Office Sector Giants: ‘Flex’ reigns supreme in hot office construction market [2014 BD+C Giants 300 Report]

The office market continues to improve, with many projects in development. Rents are rising as vacancy decreases, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s 2014 U.S. Office Outlook (http://bit.ly/1ildrS7). Dozens of markets are classified as experiencing a “rising phase” (among them, Phoenix, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Atlanta), while Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, and the Silicon Valley are believed to be peaking.

New-construction leaders include Houston and New York City, and even in calmer markets, AEC firms are busy with workplace fitouts and renovations.

The adage “doing more with less” has become a byword for many businesses since the Great Recession, and clients are trying to maximize every precious inch. “Everyone is looking to use less space,” says Daniel P. Perruzzi, Jr., AIA, LEED AP, Principal at Boston-based Margulies Perruzzi Architects. “They’re looking at ways to modify their office and workplace standards so that they can fit into less.”

Hierarchical office assignments are becoming passé, as is the notion that people will stay in their cubicles for much of the day. “A lot of companies are going down to a single size for offices, so they’re not awarding that space on the basis of rank,” notes Perruzzi. “And as a rule, companies are looking to change the ratio between offices and open workstations. It’s all driven by collaboration.”

Non-assigned space concepts continue to gain popularity. Whether or not they’re actual telecommuters, workers on the move require well-considered accommodations, including easily accessible plug-ins for laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Says Perruzzi, “You have to think about the accommodations both technically and physically. Workers want to be able to plug in their devices and see their desktop no matter which workstation they’re using.”

Analyses by experts like CoreNet Global indicate that space per worker may drop below 100 sf within five years. Perruzzi says workstations won’t necessarily keep shrinking but will likely keep reducing in number. Margulies Perruzzi’s design for Philips North America’s first Workplace Innovation Center involved no private offices and 200 physical workstations for about 260 employees. Called “free addressing,” the plan allows employees to migrate from desk to desk while reducing the number of empty spots left by workers who are off-site.

Says Perruzzi: “There’s no such thing as an individual contributor anymore. It’s about people working in teams that change on a regular basis, are very dynamic, and need constant access to each other.”

Top Office Sector Architecture Firms

Rank	Company	2013 Office Revenue
1	Gensler	$472,552,752
2	HOK	141,723,793
3	Perkins+will	112,815,842
4	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill	83,599,900
5	NBBJ	64,107,000
6	Stantec	62,594,213
7	ZGF Architects	43,902,072
8	Page	37,460,000
9	Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates	36,176,000
10	Nelson	36,089,550
11	SmithGroupJJR	35,614,366
12	Hammel, Green and Abrahamson	33,267,365
13	RTKL Associates	30,705,000
14	EYP Architecture & Engineering	30,000,000
15	CannonDesign	29,000,000
16	HKS	26,255,885
17	Corgan	24,977,990
18	HDR	24,700,000
19	RSP Architects	23,106,000
20	Leo A Daly	20,101,466
21	Heery International	20,011,958
22	LS3P	17,522,964
23	Ware Malcomb	17,500,000
24	Kirksey	15,989,864
25	LPA	15,875,503
26	Perkins Eastman	15,000,000
27	NORR	14,244,421
28	Goettsch Partners	12,070,000
29	VOA Associates	11,040,757
30	Epstein	10,752,000
31	CTA Architects Engineers	10,438,159
32	Margulies Perruzzi Architects	10,191,746
33	Cuningham Group Architecture	10,068,814
34	BRPH	9,906,000
35	DLR Group	9,800,000
36	Environetics	9,612,351
37	Vocon	9,203,152
38	RNL	8,941,000
39	Gresham, Smith and Partners	8,768,000
40	Ziegler Cooper	8,676,816
41	Davis Brody Bond	8,369,474
42	FXFOWLE Architects	7,880,000
43	Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture	7,750,000
44	Clark Nexsen	7,707,493
45	LMN Architects	7,368,900
46	Little	7,253,565
47	Cooper Carry	7,227,738
48	Symmes Maini & McKee Associates	6,490,000
49	WDG Architecture	5,844,000
50	Solomon Cordwell Buenz	5,300,000
51	Carrier Johnson + Culture	5,118,818
52	Swanke Hayden Connell Architects	4,990,000
53	Eppstein Uhen Architects	4,972,955
54	Fentress Architects	4,551,790
55	Francis Cauffman	4,187,463
56	Wight & Company	3,683,000
57	Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates	3,653,284
58	OZ Architecture	3,625,600
59	GBBN Architects	3,540,500
60	Callison	3,481,227
61	HMC Architects	3,388,658
62	Albert Kahn Associates	3,297,848
63	Baskervill	3,226,678
64	Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio	3,120,000
65	Montroy Andersen DeMarco	3,107,000
66	Goodwyn Mills & Cawood	2,932,849
67	Good Fulton & Farrell	2,928,000
68	JRS Architect	2,850,000
69	HNTB Corp.	2,793,299
70	Ratio Architects	2,720,819
71	Inventure Design Group	2,711,701
72	ai Design Group	2,663,516
73	KZF Design	2,544,819
74	EwingCole	2,510,000
75	RS&H	2,450,000
76	Integrus Architecture	2,410,899
77	MulvannyG2 Architecture	2,200,000
78	Wilson Architects	2,200,000
79	Rosser International	1,921,665
80	Hoffmann Architects	1,602,000
81	Beyer Blinder Belle	1,496,952
82	LaBella Associates	1,493,586
83	Hnedak Bobo Group	1,339,000
84	Commonwealth Architects	1,212,741
85	Hord Coplan Macht	1,113,153
86	MBH Architects	1,090,000
87	PGAL	1,074,700
88	Nadel	1,000,000
88	Polytech Associates	1,000,000
90	P+R Architects	982,666
91	Parkhill, Smith & Cooper	945,000
92	Bergmann Associates	939,420
93	Niles Bolton Associates	840,919
94	Moseley Architects	744,501
95	Moody Nolan	722,616
96	H+L Architecture	711,172
97	EDI International	630,916
98	BLTa	630,000
99	H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture	611,898
100	Hoefer Wysocki Architecture	605,000
101	WATG \| Wimberly Interiors	568,000
102	Cambridge Seven Associates	460,000
103	Morris Architects	335,000
104	Emersion Design	332,073
105	DLA Architects	317,730
106	BLDD Architects	280,000
107	Hastings+Chivetta Architects	243,171
108	DesignGroup	242,580
109	Sherlock, Smith & Adams	235,000
110	Slaterpaull Architects	230,000
111	FitzGerald Associates Architects	210,500
112	Poskanzer Skott	200,000
113	SchenkelShultz Architecture	197,000
114	PHX Architecture	180,000
115	FGM Architects	179,784
116	BSA LifeStructures	174,437

Top Office Sector Engineering Firms

Rank	Company	2013 Office Revenue
1	AECOM Technology Corp.	$964,240,000
2	Jacobs	504,890,000
3	Parsons Brinckerhoff	158,130,489
4	Burns & McDonnell	102,620,000
5	Thornton Tomasetti	63,427,107
6	URS Corp.	49,783,891
7	WSP Group	49,230,000
8	Arup	43,201,720
9	H&A Architects & Engineers	36,000,000
10	Leidos	28,150,000
11	AKF Group	27,835,000
12	KPFF Consulting Engineers	27,000,000
13	Syska Hennessy Group	26,817,533
14	Magnusson Klemencic Associates	16,437,499
15	Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates	14,220,000
16	Glumac	14,102,479
17	Dewberry	13,478,149
18	Bala Consulting Engineers	12,507,000
19	Environmental Systems Design	12,505,965
20	RDK Engineers	10,690,000
21	Vanderweil Engineers	10,533,700
22	GHT Limited	9,665,000
23	Simpson Gumpertz & Heger	7,430,000
24	Allen & Shariff	7,200,000
25	KCI Technologies	6,400,000
26	Walter P Moore and Associates	6,002,650
27	Highland Associates	6,000,000
28	STV	5,339,000
29	DeSimone Consulting Engineers	5,084,661
30	Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corp.	5,000,000
31	Hixson Architecture, Engineering, Interiors	5,000,000
32	SSOE Group	4,656,959
33	H.F. Lenz	4,362,698
34	Joseph R. Loring & Associates	4,000,000
35	KLH Engineers	3,875,841
36	M-E Engineers	3,863,000
37	Newcomb & Boyd	3,802,993
38	Sparling	3,799,152
39	Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers	3,612,041
40	Smith Seckman Reid	3,508,905
41	Affiliated Engineers	3,104,000
42	Interface Engineering	2,946,713
43	Martin/Martin	2,793,639
44	KJWW Engineering Consultants	2,711,604
45	I. C. Thomasson Associates	2,600,000
46	TLC Engineering for Architecture	2,329,558
47	Henderson Engineers	2,269,347
48	ThermalTech Engineering	2,250,000
49	Heapy Engineering	2,145,190
50	CJL Engineering	1,878,330
51	Dunham Associates	1,750,000
52	Wick Fisher White	1,734,113
53	Karpinski Engineering	1,695,420
54	Shive-Hattery	1,581,161
55	CTLGroup	1,560,000
56	Graef	1,469,354
57	Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor	1,400,000
58	OLA Consulting Engineers	1,398,000
59	TTG	1,383,325
60	Kamm Consulting	1,344,151
61	CCRD Partners	1,270,000
62	G&W Engineering Corp.	1,091,000
63	M/E Engineering	1,034,842
64	Brinjac Engineering	1,032,104
65	Coffman Engineers	1,028,004
66	Mazzetti	1,013,140
67	Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering	1,000,000
68	Guernsey	958,526
69	Ross & Baruzzini	828,783
70	Apogee Consulting Group	815,250
71	GRW	562,957
72	CRB	495,240
73	Zak Companies	458,187
74	Davis, Bowen & Friedel	331,004
75	Wallace Engineering	310,000
76	French & Parrello Associates	264,900
77	Primera Engineers	253,000
78	RMF Engineering	150,000
79	Integrated Design Group	137,118
80	P2S Engineering	135,228
81	Spectrum Engineers	85,926
82	Stanley Consultants	12,178
83	Total Building Commissioning	4,798

Top Office Sector Construction Firms

Rank	Company	2013 Office Revenue
1	Turner Construction	$1,965,630,000
2	Structure Tone	1,770,996,000
3	Balfour Beatty US	1,083,107,816
4	PCL Construction	965,124,704
5	Gilbane	850,668,144
6	Clark Group	768,213,069
7	Skanska USA	756,888,741
8	Hensel Phelps	595,480,000
9	Suffolk Construction	575,149,178
10	HITT Contracting	510,600,000
11	Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The	483,040,306
12	Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction	478,000,000
13	Clayco	474,300,000
14	DPR Construction	419,864,261
15	James G. Davis Construction	409,209,373
16	Holder Construction	375,561,000
17	Clune Construction	350,356,681
18	Walsh Group, The	330,591,769
19	JE Dunn Construction	319,712,834
20	Tutor Perini Corp.	299,785,799
21	Plaza Construction	281,000,000
22	Brasfield & Gorrie	255,289,660
23	Lend Lease	203,243,000
24	Ryan Companies US	198,980,348
25	Manhattan Construction	195,656,000
26	Choate Construction	176,908,443
27	Parsons Brinckerhoff	158,130,489
28	McGough	144,000,000
29	Austin Commercial	126,751,064
30	Swinerton Builders	125,070,000
31	McShane Companies, The	120,701,443
32	Pepper Construction	116,840,000
33	Mortenson Construction	114,140,000
34	JLL	107,497,010
35	Linbeck Group	105,400,000
36	C.W. Driver	102,470,000
37	Shawmut Design and Construction	93,000,000
38	B. L. Harbert International	92,475,153
39	CORE Construction Group	91,118,620
40	Leopardo Companies	90,583,950
41	McCarthy Holdings	84,700,000
42	Consigli Construction	82,688,033
43	Messer Construction	75,756,377
44	Power Construction	67,000,000
45	Hoar Construction	66,258,000
46	Weitz Company, The	65,679,309
47	Robins & Morton	64,633,817
48	Sundt Construction	63,414,544
49	Beck Group, The	61,444,072
50	Hill International	61,000,000
51	Yates Companies, The	50,000,000
52	URS Corp.	49,783,891
53	Hunt Construction Group	46,000,000
54	Fortis Construction	41,800,000
55	Adolfson & Peterson Construction	40,492,626
56	LeChase Construction Services	39,360,000
57	Bomel Construction	38,747,785
58	Rodgers Builders	37,126,784
59	Paric Corp.	35,000,000
60	Haselden Construction	30,679,991
61	IMC Construction	30,597,000
62	Barton Malow	28,706,771
63	Haskell	28,625,841
64	Coakley & Williams Construction	26,086,629
65	New South Construction	22,590,000
66	Flintco	22,000,000
67	EMJ Corp.	21,000,000
68	Layton Construction	20,800,000
69	E.W. Howell	20,491,000
70	O'Neil Industries/W.E. O'Neil	20,354,165
71	Heery International	20,011,958
72	Kitchell Corp.	19,231,158
73	Hill & Wilkinson	19,149,000
74	Walbridge	18,100,000
75	Wight & Company	16,827,000
76	Harkins Builders	16,300,000
77	James McHugh Construction	14,829,260
78	Hoffman Construction	14,000,000
79	Kraus-Anderson Construction	10,000,000
80	Batson-Cook	8,329,557
81	Gray Construction	7,600,000
82	Stalco Construction	7,380,000
83	Allen & Shariff	7,200,000
84	Boldt Company, The	7,044,051
85	Bernards	6,700,000
86	W. M. Jordan Company	6,575,178
87	Graycor	6,456,452
88	KBE Building Corp.	5,964,801
89	STV	5,339,000
90	Weis Builders	5,031,000
91	Bette Companies, The	4,834,000
92	Alberici Constructors	2,961,966
93	Absher Construction	2,256,599
94	S. M. Wilson & Co.	1,607,814
95	Douglas Company, The	1,479,136
96	LPCiminelli	1,349,300
97	Astorino	1,334,650