Some of the ways the success of an architecture firm can be measured are the most used which are the amount of revenue, customer satisfaction, market saturation, the firm ranking internationally, the build of the brand, teamwork, and also employment levels. There is no one formula that makes a successful architectural firm, but what they seem to have in common is responding to changing times and needs. Getting a position inside any one of them would be challenging, rewarding – and very impressive! It is however very important to keep in mind that all top architecture firms in the world have their own way of measuring success. They have all had a profound influence on the world of building.
Gensler
This California-based architectural company represents modern design and sustainability. Gensler was founded by Arthur along with his wife Drue Gensler, and their associate James Follett in 1965. It has offices in 48cities around the world. The number of employees that work for Gensler architecture firms is over 6000 and has over 10000 projects in over 2500 cities in the world. Gensler focuses on the urban environment, believing that cities are the sum of their parts and claiming expertise in airports, hotels, schools, offices, health and wellness centers, sports venues, entertainment destinations, and everything in between. It has a number of civic engagement programs focused on tackling homelessness, improving wellbeing, and training the next generation of architects. Gensler has designed multiple award-winning projects as Incheon International Airport in South Korea and Shanghai Tower in China.
HDR Architects
Henningson, Durham & Richardson, Inc. (HDR) is founded by Henning H. Henningson. HDR has been ranked as one of the best architectural firms in Healthcare Design and tops Central & Eastern Europe in Building Design by World Architecture 100 Survey. Before it became a brand architectural firm, it designs sewer and water systems for the new cities. The architecture firm provides a wide range of solutions in architecture, engineering, planning, environmental sciences, research, and more. HDR’s projects are many and various, often focusing on environmental intervention. They include the Hoover Dam Bypass on the Arizona-Nevada border and the Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences Building at the University of Sydney. Another amazing project by HDR is the office space for Lincoln Haymarket Development Corporation (LHDC) and American Institute of Architects Nebraska Chapter (AIA NE), which also won the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and Gold Award in 2014.
Perkins and Will
Perkins & Will was founded in 1935 by founders Bradford Perkins and Mary-Jean Eastman and is based in Lebanon. The headquarters are located in Chicago, United States. The architecture firm consists of over 2500 employees with the most LEED accredited members. And has a revenue of 220 million USD. Their work has received multiple awards and recognitions from publishers as Building Team Awards, AIA awards, and GRAY Magazine. The firm has eight American offices and outposts in Canada, Ecuador, the UAE, China, and India.
Nikken Sekkei
Nikken Sekkei, the renowned Japanese architecture firm based in Tokyo founded more than 115 years ago. They developed into a professional service firm in architecture, city planning, and environmental fields with 1,900 staff members, and more than 2,400 people in Nikken Group as a whole. This top company has completed over 25000 projects and is in 16 cities in the world. The influence of Nihon Sekkai can be seen all over urban Japan, particularly in its skyscrapers. Their recent projects Shibuya Hikarie, Guangzhou Library, and Future Camp Nou in Barcelona are great examples of the modern design and Japanese style used in architecture. And one of the innovative projects of this firm is Tokyo Skytree that is the tallest free-standing broadcasting tower in the world. The leader of Nikken Sekkei is Masafumi Tanaka who is the Chief Civil Engineer of the Urban Planning Department. He has worked in the firms since 1992.
AECOM
AECOM is an American multinational engineering firm, recently moved and headquartered in Los Angeles and was created by the merger of five Ashland entities. The company strives to develop and implement new solutions to the complex challenges the world is facing. Aecom specializes in complex infrastructure challenges. As well as 5 years in a row, Aecom has been announced as one of Fortune magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies”. It is a huge enterprise, offering services not only in architecture and design but in engineering, archaeology, and risk management, among many others. Its notable projects include international airports (JFK, LAX, Sydney, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and more), Singapore’s Marina Bay, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
