Every year, we approach the ARCHITECT 50 with the same premise. It may be impossible to capture every way in which a firm can excel, have a significant impact on its community, mentor a younger generation of designers, and help save the planet with its energy-efficient buildings. But we nevertheless strive to compile a list that recognizes firms small and large, who are making their mark beyond just their ability to run a financially lucrative business. This year, we added a few new data points, capturing information on how firms are helping their interns gain licensure, both through financial incentives and culture. And we asked firms to submit a portfolio with an energy-efficient project that best exemplified their commitment to sustainability (ARCHITECT editors judged those submissions). When we ran the numbers, some familiar firms rose to the top (Westlake Reed Leskosky), some newcomers rocketed into the top 10 (Studio Gang Architects), and some unexpected interlopers crashed the proceedings (Jones Studio). In the end, the exact positions may not capture the full extent of how firms are excelling. But we hope that the list inspires architects to review their own best practices and embrace even higher ambitions.
The List
Additional RanksRank |
Firm |
Business |
Sustainability |
Design |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Westlake Reed Leskosky
Score: 300.0 |
1 | 5 | 4 |
2 |
William Rawn Associates
Score: 288.95 |
4 | 2 | 27 |
3 |
Gensler
Score: 277.44 |
6 | 4 | 19 |
4 |
ZGF Architects
Score: 262.28 |
9 | 9 | 23 |
5 |
EYP
Score: 261.3 |
10 | 1 | 81 |
6 |
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Score: 257.96 |
8 | 16 | 14 |
7 |
Brooks + Scarpa
Score: 254.19 |
61 | 8 | 9 |
8 |
Studio Gang Architects
Score: 246.55 |
87 | 7 | 12 |
9 |
Payette
Score: 246.31 |
54 | 22 | 3 |
10 |
Mark Cavagnero Associates
Score: 244.59 |
20 | 34 | 8 |
11 |
Lake|Flato Architects
Score: 242.01 |
63 | 14 | 11 |
12 |
SOM
Score: 241.56 |
19 | 46 | 5 |
13 |
ikon.5 architects
Score: 237.41 |
30 | 43 | 6 |
14 |
The Miller Hull Partnership
Score: 235.67 |
72 | 12 | 21 |
15 |
HOK
Score: 233.75 |
22 | 17 | 47 |
16 |
EskewDumezRipple
Score: 233.47 |
47 | 35 | 10 |
17 |
Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects
Score: 227.63 |
132 | 3 | 61 |
18 |
HGA
Score: 226.12 |
16 | 33 | 37 |
19 |
HDR
Score: 222.03 |
2 | 66 | 45 |
20 |
Score: 221.67 |
37 | 25 | 46 |
21 |
Jones Studio
Score: 220.95 |
67 | 6 | 77 |
22 |
CO Architects
Score: 220.73 |
24 | 24 | 65 |
23 |
NBBJ
Score: 219.91 |
13 | 64 | 26 |
24 |
ELS Architecture and Urban Design
Score: 219.88 |
11 | 28 | 70 |
25 |
NADAAA
Score: 219.84 |
53 | 76 | 1 |
26 |
Behnisch Architekten
Score: 218.97 |
124 | 41 | 2 |
27 |
Annum Architects (formerly Ann Beha Architects)
Score: 218.8 |
36 | 37 | 35 |
28 |
FXCollaborative
Score: 217.19 |
65 | 50 | 16 |
29 |
BNIM
Score: 216.47 |
112 | 19 | 29 |
30 |
Hastings
Score: 216.18 |
14 | 36 | 68 |
31 |
Sorg Architects
Score: 215.04 |
26 | 13 | 84 |
32 |
Score: 214.5 |
27 | 49 | 36 |
33 |
MSR Design
Score: 213.66 |
49 | 37 | 41 |
34 |
Score: 211.53 |
29 | 57 | 31 |
35 |
SmithGroup
Score: 210.5 |
55 | 30 | 50 |
36 |
Centerbrook Architects and Planners
Score: 206.37 |
21 | 55 | 62 |
37 |
Marlene Imirzian & Associates Architects
Score: 204.9 |
74 | 32 | 52 |
38 |
Kirksey
Score: 204.72 |
15 | 48 | 76 |
39 |
DLR Group
Score: 203.89 |
42 | 39 | 72 |
40 |
Spector Group
Score: 203.63 |
3 | 109 | 32 |
41 |
LMN Architects
Score: 202.4 |
82 | 31 | 53 |
42 |
Clark Nexsen
Score: 201.52 |
38 | 56 | 59 |
43 |
Cannon Design
Score: 201.18 |
50 | 54 | 54 |
44 |
Ayers Saint Gross
Score: 200.66 |
48 | 53 | 58 |
45 |
Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Score: 200.21 |
122 | 26 | 43 |
46 |
Mithun
Score: 199.28 |
120 | 58 | 15 |
47 |
Ziger|Snead Architects
Score: 196.91 |
35 | 75 | 38 |
48 |
Ross Barney Architects
Score: 196.55 |
90 | 45 | 49 |
49 |
nARCHITECTS
Score: 195.6 |
138 | 51 | 7 |
50 |
Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects
Score: 195.58 |
39 | 60 | 66 |
Best in Business, Sustainability, and Design for the 2014 Architect 50
The 2014 Architect 50: MethodologyBusiness
- Westlake Reed Leskosky
- HDR
- Spector Group
- William Rawn Associates
- Gensler
- Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
- ZGF Architects
- EYP
- ELS Architecture and Urban Design
- NBBJ
- Hastings
- Kirksey
- HGA
- SOM
- Mark Cavagnero Associates
- Centerbrook Architects and Planners
- HOK
- CO Architects
- Sorg Architects
- ikon.5 architects
- Ziger|Snead Architects
- Annum Architects (formerly Ann Beha Architects)
- Clark Nexsen
- Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects
- DLR Group
- EskewDumezRipple
- Ayers Saint Gross
- MSR Design
- Cannon Design
Sustainability
- EYP
- William Rawn Associates
- Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects
- Gensler
- Westlake Reed Leskosky
- Jones Studio
- Studio Gang Architects
- Brooks + Scarpa
- ZGF Architects
- The Miller Hull Partnership
- Sorg Architects
- Lake|Flato Architects
- Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
- HOK
- BNIM
- Payette
- CO Architects
- Leers Weinzapfel Associates
- ELS Architecture and Urban Design
- SmithGroup
- LMN Architects
- Marlene Imirzian & Associates Architects
- HGA
- Mark Cavagnero Associates
- EskewDumezRipple
- Hastings
- Annum Architects (formerly Ann Beha Architects)
- MSR Design
- DLR Group
- Behnisch Architekten
- ikon.5 architects
- Ross Barney Architects
- SOM
- Kirksey
- FXCollaborative
Design
- NADAAA
- Behnisch Architekten
- Payette
- Westlake Reed Leskosky
- SOM
- ikon.5 architects
- nARCHITECTS
- Mark Cavagnero Associates
- Brooks + Scarpa
- EskewDumezRipple
- Lake|Flato Architects
- Studio Gang Architects
- Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
- Mithun
- FXCollaborative
- Gensler
- The Miller Hull Partnership
- ZGF Architects
- NBBJ
- William Rawn Associates
- BNIM
- Spector Group
- Annum Architects (formerly Ann Beha Architects)
- HGA
- Ziger|Snead Architects
- MSR Design
- Leers Weinzapfel Associates
- HDR
- HOK
- Ross Barney Architects
- SmithGroup