Each year RECORD publishes the Top 150 Architecture Firms list, based on information collected by its sister publication, Engineering News-Record, for its Top 500 Design Firms Sourcebook. According to the latest survey, 2006 was a good year for architects, who reported a combined $8 billion in revenues. (Incidentally, there was a five-way tie for the 147th spot, so 151 are listed.) The 15 firms at the top of the list earned 37 percent of that, about $3 billion. To put those figures in context, it is helpful to know that architects’ offices with more than 100 seats make up only 2 percent of all firms, and yet these firms place 34 percent of total billings, according to the most recent AIA Firm Survey.

The accompanying table lists the amount of revenue each firm reported from its domestic and international work, and provides a total for them. Because the list captures many firms that have sizable architecture practices but are also involved in engineering and contracting, the percentage of revenue the firms say was derived from architectural work only is noted in the table. This total includes revenue from interior architecture, and also revenue that is passed through to other design consultants.

Gensler holds the number one spot on this year’s list, with total revenue of $500.2 million. AECOM Technologies held the top spot last year [RECORD, July 2006, page 42]; however, while AECOM does own architecture firms, the questionnaire submitted by the company did not indicate how much of its revenue was earned by these businesses, so it is not on this year’s list.

Although publication of lists such as this often serve as a reminder that bigger is not always better, the cream of the crop must be doing something right. The AIA Firm Survey indicates that repeat business is the greatest source of new work, and these firms are steady earners—13 of last year’s top 15 remain on the list this year.