There are over 65,000 architecture firms in the US. They’re responsible for planning and designing the buildings and environments in which we live, work, and play.
As net-zero initiatives take center stage, architects become even more essential. Their focus on green building and sustainable development is critical to reaching carbon neutrality in our built environments. Many of the best architecture firms are leading the way with advanced work in sustainability.
Below, we’ve identified 30 of the top architecture firms in the US, based on annual revenue according to ZoomInfo, current as of this publishing date. This represents firms that focus primarily on architecture and design, versus firms that also provide engineering or construction services.
Here’s our list of top architecture firms for 2022.
1. Gensler (HQ: Los Angeles, CA, $1.3B revenue)
2. HNTB Corporation (HQ: Kansas City, MO, $693M revenue)
3. Perkins & Will (HQ: Chicago, IL, $595M revenue)
4. HKS Architects (HQ: Dallas, TX, $308M revenue)
5. CallisonRTKL (HQ: Washington, DC, $285M revenue)
6. Perkins Eastman (HQ: New York, NY, $264M revenue)
7. LPA (HQ: Long Beach, CA, $222M revenue)
8. NELSON Worldwide (HQ: Minneapolis, MN, $209M revenue)
9. NBBJ (HQ: Seattle, WA, $202M revenue)
10. Corgan (HQ: Dallas, TX, $200M revenue)
11. ZGF Architects (HQ: Portland, OR, $143M revenue)
12. Interior Architects (HQ: San Francisco, CA, $128M revenue)
13. KPF a.k.a. Kohn Pederson Fox Associates (HQ: New York, NY, $123M revenue)
14. Beck Group (HQ: Dallas, TX, $114M revenue)
15. Ware Malcomb (HQ: Irvine, CA, $99M revenue)
16. Elkus Manfredi Architects (HQ: Boston, MA, $96M revenue)
17. LS3P (HQ: Charleston, SC, $95M revenue)
18. KTGY Architecture + Planning (HQ: Irvine, CA, $84M revenue)
19. HMC Architects (HQ: Ontario, CA, $73M revenue)
20. Populous (HQ: Kansas City, MO, $69M revenue)
21. MG2 (HQ: Seattle, WA, $67M revenue)
22. Cooper Carry (HQ: Atlanta, GA, $62M revenue)
23. HLW (HQ: New York, NY, $62M revenue)
24. Cuningham Group Architecture (HQ: Minneapolis, MN, $61M revenue)
25. Wilson & Associates (HQ: Dallas, TX, $58M revenue)
26. Robert A.M. Stern Architects (HQ: New York, NY, $58M revenue)
27. Hord Coplan Macht (HQ: Baltimore, MD, $57M revenue)
28. Diamond Schmitt Architects (HQ: Toronto, ON, $55M revenue)
29. TPG Architecture (HQ: New York, NY, $53M revenue)
30. Ratio Architects (HQ: Indianapolis, IN, $53M revenue)
A Closer Look at the Top 10 Architecture Firms
Only ten of these top 30 architecture firms report annual revenue of $200 million or more. We share more information below on these top ten firms, including company background, the type of projects they focus on, and some of their recent industry honors.
1. Gensler
Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with 50 locations across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Founded in 1965, the firm serves more than 3,500 active clients.
Aside from continuously being recognized on top-ranking reports, their team receives many industry accolades for stellar design work each year.
Recent highlights include:
- The European Healthcare Design Awards for the National University Hospital
- Campus Masterplan in Singapore
- Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies
- Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards for Color Speaks in Seattle
- Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards for Urban Awning in Los Angeles
Gensler is the only $1 billion+ architecture firm and has secured its seat as the top-ranked architecture firm in the US by more than $400 million.
2. HNTB Corporation
HNTB Corporation is an infrastructure design firm with a focus on transportation projects, including airports, bridges, tunnels, roadways, and rail and transit systems. The firm started in 1914. Today, they employ 4,000 people in offices across the country.
HNTB is highly regarded for its transportation structures, particularly bridges. Besides award-winning projects, several members of their leadership receive acknowledgment for exemplary contributions each year.
Recent highlights include:
- 2021 American Council of Engineering Companies’ Excellence Awards for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
- 2021 Outstanding Project in the Bridges/Transportation category for Washington State Department of Transportation's Alaskan Way Tunnel (SR99)
- American Institute of Steel Construction’s Prize Bridge Award winner for Iowa’s I-74 Mississippi River Bridge
- American Road & Transportation Builders Association Foundation’s 2021 Leadership Impact Award
- 2021 Presidential Citation Award
Annual revenue of $693 million places HNTB as the second-largest architecture firm on this list.
3. Perkins & Will
Perkins & Will provides architecture, interior design, branded environments, urban design, and landscape architecture services. Since its founding in 1935, the company has grown to a team of 2,500 people.
Its reputation as one of the best architecture firms in the US is evident by the 60+ design awards received in 2021.
Noteworthy highlights include:
- 2021 Metropolis Planet Positive Awards for the University of Washington Life Sciences Building
- AIA LA Presidential Honoree: Robert Kennard, FAIA Award for Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity
- American Alliance of Museums Sustainability Excellence Award for the University of Minnesota Bell Museum
- Top Ranked Architecture Firm in the U.S. by Architectural Record
Perkins & Will’s annual revenue is $595 million.
4. HKS Architects
HKS Architects is a design firm of more than 1,400 architects, interior designers, urban designers, scientists, artists, anthropologists, and more. The firm started in Dallas in 1939 and now has 24 offices around the world.
2021 highlights include:
- AIA/LA Presidential Game Changer Honoree for SoFi Stadium
- Condé Nast Traveler 2021 Gold List of Best Hotels/Resorts for Belmond Cap Juluca
- Rethinking the Future Awards Best Interior Healthcare/Wellness Design for ParkwayHealth Gleneagles Chengdu Hospital
HKS’s annual revenue is $308 million.
5. CallisonRTKL
CallisonRTKL is a global architecture, planning, and design practice. Originally founded in 1946 in Baltimore, the firm is now headquartered in Seattle with more than 20 offices worldwide. CallisonRTKL is part of a much larger entity—Arcadis—that has a team of 29,000 people in 70 countries.
2021 highlights include:
- AIA Shanghai 2021 Honor Award for Architecture
- Architecture Newspaper’s Best of Practice Extra Large Architecture Firm
- Pollstar Awards Best New Concert Venue for Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
- CoreNet Global Awards for Nokia North American Headquarters
The firm’s annual revenue is $285 million.
6. Perkins Eastman
Perkins Eastman is an international architecture, interior design, urban design, planning, landscape architecture, graphic design, and project management firm.
While the firm didn’t officially form under this name until 1991, it has a long history in the architecture community. Co-founder, Bradford Perkins, was the son of the original founder of Perkins & Will (the second-largest architecture firm on this list).
Perkins Eastman is particularly known for excellence in healthcare design. In 2021, the company designed more than 2 million square feet of healthcare spaces and environments, winning 20 awards.
Other recent highlights include:
- 2022 merger with BLT Architects
- National Association of Home Builders Best of 55+ Housing Awards for 3 different senior living projects
- Healthcare Design Magazine’s 2021 Outstanding Organization
Perkins Eastman’s annual revenue isn’t far behind CallisonRTKL, coming in at $264 million.
7. LPA
LPA is a multi-discipline architecture and design firm. Its roots go back to 1965 but it didn’t officially become LPA until 1997, under new ownership and new leadership. Today, LPA has six studios in California and Texas, with more than 400 architects, engineers, landscape architects, interior designers, and planners.
The firm received more than three dozen design awards last year.
Recent highlights include:
- Prestigious AIA California 2021 Firm Award
- 45 years straight of awards from AIA Orange County
- Largest architecture firm in the country to surpass AIA 2030 Commitment target of reducing energy use in buildings by more than 70 percent
LPA’s annual revenue is $222 million.
8. NELSON Worldwide
NELSON Worldwide is an award-winning firm delivering architecture, interior design, graphic design, and brand strategy services. They have 700 team members across 18 offices who work on projects around the world.
The company started in 1977 as an interior design firm. Under the leadership of the current CEO, it has grown substantially in the last 20 years, completing 45 mergers to expand its reach and add new service lines.
Highlights include:
- Ranked #5 on 2021 Top 100 Giants
- 2022 Airport Project of the Year for ACI Jet’s Headquarters
- ASID Georgia’s Design Excellence Awards
- IIDA GA Recognition for Best of Government, Institutional & Public Safety
NELSON’s annual revenue is $209 million.
9. NBBJ
NBBJ is an ideas-driven architecture and design firm. It employs 800 researchers, strategists, architects, planners, and interior designers across 12 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.
The firm pulls in a top-tier book of business, including 5 of the top global high-tech companies, 14 US News and World Report Top Hospitals, and 4 of the top 10 education institutions.
Recent highlights include:
- CarbonNeutral® company certification
- Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Architects
- Fastest Growing Firm by Architectural Record
- “Firm of Choice for Tech Companies” by Wired
NBBJ’s annual revenue is $202 million.
10. Corgan
Corgan is a leading architecture and design firm that prides itself on great customer service. The company specializes in six market sectors, including aviation, commercial, data centers, education, healthcare, and interiors.
2021 highlights include:
- Texas Society of Architects’ 2021 Design Award
- Interior Design’s 2021 Best of Year Large Corporate Office Honoree
- Top 10 K-12 Education Architecture Firms
Corgan rounds out this list of the top 10 architecture firms in the U.S. with annual revenue of $200 million.
Top Architecture Firms vs. Best Architecture Firms
Most lists of the top-ranked architecture firms—and this one is no exception—are based solely on revenue. It’s one thing to be the biggest. It’s another to be the best. But “best” can be harder to identify because it isn’t easily measured.
The Journal of the American Institute of Architects attempts every year to identify the best architecture firms using a unique scoring methodology that ranks these firms across three categories: design, business, and commitment to sustainability.
Only three of these top 30 architecture firms also made the Journal’s Architect 50 list. Hats off to Gensler, LMN, and HKS Architects for their exceptional reputations.
The rest of the companies on this list are exceptional design leaders. And sustainability runs through their veins. So why aren’t more of them on the Journal’s Top 50 list? Perhaps they fall short on some of the business metrics—specifically net revenue per employee and profitability. These can be challenging for firms to get right, particularly large global firms.
Technology can go a long way toward helping firms improve business processes. Many architecture firms use Mosaic’s workforce management software to build more scalable, intelligent, and profitable organizations. They can track and optimize workload, demand, and priorities across all projects within the entire firm to maximize productivity and increase profitability. Regardless of revenue or number of employees, Mosaic’s capabilities can help firms go from good to great.
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