While the rankings shuffled this year for many of the Top 25 firms in Architectural Record’s annual list, the No. 1 firm held fast to its position at the top. With nearly $1.2 billion in total revenue in 2017—more than twice that of any other company on the list—Gensler clinched the top spot for the seventh year running. Despite reporting a slight dip in revenues from the previous year, Perkins+Will moved into second place, bumping AECOM, whose revenues also fell, to third.
The annual list, compiled by record’s sister publication Engineering News-Record (ENR), ranks companies by their architectural revenue from the prior year, as reported to ENR by firms that choose to participate. Gensler co-CEOs Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen highlight an “understanding of the connection between design, business, and the human experience,” along with a commitment to employees and work culture, as essential to robust growth.
Perkins+Will CEO Phil Harrison identifies global diversification, research, leadership development, and technology integration as keys to the firm’s success. These factors reinforce each other, he says, and, as a result, “the best clients in the world want to work with us.”
AECOM’s Michael Chee, director of external communications, comments, “The impact on our ranking, based on year-over-year revenue, is nominal, as ours has remained steady.” Minneapolis-based Cuningham Group Architecture moved into the Top 25 on this year’s list, jumping from 38th in 2017. Timothy Dufault, FAIA, president and CEO of the 50-year-old firm, attributes that success to a “dedicated focus on our expertise,” strong sales and a strong economy, and, most importantly, he says, “a talented team that works tirelessly while staying committed to design excellence.”
Click here to view the entire Top 300 firms list, with their 2016 revenue listed in millions.