | KPFF Consulting Engineers | 3,125,000 |
| 36 | Syska Hennessy Group | 3,072,512 |
| 37 | Ross & Baruzzini | 3,043,445 |
| 38 | H.F. Lenz | 2,878,115 |
| 39 | Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering | 2,850,000 |
| 40 | Sparling | 2,553,080 |
| 41 | Smith Seckman Reid | 2,519,005 |
| 42 | Martin/Martin | 2,263,812 |
| 43 | Karpinski Engineering | 2,170,197 |
| 44 | Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corp. | 2,000,000 |
| 45 | Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber | 2,000,000 |
| 46 | SSOE Group | 1,912,012 |
| 47 | Henderson Engineers | 1,838,909 |
| 48 | TLC Engineering for Architecture | 1,806,782 |
| 49 | Zak Companies | 1,706,697 |
| 50 | Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers | 1,686,953 |
| 51 | CJL Engineering | 1,657,350 |
| 52 | Graef | 1,584,321 |
| 53 | Primera Engineers | 1,456,000 |
| 54 | CCRD Partners | 1,388,000 |
| 55 | Brinjac Engineering | 1,303,855 |
| 56 | Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor | 1,200,000 |
| 57 | Wallace Engineering | 1,133,000 |
| 58 | Stanley Consultants | 1,090,529 |
| 59 | Leidos | 1,040,000 |
| 60 | Walter P Moore and Associates | 1,005,161 |
| 61 | Allen & Shariff | 1,000,000 |
| 62 | Dunham Associates | 950,000 |
| 63 | Bala Consulting Engineers | 926,000 |
| 64 | Degenkolb Engineers | 855,093 |
| 65 | OLA Consulting Engineers | 840,000 |
| 66 | Mazzetti | 774,981 |
| 67 | DeSimone Consulting Engineers | 474,096 |
| 68 | KLH Engineers | 468,745 |
| 69 | ThermalTech Engineering | 460,000 |
| 70 | French & Parrello Associates | 300,690 |
| 71 | GHT Limited | 260,000 |
| 72 | Wick Fisher White | 223,276 |
| 73 | CTLGroup | 220,000 |
| 74 | Davis, Bowen & Friedel | 204,422 |
| 75 | Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon | 200,000 |
| 76 | Magnusson Klemencic Associates | 166,730 |
| 77 | Coffman Engineers | 116,263 |
Top University Sector Construction Firms
| Rank | Company | 2013 Higher Ed Revenue |
| 1 | Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The | $818,698,552 |
| 2 | Turner Construction | 774,984,000 |
| 3 | Gilbane | 475,524,757 |
| 4 | Skanska USA | 371,024,162 |
| 5 | PCL Construction | 368,990,947 |
| 6 | Clark Group | 312,942,079 |
| 7 | Shawmut Design and Construction | 265,610,000 |
| 8 | Barton Malow | 264,908,516 |
| 9 | Structure Tone | 229,539,000 |
| 10 | Consigli Construction | 227,995,719 |
| 11 | Mortenson Construction | 220,320,000 |
| 12 | McCarthy Holdings | 203,600,000 |
| 13 | Sundt Construction | 185,867,366 |
| 14 | Holder Construction | 176,219,000 |
| 15 | Messer Construction | 172,997,147 |
| 16 | Balfour Beatty US | 171,519,250 |
| 17 | JE Dunn Construction | 164,791,311 |
| 18 | LeChase Construction Services | 164,000,000 |
| 19 | Walbridge | 163,500,000 |
| 20 | Power Construction | 159,000,000 |
| 21 | Beck Group, The | 157,055,739 |
| 22 | Suffolk Construction | 149,745,824 |
| 23 | Tutor Perini Corp. | 145,671,900 |
| 24 | DPR Construction | 140,724,634 |
| 25 | W. M. Jordan Company | 130,566,823 |
| 26 | C.W. Driver | 127,735,000 |
| 27 | Flintco | 113,500,000 |
| 28 | Walsh Group, The | 111,960,180 |
| 29 | Boldt Company, The | 107,802,444 |
| 30 | Brasfield & Gorrie | 107,242,213 |
| 31 | Juneau Construction | 97,432,186 |
| 32 | Manhattan Construction | 89,176,000 |
| 33 | Rodgers Builders | 88,744,572 |
| 34 | McGough | 82,000,000 |
| 35 | Summit Contracting Group | 80,286,141 |
| 36 | Choate Construction | 77,541,745 |
| 37 | Pepper Construction | 72,000,000 |
| 38 | Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction | 66,219,000 |
| 39 | Bernards | 66,000,000 |
| 40 | Hensel Phelps | 65,670,000 |
| 41 | O'Neil Industries/W.E. O'Neil | 65,552,134 |
| 42 | Kraus-Anderson Construction | 64,000,000 |
| 43 | Hunt Construction Group | 64,000,000 |
| 44 | B. L. Harbert International | 63,854,476 |
| 45 | Lend Lease | 56,720,000 |
| 46 | CORE Construction Group | 55,821,501 |
| 47 | Fortis Construction | 53,628,000 |
| 48 | Layton Construction | 52,600,000 |
| 49 | Paric Corp. | 50,000,000 |
| 50 | New South Construction | 47,702,000 |
| 51 | Hill & Wilkinson | 46,288,000 |
| 52 | Austin Commercial | 44,335,793 |
| 53 | Yates Companies, The | 42,800,000 |
| 54 | Bette Companies, The | 38,929,000 |
| 55 | Hoffman Construction | 37,000,000 |
| 56 | Coakley & Williams Construction | 32,064,969 |
| 57 | Adolfson & Peterson Construction | 30,713,572 |
| 58 | URS Corp. | 29,434,668 |
| 59 | James G. Davis Construction | 27,506,326 |
| 60 | Weitz Company, The | 26,478,980 |
| 61 | Bomel Construction | 24,949,344 |
| 62 | Linbeck Group | 24,410,000 |
| 63 | LPCiminelli | 23,426,935 |
| 64 | IMC Construction | 22,086,310 |
| 65 | Hill International | 22,000,000 |
| 66 | HITT Contracting | 20,900,000 |
| 67 | E.W. Howell | 20,566,000 |
| 68 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 20,057,993 |
| 69 | STV | 18,416,000 |
| 70 | Stalco Construction | 17,780,000 |
| 71 | Haselden Construction | 17,425,677 |
| 72 | Kitchell Corp. | 13,043,551 |
| 73 | Hoar Construction | 12,920,000 |
| 74 | Batson-Cook | 12,513,549 |
| 75 | Absher Construction | 12,280,813 |
| 76 | S. M. Wilson & Co. | 10,863,488 |
| 77 | James McHugh Construction | 10,538,534 |
| 78 | Robins & Morton | 8,714,264 |
| 79 | Clune Construction | 8,635,947 |
| 80 | Haskell | 8,294,931 |
| 81 | Alberici Constructors | 7,380,631 |
| 82 | Heery International | 7,186,274 |
| 83 | Wight & Company | 4,935,000 |
| 84 | Gray Construction | 3,880,000 |
| 85 | Ryan Companies US | 3,715,948 |
| 86 | KBE Building Corp. | 2,694,826 |
| 87 | Leopardo Companies | 1,907,266 |
| 88 | Douglas Company, The | 1,507,502 |
| 89 | JLL | 1,375,045 |
| 90 | Astorino | 1,222,033 |
| 91 | Allen & Shariff | 1,000,000 |
Read BD+C's full 2014 Giants 300 Report
Related Stories
Cultural Facilities | Aug 21, 2024
Baltimore’s National Aquarium opens 10,000-sf floating wetland that mimics the harbor’s original tidal marsh habitat
The National Aquarium in Baltimore has opened the National Aquarium Harbor Wetland, a 10,000-sf floating wetland that mimics the Inner Harbor’s original Chesapeake Bay tidal marsh habitat. Located between Piers 3 and 4 on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the $14 million project features more than 32,000 native shrubs and marsh grasses.
Mixed-Use | Aug 21, 2024
Adaptive reuse of a Sears store becomes luxury mixed-use housing
6 Corners Lofts at 4714 W Irving Park Road, Chicago, Ill., opened in March of 2024 as a 394,000-sf adaptive reuse project born out of a former Sears store.
Building Materials | Aug 19, 2024
Federal 'buy clean' construction materials label program unveiled
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a plan for implementing a new label program to boost American production of more climate-friendly construction materials and products. The label program will prioritize steel, glass, asphalt and concrete.
Museums | Aug 19, 2024
The Tampa Museum of Art will soon undergo a $110 million expansion
In Tampa, Fla., the Tampa Museum of Art will soon undergo a 77,904-sf Centennial Expansion project. The museum plans to reach its $110 million fundraising goal by late 2024 or early 2025 and then break ground. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi, and with construction manager The Beck Group, the expansion will redefine the museum’s surrounding site.
AEC Tech | Aug 19, 2024
Harnessing AI to revolutionize architectural design and creativity
Architects are wondering if AI will replace us. For Vessel, the gains offset the fear. We believe there is wisdom in the unattributed quote, “You won’t lose your job to AI. You will lose your job to someone using AI.”
Reconstruction & Renovation | Aug 19, 2024
Movement to protect historic buildings raises sharp criticism
While the movement to preserve historic buildings has widespread support, it also has some sharp critics with well-funded opposition groups springing up in recent years. Some opponents are linked to the Stand Together Foundation, founded and bankrolled by the Koch family’s conservative philanthropic organization, according to a column in Governing magazine.
Government Buildings | Aug 19, 2024
GSA posts new RFI for enabling energy efficiency, decarbonization in commercial buildings
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, recently released a new Request For Information (RFI) focused on enabling energy efficiency and decarbonization in commercial buildings. GSA wants to test innovative technologies through GSA’s Center for Emerging Building Technologies.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Aug 16, 2024
At 60 stories, the Paramount multifamily development will stand as Nashville’s tallest high rise
When complete, the 60-story Paramount building, at 750 feet high, will be the tallest high rise tower in Nashville, Tenn., surpassing the city’s current record holder, the 617-foot AT&T Building. The $390 million Paramount project recently launched condo sales after securing more than $230 million in construction financing.
Urban Planning | Aug 15, 2024
New York City begins first large-scale porous pavement installation
New York City is installing its first large-scale porous pavement installation along seven miles of roadway in Brooklyn. The project will keep 35 million gallons of stormwater out of the combined sewer system each year, according to a news release.
Urban Planning | Aug 15, 2024
The magic of L.A.’s Melrose Mile
Great streets are generally not initially curated or willed into being. Rather, they emerge organically from unintentional synergies of commercial, business, cultural and economic drivers. L.A.’s Melrose Avenue is a prime example.
