2007 revenues of RECORD’s Top 150 Firms grew 25 percent

By Charles Linn, FAIA

What a ride it’s been. The total revenue of Architectural Record's Top 150 Architecture Firms surged in 2007, even as the AIA’s Architectural Billings Index (ABI) for March dropped to 39.7, its lowest level since the institute began tracking architects’ invoices in 1995. The firms on the list, which is based on survey data collected for Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms survey, say their revenue increased from an estimated $8.6 billion in 2006 to $10.4 billion last year. The trend parallels the entire list of ENR Top 500 firms which, all told, reported $80.62 billion in revenue, up 15.8 percent from 2006. Firms that work in markets such as manufacturing and civil engineering are not included on the RECORD Top 150 Firms list unless they report sufficient revenue from architectural design.

Growth in revenue gained overseas pushed up overall revenues for architecture firms. In 2006, revenue for work done offshore was estimated at about $1.26 billion. Last year, that figure grew by 50 percent, to $1.9 billion. AECOM, the firm which ranks number one on the record list, reported that 45 percent of its $685 million came from international work.

It seems possible that firms earning money overseas may be insulated somewhat from the troubles that have begun to creep into the U.S. nonresidential market. “The lift provided by nonresidential building during the first two months of this year was not present in March,” says Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction. “This is consistent with the general pattern expected for nonresidential building, in which the tight lending environment will dampen the volume of commercial projects as 2008 goes on.”

Architectural Record's list of  Top 150 firms ranked according to the revenue they’ve reported, plus revenues and rankings of 100 additional firms, are listed in the table below.

 

HOW TO USE THIS TABLE Companies are ranked according to revenue for architectural services performed in 2007 in $ millions. Firms engaged in the business of architectural design that responded to Engineering News-Record’s annual Top 500 Design Firms survey submitted these revenue figures. The McGraw-Hill Companies publishes both Architectural Record and ENR. To participate in the ENR survey, which serves as the basis for this ranking next year, contact Virgilio Mendoza at 212/904-6371. Key to how firms classify themselves: A = Architect AE = Architect-Engineer AEC = Architect-Engineer-Contractor EA = Engineer-Architect Other combinations possible

 

 

Top 150 Firms: 1-50 | 51-100 | 101-150 Additional Firms: 151-200 | 201- 250

 

ARCHITECTURE FIRMS RANKED ACCORDING TO 2007 REVENUE

Rank Firms listed by 2007 architecture revenue as reported to ENR in its Top 500 Design Firms Survey Type of Firm Total Architectural Revenue Domestic Architectural Revenue International Architectural Revenue Percent of Design Revenue from Architecture Total Design Revenue 51 JCJ Architecture Hartford, Conn. A 53.20 51.90 1.30 100% 53.20 52 OWP/P Chicago, Ill. AE 52.90 49.60 3.30 100% 52.90 53 PBK Architects Houston, Texas AE 52.70 52.70 0.00 100% 52.70 54 KlingStubbins Philadelphia, Pa. AEP 52.00 49.50 2.50 50% 104.00 55 EwingCole Philadelphia, Pa. AE 51.10 49.00 2.10 60% 85.10 56 LS3P Associates Ltd. Charleston, S.C. A 50.35 50.35 0.00 100% 50.35 57 CUH2A Princeton, N.J. AE 50.12 44.85 5.27 62% 80.02 58 Ware Malcomb Irvine, Calif. A 49.80 49.25 0.55 100% 49.80 59 McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners Irvine, Calif. A 49.50 48.50 1.00 100% 49.50 60 Morris Architects Houston, Texas A 48.76 47.72 1.04 100% 48.76 61 Vanderweil Engineers Boston, Mass. E 47.58 38.13 9.45 70% 67.96 62 VOA Associates Inc. Chicago, Ill. A 47.56 46.00 1.56 100% 47.60 63 Elkus Manfredi Architects Boston, Mass. A 47.00 47.00 0.00 100% 47.00 64 Steelman Partners Las Vegas, Nev. A 47.00 39.00 8.00 80% 59.00 65 Perkowitz + Ruth Architects Long Beach, Calif. A 46.24 46.24 0.00 95% 48.83 66 The Shaw Group Inc. Baton Rouge, La. EC 45.80 0.00 45.80 2% 2443.00 67 CBT/Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc. Boston, Mass. A 45.50 43.37 2.13 100% 45.50 68 Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz San Francisco, Calif. A 45.00 36.00 9.00 75% 60.00 69 Dewberry Fairfax, Va. EA 44.18 44.18 0.00 14% 306.19 70 Nadel Inc. Los Angeles, Calif. A 44.00 43.00 1.00 100% 44.00 71 Fentress Architects Denver, Colo. A 43.41 41.71 1.70 100% 43.41 72 HLW International LLP New York, N.Y. EA 43.30 39.00 4.30 100% 43.30 73 Niles Bolton Associates Inc. Atlanta, Ga. A 41.82 41.07 0.75 100% 41.82 74 Aguirre Corp. Dallas, Texas AE 41.00 41.00 0.00 47% 87.00 75 Payette Boston, Mass. A 40.22 35.87 4.35 100% 40.22 76 MBH Architects Alameda, Calif. A 39.20 39.20 0.00 100% 39.20 77 WHR Architects Inc. Houston, Texas A 38.23 38.23 0.00 100% 38.23 78 SB Architects San Francisco, Calif. A 38.10 21.50 16.60 100% 38.10 79 Marnell Corrao Assoc. Las Vegas, Nev. A 38.03 38.03 0.00 100% 38.03 80 Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP New York, N.Y. A 37.93 36.46 1.47 100% 37.93 81 Otak Inc. Lake Oswego, Ore. EA 37.80 34.80 3.00 67% 56.80 82 Solomon Cordwell Buenz Chicago, Ill. A 37.40 37.30 0.10 100% 37.40 83 Polshek Partnership Architects LLP New York, N.Y. A 37.38 37.38 0.00 100% 37.38 84 The Preston Partnership Atlanta, Ga. EA 37.01 37.01 0.00 64% 57.97 85 Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott Boston, Mass. A 35.75 35.25 0.50 100% 35.75 86 Tsoi/Kobus & Associates Inc. Cambridge, Mass. A 35.70 35.70 0.00 100% 35.70 87 Little Diversified Architectural Consultants Charlotte, N.C. AE 35.60 35.25 0.35 61% 58.10 88 Burns & McDonnell Kansas City, Mo. EAC 35.00 30.00 5.00 7% 491.00 89 The Jerde Partnership Venice, Calif. A 35.00 7.00 28.00 100% 35.00 90 Gould Evans Kansas City, Mo. A 34.42 34.42 0.00 96% 36.01 91 WDG Architecture Washington, D.C. A 34.20 33.80 0.40 100% 34.20 92 Opus Group Minnetonka, Minn. AE 33.80 33.70 0.10 67% 50.10 93 The S/L/A/M Collaborative Glastonbury, Conn. AE 33.74 33.74 0.00 100% 33.74 94 The Benham Cos. LLC Oklahoma City, Okla. AEC 33.60 32.00 1.60 30% 111.80 95 Michael Baker Corp. Moon Twp., Pa. EA 33.30 27.50 5.80 9% 354.00 96 Davis Brody Bond Aedas New York, N.Y. A 33.20 31.90 1.30 100% 33.20 97 RNL Denver, Colo. AE 33.06 24.90 8.16 82% 40.10 98 NAC|Architecture Seattle, Wash. AE 32.60 32.60 0.00 100% 32.60 99 Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP New York, N.Y. A 32.39 29.44 2.95 100% 32.39 100 Studios Architecture San Francisco, Calif. A 32.38 31.80 0.58 100% 32.38

 

Top 150 Firms: 1-50 | 51-100 | 101-150 Additional Firms: 151-200 | 201- 250

 

 

 

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