WSP, the international engineering design and environmental consulting firm, will double its size in the Houston market by combining its existing operations there with the office of ccrd, a national MEP engineering and commissioning firm based in Houston, which WSP acquired last November.
The combined office, with about 60 employees, will be managed by David Sinz, PE, a vice president and managing director of WSP’s Houston office. David Duthu, PE, who was managing director of ccrd’s Houston office, is now co-leader of WSP’s national Science + Technology practice.
Aside from bolstering its Houston operations, the ccrd acquisition expanded WSP’s presence into markets throughout the Southeast and south-central U.S., according to WSP’s executive vice president Steve Burrows. (Founded in 1980, ccrd has offices in Austin, Texas, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami, Nashville, Tenn., Orlando, Fla., Phoenix, Richmond, Va., Kansas City, Mo., and Washington, D.C.)
David Cooper, PE, president of WSP’s U.S. Property & Building sector and chief commercial officer for WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff, called the combination in Houston “a natural step forward.” He says the acquisition so far “has been everything both firms hoped it would be.”
Montreal-based WSP Global has 500 offices in 39 countries. Last Fall, it agreed to pay Balfour Beatty US$1.24 billion in cash to buy Parsons Brinckerhoff, a deal that increased WSP’s workforce by 77% to 31,000.
The purchase price for ccrd was not disclosed.
Separately, WSP and ccrd had already been active players and competitors in Houston’s healthcare, science, and technology sectors, having worked on innumerable hospitals, government, energy, and research construction projects. They are also active in Houston’s hospitality, commercial, residential, and industrial sectors.
Related Stories
| Dec 18, 2014
In response to ultra-open and uber-collaborative office environments
Susan Cain’s bestselling 2012 book, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking" has made an impact on how we understand our current workforce, recognizing that at least one-third of the people we work with are introverts, writes SRG Partnership's Susan Gust.
| Dec 17, 2014
USGBC announces 2014 Best of Green Schools honorees
Houston's Monarch School was named the K-12 school of the year, and Western Michigan University was honored as the top higher-ed institution, based on environmental programs and education efforts.
| Dec 17, 2014
ULI report looks at growing appeal of micro unit apartments
New research from the Urban Land Institute suggests that micro units have staying power as a housing type that appeals to urban dwellers in high-cost markets who are willing to trade space for improved affordability and proximity to downtown neighborhoods.
| Dec 17, 2014
Demand softens, but outlook for Architecture Billings Index remains positive
The AIA's Architecture Billings Index for November was 50.9, down from a mark of 53.7 in October. Despite the drop, the ABI continued its seven-month run of positive scores (above 50).
Sponsored | | Dec 16, 2014
Quadcopters save project team $15K in warranty work
On a recent trip to see what technology Todd Wynne and the rest of the team at Rogers-O’Brien Construction have been tinkering with, I had a chance to experience firsthand which new hardware innovations will one day be applied in the AEC space.
| Dec 15, 2014
SHoP Architects plans to turn NY's Seaport District into pedestrianized, mixed-use area
The scheme includes a proposed 500-foot luxury residential tower that would jut out into the harbor, extending the Manhattan grid out into the waterfront.
| Dec 15, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture launches fundraising campaign for independent incorporation
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation announced today that it approved a possible path toward independent incorporation of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture by raising $2 million before the end of 2015.
| Dec 12, 2014
Dunkin’ Donuts launches certification for green restaurant buildings
The company aims to build 100 new DD Green-certified restaurants by the end of 2016.
| Dec 10, 2014
International Olympic Committee releases first images of new HQ in Switzerland
Designed by 3XN, the new headquarters is located within a park on the shores of Lake Geneva and adjacent to historic Château de Vidy, which has been the iconic home of the IOC.
| Dec 10, 2014
CannonDesign acquires Astorino, forms design-led design-build division
The merger also extends CannonDesign’s presence in the markets Astorino currently serves, namely Pittsburgh and Abu Dhabi.
