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Best firms in USA

piero1910

My professor gave us this list with names of firms in the world that he considers the best. But I would like to know what other firms you can recommend to see that have a great work. Especially, I would like to know more about american firms because all the ones that I really like are mostly Europeans and I also think that many of the american firms that the professor mentioned do not have inspiring work for me. What firms are your favorite architects? So please let me know what you think. Thanks. 

 
Jan 28, 15 12:34 am
Larchinect

There are at least two landscape architecture firms on that list, which is interesting. 

i understand when professors distribute lists like these to their students their intention is mainly to spur you to go looking at their work, trying to understand why their work is 'good.' One of my landscape arch professors maintained a similar list of la firms he thought were 'the best.' The reality is there are exponentially more great designers out there, many of whom may never reach global notoriety, than there are noteworthy firms. 

since your list includes la's:

mvva

peter walker partners

andrea cochran

reed hildebrand

hargreaves 

coen + partners

to name a few...

Jan 28, 15 1:36 am  · 
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awaiting_deletion

Very strange intro paragraph, not sure why knowing any of those names would help your professional career other than where to send your resume. I didn't see SOM among other major Firms on there,appears to be a very specific list, half of the firm's I have never heard of......

Jan 28, 15 7:34 am  · 
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awaiting_deletion

And to my disappointment Miles Jaffe is not on that list.

Jan 28, 15 7:48 am  · 
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flatroof

Coincidentally, it's also a list of unpaid internships.

Jan 28, 15 7:51 am  · 
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natematt

If you are looking for a list of firms that align better with firms you are interested in, it would be very helpful if you at least gave examples of the firms in Europe that you like so much.

This list has some nice firms on it, but it is seemingly biased against large corporate firms. Also, while Flatroof's post made me laugh, my observation is that firms with reputations for high design tend to pay alright, the real pitfall is they just work people to the bone for that ok pay. haha

Jan 28, 15 10:59 am  · 
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SneakyPete

"my observation is that firms with reputations for high design tend to pay alright, the real pitfall is they just work people to the bone for that ok pay"

 

I agree with this.

Jan 28, 15 11:41 am  · 
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The truth about doing superior work is that it requires superior commitment. If money is your primary objective you had better find something else to do.

Being trained in that kind of environment has worth beyond measure.

Jan 28, 15 1:29 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

The only one that actually pays more than peanuts in that north america list is Leo Daly. I wonder where SOM and KPF went? or is your professor above mundane things like, you know, making money?

Jan 28, 15 1:34 pm  · 
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SneakyPete

sameold, what do you define as peanuts? I worked at one of the firms listed (not Leo Daly) and while I wasn't wealthy, I made a salary that I would consider more than peanuts straight out of school.

Jan 28, 15 2:15 pm  · 
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natematt

The truth about doing superior work is that it requires superior commitment. If money is your primary objective you had better find something else to do.

I wasn't suggesting otherwise.

Jan 28, 15 3:23 pm  · 
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,,,,

Any list of best firms without including Dick Busch is invalid.

Jan 28, 15 4:40 pm  · 
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chigurh

he lists deceased architect louis kahn, but fails to mention corbusier; your professor is a total fucking fraud.  

Jan 28, 15 4:48 pm  · 
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piero1910

Natematt, 

 

The firms or architects that I really like are the followings which some of them are mentioned in the list that I posted above. Siza, Souto de Moura, Chipperfield, SelgasCano, Herzog & de Meuron, Zumthor, Joao Luis Carrilho Da Graca, Campo Baeza, Caruso St. John, RCR Architects, etc. These are some of the Europeans that I like, but I like many other from different continents, such as Smiljan Radic, Pezo, Aravena, In Asia, I like SANAA, Ito, Fujimoto, Kuma, Ban, Atelier Bow Wow. Basically, I am mentioning the ones that I tend to like regularly. 

Jan 28, 15 4:54 pm  · 
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Any list of best firms without including Dick Busch is invalid.

Or Charles Schwartzapfel.

Jan 28, 15 5:38 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

Sneaky, its all relative, innit?

Jan 28, 15 5:41 pm  · 
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piero1910

I forgot to mention the ones from USA that I like. Diller+Scofidio, Johnston Marklee, Maltzan, Moss architects, SO-IL, Weiss-Manfredi, Tod Williams Billie Tsien, Asymptote architecture. So those are the firms that I find interesting in USA. Well, these are the one that I know. That is why I am asking you to give me some recommendations at looking american firms because I do not have a great knowledge of them. 

Jan 28, 15 5:55 pm  · 
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SneakyPete

sameold,

 

Indeed. I was simply looking for your perspective, not trying to pick a fight.

Jan 28, 15 6:45 pm  · 
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awaiting_deletion

Piero1910 your list is kind of all over the place other then they are published well. Maybe why you like them would help?

Jan 28, 15 8:32 pm  · 
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piero1910

Firstly, I like those firms because they can create great architectural experiences and buildings. Reaching great quality of spaces and some of them have a sensitivity for materials more than others. So I must say that I do not have a defined style of what I like in an architect. I like projects that I find interesting, although they could be projects from not famous architects. 

Secondly, I argued about firms in USA because I feel that they try to very generic type of buildings only to take more advantage of the economic purpose of the building making the building very uninterested for me. Of course, architects want to make a successful building in general (commercial, social, educational and cultural aspects). Of course, I cannot say that all american firms design that way, but mostly when you try to find a job in here. Most of the firms have boring projects that you could find in any other firm. I feel that Europe have a bigger number of better firms in terms of design quality. Undoubtedly, this is only my opinion. 

Thus, this is why I want to expand my knowledge in american firms because I just probably know the ones that are not that great and feel the professors do not tell me which ones are that great. Since they just give me names of architects that everyone knows m such as Steven Holl. 

Jan 28, 15 9:10 pm  · 
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awaiting_deletion

Ah,got it, what i don't see on list are - Trahan Architects, Will Bruder, Fay Jones.......again your professors list is very strange....

Jan 28, 15 9:31 pm  · 
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justavisual

there are a lot of landscape architects on that list! way to go

more:

junya ishigami

koning eizenberg

work ac

NL architects

atelier bow wow

OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen

Dogma

coloco

maxwan

Jan 29, 15 5:32 am  · 
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justavisual

what school does this come from by the way? am curious...

Jan 29, 15 5:45 am  · 
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piero1910

It comes from Northeastern University

Jul 11, 15 12:57 am  · 
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Volunteer

No John Pawson in architecture and no Luciano Giubbilei in the landscape architecture field?

Your professor needs to get out more.

Jul 11, 15 8:49 am  · 
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piero1910

I know that the list is missing important architects, such as Rafael Moneo, Nouvel, David Chipperfield. That is why I am asking how I can fill this list with more good architects. Also, John Pawson is included in list. Just read carefully. 

Jul 13, 15 3:48 pm  · 
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davvid

Why Louis Kahn?

Jul 13, 15 5:09 pm  · 
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midlander

^I think its a test to see who's really paying attention. Leo A Daly also seems to be an outlier in this selection.

Jul 13, 15 10:38 pm  · 
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archiwutm8

The "I'm barely surviving list"

Jul 14, 15 5:30 am  · 
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piero1910

I know that this list is pretty weird. I don't agree either with so many firms in the list. I am sure that he just chose architects whom he likes, but I do not like some of them. 

Jul 14, 15 9:06 pm  · 
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