20 of the Most Famous Architecture firms in the World

Sydney Opera House – Australia. Photo by Thomas Schoch. Wikimedia Commons.

20 of the Most Famous Architecture firms in the World

Architecture is the language through which buildings communicate. A structure can communicate cozy, while another communicates business or fun. And this is why architect firms exist. To set the mood of a building. To design, and engineer a structure and steer the language it speaks to a certain direction be it classy or laid back.

Architecture firms play a crucial role in the development of buildings. They advise clients on the steps they should take during the construction stages. They also advise on the designs that suit the terrain and purpose of the building best. They can also be left in charge of project planning making a client’s work easy. Here are the Top 10 Architecture Firms in the World.

1. Gensler

Photo by Unknown. Wikimedia Commons.

Gensler tops the ranking of all architecture firms in the world. The firm generated a revenue of 1.24 billion US dollars in 2021. It was founded in 1965 by Arthur Densler, Drue Densler and James Follet. The firm’s head office is in San Francisco, California. The firm also boasts of a myriad of offices in 48 cities around the world.

Some key projects that have put Gensler on the limelight are Incheon International Airport in South Korea, Abu Dhabi Financial Centre in the UAE, Facebook Headquarters, Shangai Tower in Shanghai China, and also the San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2 and 3.

2. Nikken Sekkei

Nikken Sekkei, is one of the leading architecture firms in Japan. It was founded in 1900. This firm has completed over 25000 projects and is in 16 cities in the world.

Tokyo Skytree, the tallest broadcast tower in the world is the work of Nikken Sekkei. The firm is headed by Masafumi Tanaka who is the Chief Civil Engineer of the Urban Planning Department. He has worked in the firm since 1992.

3. Kohn Pedersen Fox

Kohn Pedersen Fox is one of the largest architecture firms whose headquarters is in New York City. The firm has around 650 employees.

Some of the recognized projects the firm has undertaken in recent years include Unilever House-London, Petersens Automotive Museum-Los Angeles, RBC Centre-Toronto, Mandarin Oriental-Las Vegas, and also Centra Metro-Iselin New Jersey. The firm offers services such as architecture, Planning and Master Planning services, and also interiors.

4. HKS

HKS headquarters are in Dallas, USA, with 1400 employees. It is a longstanding firm that has been around since 1939. The firm has offices in locations such as Tokyo, South Korea, New Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Mexico, Singapore, London, Shanghai, and mostly in the United States.

Their services include branded experiences, interior design, and structural engineering. Some of the firm’s best design work is Atlantic Paradise Island Resort, Bahamas, and the South Wacker Drive located in Chicago.

5. IBI Group

The Sagrada Familia viewed from Casa Milà, Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Bernard Gagnon. Wikimedia Commons.

IBI Group is one of the largest architecture firms that is based in Toronto. The firm has been in operation since 1974. It has 60 offices internationally and has 2600 employees.

Some of the locations it has offices in are North America, Asia, Middle East, and Europe. Major projects the firm has taken part in include the Queen Elizabeth University, the Saudi Arabia Integrated Transportation Urban Plan, Royal Hospital in Glasgow, and Boston’s Chinatown Park.

6. Woods Bagot

Woods Bagot is one of the oldest architectural firm that has been running since 1869. The firm specializes in building planning and design. It has 16 international studios spread across North America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.

The firm’s work include the Qatar Science and Technology Park, the National War Memorial, Adelaide, and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

7. RSP Architects

RSP Architects is an award-winning architecture firm that has been in existence for over 50 years. It is one of the largest architecture firms in the world. The firm’s headquarters is in Minneapolis while it’s other offices are in Miami, Dallas, Rochester, Phoenix, Hong Kong, Bangalore, India, and Baltimore.

The firm’s client base consists of mostly the government, education, gaming, science and technology companies, corporates, and hospitals worldwide. This shows just how prominent the firm is. Among RSP’s most notable projects are the Nakheel Mall in UAE, St Regis in Kuala Lumpur, and The Oberoi in Gurgaon, India among many more.

8. Zgf Architects

Modern architecture in Toronto. Photo by Thomas Lendt. Wikimedia Commons.

This is one of the top architecture firms in United States that was created in 1942. It’s headquarters is in Portland, USA.

It has established other offices in Los Angeles, Portland, Vancouver, California, New York, Seattle, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Oregon. The current employees are 588 in number.

9. Perkins and Will

Perkins and Will is one of the oldest long standing architecture firm in USA. It’s headquarters is in Chicago. In 2020, Perkins & Will generated a revenue of $595 million making it one of the top largest architecture firms’ worldwide.

Many of the firm’s employees are LEED accredited. Some of the firm’s work include Bridgestone Tower-Nashville, Tennessee, Crow Island School-Illinois, Florida Atlantic University- Schmidt Biomedical Science Centre, The Clare-Chicago Illinois, and Concordia International School-Shangai China.

10. Perkins Eastman

Perkin’s firm was founded in 1981 and has its headquarters located in New York. The company has 8 offices in different locations including Abu Dhabi UAE, Hong Kong, Canada, China, Ecuador, and India. There are 658 employees in the company.

Among the list of recognized projects Perkins Eastman boasts of are the School of Nursing and Science, Rutgers University, the mixed-use District Wharf, and also the Tenement Museum renovation, New York.

11. DP Architects

Photo by Jorge Rigamonti. Wikimedia Commons.

DP Architects was founded in 1967 making it one of the oldest firms around. The firm has an inclining towards architecture, urban planning, engineering, sustainable design, interior design, façade design and landscape design. It has a taskforce of around 900 employees with 16 offices spread around the world.

Among its portfolio of notable built works are Golden Mile Complex, Our Tampines Hub, Sengkang General Hospital, HomeTeamNS Khatib and Paya Lebar Quarters in Singapore, along with The Dubai Mall (Dubai, UAE), Lusail City Commercial Boulevard (Lusail, Qatar), Urban Bricks (Changwon, South Korea) and the award-winning Guangzhou Knowledge City (Guangzhou, China), Chuangyuan Tower and Fuying Tower (Nanjing, China), and RMZ Ecoworld (Bengalura, India).

12. DLR Group

DLR Group architecture firm is a class A firm located in Omaha, Nebraska. It has been operational since 1966. Over 1200 people are employed in the firm. DLR Group has an additional 25 office locations in America and several outposts in Dubai and Shanghai.

The firm has won some of the awards for the architecture interior of Canyon View High School, Arizona. The firm offers; building design construction, interior design, and landscape architecture.

13. Diamond Schmitt Architects

Diamond Schmitt Architects is a big architecture firm based in Ontario. This firm has its focus on medical based institutions. The firm has interior architects that have managed urban design building projects in the areas of medical research and health care.

Overall, the firm has been greatly awarded because of the great work. They have also appeared in a number of lists such as Canada’s Greenest Employers list, Canada’s Best Managed Companies, and also Canada’s Best Employers.

14. AECOM

Photo by Unknown. Wikimedia Commons.

AECOM is an American multinational engineering firm, recently moved and headquartered in Los Angeles. They provide design, consulting, construction, and management services to an ever increasing number of clients.

Named one of Fortune magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” for the fourth consecutive year, AECOM designs a wide range of building types that each excel at their function, provide a high-quality environment for people, strengthen their client’s brand and identity, conserve energy and water, and complement their contexts.

15. Sweco

Sweco is one of the best architecture firms based in Sweden. It was founded in 1958. The Swedish architecture firm has broad experience in architecture, design, urban planning and construction. Today, the firm has over 1300 employees.

Sweco has offices in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Poland, Belgium and Norway. Sweco is determined to transform spaces towards a sustainable future and reduced environmental impact.

16. Aedas

Aedas is a Hong Kong architectural firm founded by the Welsh architect Keith Griffiths. This firm was established in 2002. Aedas service areas include interiors, landscape, urban design services and architecture.

The firm has 11 offices around the world and over 1000 employees. Some of it’s notable projects include Ocean Heights, Boulevard Plaza and Ubora Towers in Dubai. The firm’s mission is to create world-class design solutions that are tailored to the needs of cities and communities around the world.

17. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Photo by Marimarina. Wikimedia Commons.

 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was established in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings. One of the firm’s key project in New York is the 1952 Lever House. Today, the New York office of this international firm is located within a building they designed: 7 World Trade Center.

SOM is a leading firm in architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning. The American Institute of Architects has recognized SOM twice with its highest honor, the Architecture Firm Award—in 1962 and again in 1996. The firm maintains offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dubai, and Mumbai.

18. NBBJ

NBBJ ranks 9th on this list of the biggest architecture firms in 2020 by revenue. The firm was founded in 1943. NBBJ is an American global architecture, planning and design firm with offices in Beijing, Boston, Columbus, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Pune, San Francisco, Seattle, and Shanghai. NBBJ provides services in architecture, interiors, planning, and urban design, branding, consulting, landscape design, and lighting.

19. CannonDesign

CannonDesign is a global architecture, engineering and consulting practice. It was founded is 1945 in Niagara, New York by Will Cannon Sr. His best-known work from this period was the Beaux-Arts style Niagara Falls City Hall in 1923.

The company offers services such as architecture, interior design, engineering and consulting. CannonDesign employs a design approach it created called Living-Centered Design. The approach addresses the complex interdependencies that exist between people, businesses, communities, society and the environment.

20. Zaha Hadid Architects

Architectural structure next to the Talons Cove Golf Club. Photo by Ben P L. Wikimedia Commons.

International powerhouse Zaha Hadid Architects was founded by the late Zaha Hadid in 1979. Now dedicated to honoring the architect’s legacy through innovative projects, the 400-person architecture firm is active around the world. ZHA has completed 950 projects in 44 countries, including museums, municipal works, schools, opera houses, and more.

The firm also works in industrial design, interior design, and master planning. Some of the projects it has taken part in include the Nordpark Railway stations in Innsbruck, Mobile Art for Chanel in Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York, the Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion in Spain and the Burnham Pavilion in Chicago.