Archinect - News

Michael Graves Architecture acquires Tennessee's Studio Four Design, its sixth firm since 2022

2024-03-11T16:08:00-04:00

Princeton, New Jersey-based Michael Graves Architecture has announced that the firm is expanding once again with the acquisition of Studio Four Design, a successful 17-person operation working with over twenty years of experience on various project types in the Knoxville, Tennessee, market.

The expansion follows five other acquisitions completed between March 2022 and June of last year. The move will allow the firm to compete in a new region, where they say they have identified a need for design services. The two share a similar organizational mission that's geared towards creating a "human-centric" architecture. Michael Graves' CEO and President Joe Furey says the addition "[encourages] us to embrace new perspectives and experiences, furthering our mission to create impactful design nationally."

Stacy Cox, Principal at Studio Four Design, added: "This merger leverages the skillsets and experiences at Studio Four Design, allowing us to take our capabilities and offerings to a new le...

10 Design completes integration with SB Architects

2024-02-21T20:16:00-05:00

10 Design and SB Architects have announced their completed integration as part of both firms' inclusion in Egis' Architecture Line, which operates 20 studios worldwide.

The integration took a reported 18 months to complete after first being announced in July of 2022, and the firm will operate as 10SB in the Americas market in the interim. 10 Design’s global brand will leverage both its expertise in mixed-use projects alongside SB’s deep hospitality portfolio for a better synergistic and cohesive offer.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Puerto Rico. Image: courtesy 10 Design & SB Architects.

"The combined geographic reach and diverse design expertise of our practices create a powerful platform for multi-skilled collaboration," said Ross Milne, the CEO of 10 Design. "By uniting, we’re not only stronger in terms of expertise and talent but also in our ability to deliver projects across multiple sectors and scales, anywhere in the world."

From a project in the Miami Design District....

SRG Partnership announces merger with CannonDesign

2024-02-02T17:14:00-05:00

The Seattle/Portland-based SRG Partnership has announced its merger with CannonDesign in a move that will be felt widely in the health and wellness, education, science and technology, and sports and recreation sectors in the Pacific Northwest market and beyond.

SRG will be reorganized as SRG + CannonDesign. The new entity brings CannonDesign into the region for the first time. CannonDesign now has 18 offices and nearly 1,300 staff working globally, counting the additional employees moving over from SRG.

Edward J. Ray Hall at Oregon State University. Photo credit: SRG Partnership

“There's a clear synergy in our firms’ shared commitment to design excellence,” David Polzin, CannonDesign’s Executive Director of Design, said at the announcement. “SRG’s portfolio is outstanding, both regionally sensitive and transcendent of place. Their teams’ dedication to being environmentally responsible, resilient and equitable is evident in their work.”

A project at Washington State University's Evere...

DLR Group acquires two Bay Area specialty firms

2024-01-25T14:16:00-05:00

The San Francisco office of DLR Group has announced its acquisition of two smaller local specialty design practices in a move that will expand services to clients in the areas of civic and public safety design as well as high-end hospitality and residential interiors.

Thirty-five-year-old BraytonHughes Design Studios and Sonoma-based RossDrulisCusenbery (RDC) were the two firms acquired in separate deals. Both are well-known in the Bay Area market, having developed nationally recognized designs in their respective practice areas for the last three decades.

The boutique interiors specialist BraytonHughes Design Studios will add their expertise in high-end hospitality, resort, corporate office design, and residential projects to the DLR portfolio. Its addition helps DLR to accelerate growth in these segments and is strengthened by the firm’s longtime clients like the Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria, and Grand Hyatt hotel brands, according to DLR.

In a statement, BraytonHughes Presiden...

Page announces acquisition of Davis Brody Bond

2023-11-06T08:00:00-05:00

Page has announced its acquisition of New York-based studio Davis Brody Bond in a move that will consolidate two well-known firms with long track records of success in the regional market into one entity with more than twenty offices in the U.S. and abroad.

The move was announced on November 1 as Page looks towards its 52nd year of operation. Davis Brody Bond partners Steven Davis, Will Paxson, Carl Krebs, Christopher Grabé, and Mark Wagner will become principals at Page under the new organizational structure. All other employees at Davis Brody Bond will continue as Page staffers after the acquisition.

“Bringing Davis Brody Bond into the Page family is a significant step for our firm,” Page's CEO Thomas McCarthy said in a statement. “For several years, we’ve been thoughtfully assessing the best way to extend our presence into New York City, and given our past collaboration with Davis Brody Bond, we knew the firm shared our design ethos and client-first approach. We both understand ...

Michael Graves Architecture acquires Texas' Parallax Team as expansion continues

2023-06-21T16:58:00-04:00

Michael Graves Architecture has once again expanded its operation after announcing the acquisition of the Texas-based AEC technology consultants Parallax Team.

The firm’s fifth such expansion in the past 15 months follows the acquisitions of PGN Architects, Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce, Waldon Studio, and Jose Carballo Architectural Group (each located in the mid-Atlantic market) and will buy the firm stakes in a new sector.

“We have been working closely with Parallax for some time, and have remained impressed with the way their team is able to seamlessly integrate these important technologies into day-to-day practice,” the firm’s President and CEO Joe Furey said. “When evaluating this acquisition, we were not only excited at the prospect of joining their team with ours but at the proposition of being involved with a company that has such unifying potential — both internally for our staff, and externally from an industry standpoint. Collaboration has been an essential part of our...

Michael Graves Architecture acquires PGN Architects — its fourth firm within one year

2023-03-30T15:12:00-04:00

Michael Graves Architecture has expanded once again with its newly-announced acquisition of Washington, D.C.’s PGN Architects (PGN). The addition marks their fourth such move in the past twelve months, following successive mergers with Mid-Atlantic firms Waldon Studio Architects, Jose Carballo Architectural Group, and Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects, respectively.

The Princeton-based MG announced the merger on Thursday as an attempt to bolster its expertise in the multifamily market and sectors. PGN Partners Jeff Goins and Sean Pichon will remain in leadership roles, while MG President and CEO Joe Furey will oversee the integration along lines related to the firm’s long-term strategic plan.

“When evaluating this acquisition, we immediately recognized the talent, forward-thinking design approach, and deep level of experience within the PGN team, especially in the multifamily sector with many mixed-use projects. As we learned more about each other, we realized our values al...

Michael Graves Architecture acquires Walter Robbs — its third firm in eleven months

2023-01-31T18:18:00-05:00

Michael Graves Architecture is once again expanding in the Mid-Atlantic market with the newly-announced acquisition of the well-known North Carolina-based firm Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects.

The move comes after successive acquisitions of Maryland's Waldon Studio Architects and the New Jersey-based Jose Carballo Architectural Group last year. The newly-formed company will retain its current Partners, while the trio of Wesley Curtis, Ken McDaniel, and Matt Messick will now serve as its three Principals.

“When evaluating this acquisition, we immediately recognized the talent and deep experience within the Walter Robbs team, particularly in the higher education, K-12, community, and sports sectors. As we learned more about each other, we realized our values were aligned, and that our collaboration would create instant synergy,” MG CEO Joe Furey explained in a press statement. “We were immediately impressed with Walter Robbs’ portfolio, its people, and the collaborative nat...

MASS Design Group announces acquisition of long-time Santa Fe collaborator Atkin Olshin Schade Architects

2022-11-16T12:03:00-05:00

MASS Design Group has announced its acquisition of Santa Fe, New Mexico-based Atkin Olshin Schade Architects (AOS) in a move they say will offer an enhancement of the relationship the two have built already through years of collaboration.

The merger makes the new combined entity Santa Fe’s largest architectural office, with further opportunity to leverage AOS’s Philadelphia operation in order to pursue “innovative approaches to preservation, adaptive reuse, and design for mission-focused organizations throughout the northeast and nationally.”

Previously on Archinect: MASS Design Group founder Michael Murphy announces he is stepping down, will join the faculty at Georgia Tech

It comes just under a month after MASS’s co-founder Michael Murphy left the firm to take a position on faculty at Georgia Tech University, handing over the reins to his former Senior Principal and Managing Director Christian Benimana and Patricia Gruits as well as the firm’s co-founder and current Chief Design O...

Perkins Eastman announces acquisition of Kliment Halsband Architects

2022-10-13T15:27:00-04:00

Perkins Eastman has announced the acquisition of New York’s Kliment Halsband Architects (KHA) in a move announced jointly by both firms on October 3rd.

The 50-year-old practice is Perkins Eastman’s second acquisition this year following a move in February to acquire BLT Architects (now known as BLTa—A Perkins Eastman Studio). The world’s seventh-largest architecture firm has now expanded three times since the beginning of 2021, including the mergers with BLTa, Pfeiffer Architects, and Kliment Halsband.

“Both firms believe in the power of design to improve people’s lives, and we’re looking forward to providing that benefit to a wider range of institutions,” Perkins Eastman co-founder and vice chair Mary-Jean Eastman said in a statement.

Previously on Archinect: Perkins Eastman acquires BLT Architects, its second merger in as many years

“We see things the same way, but we work in different ways to bring something new to the table,” Kliment Halsband’s co-founder Frances Halsband shared....

Sasaki is moving to NYC after acquiring Brooklyn's DLANDstudio

2022-05-03T13:44:00-04:00

Sasaki Associates will be branching out and adding a new component after an announcement this week that they are acquiring Brooklyn-based DLANDstudio and opening a new office in New York City for the first time.

The 70-year-old firm has traditionally operated out of offices in Denver, Shanghai, and Watertown, Massachusetts, where it is headquartered, and boasts an impressive and well-known international portfolio which includes the Chicago Riverwalk, Xuhui Runway Park, and soon-to-be remade Boston City Hall plaza.

Sasaki says the new addition will help bolster its ability to address core issues such as climate adaptation, biodiversity loss, environmental justice, and social equity in keeping with its founder’s visionary pursuit of ecologically-minded architecture and design.

Related Archinect Feature: Meet the Architects Designing Software to Fight Climate Change

Speaking in a press release, DLANDstudio founder and principal Susannah Drake, FASLA, FAIA said: “Environmental justice wa...

Michael Graves Architecture is expanding with the acquisition of Waldon Studio Architects

2022-03-08T13:35:00-05:00

A major ten-year strategic plan of one of the most high-profile firms on the East Coast is underway after Michael Graves Architecture & Design announced its acquisition of the smaller Waldon Studio Architects, which was founded in 2003.

The New York, Washington, and Princeton-based Graves is expanding its footprint further down the Northeast Corridor with the acquisition of the 39-member office, which has operations in Baltimore, DC, and in Howard County.

Waldon had previously acquired another smaller Baltimore-based practice called Kann Partners in 2018 and is currently one of the largest firms in the city with $5.42 million in architectural billings reported for the year 2020, according to Baltimore Business Journals. Waldon’s founder and current principal, Ravi Waldon, will retain his title and serve as head of any religious projects for the new combined entity after the transition.

Graves’ ...

Perkins Eastman acquires BLT Architects, its second merger in as many years

2022-02-11T16:54:00-05:00

One of the largest architecture firms in North America is expanding again as Perkins Eastman has announced a merger with BLT Architects (BLTa) effective February 1st.

The new entity will be known as BLTa—A Perkins Eastman Studio and operate out of Philadelphia, a traditional stronghold of Perkins.

“We are very pleased that BLTa has joined us, and we now have a strong partner in Philadelphia. We have had the opportunity to get to know BLTa over the last several years and believe they bring significant skills and experience to our national practice,” Perkins Eastman chairman and co-founded Brad Perkins said in a statement. “Moreover, we have always had important clients in Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, and the adjacent states, and with BLTa we can now better serve those that want a combination of our national expertise combined with experienced local delivery and service.”

The in-state move is the latest in a list of successive acquisitions the firm has made dating back to the ...

Herman Miller completes acquisition of Knoll, announcing new name MillerKnoll

2021-07-21T18:41:00-04:00

Herman Miller has announced that it has completed its $1.8 billion acquisition of Knoll.

The combined company, known as MillerKnoll, now comprises 19 leading brands, a presence across more than 100 countries, a global dealer network, 64 showrooms, more than 50 physical retail locations, and global multichannel eCommerce capabilities. All individual brands under Herman Miller and Knoll will continue to operate as distinct entities.

MillerKnoll will be led by Herman Miller President and CEO Andi Owen, with support from a management team made up of executives from both Herman Miller and Knoll.

“We are excited to introduce MillerKnoll, a collective of dynamic brands coming together to design the world we live in,” said Owen. “Our industry—and the world in general—is changing rapidly. Design is the way we imagine and shape a better future. In coming together, we will define and lead this transformation, like we have other transformations in our histories.”

Previously on Archinect: Her...

Herman Miller to take over Knoll in $1.8 billion merger

2021-04-19T15:13:00-04:00

Modern furniture design giant Herman Miller, Inc. announced its $1.8 billion acquisition plans of rival Knoll Inc. today.

"This transaction brings together two pioneering icons of design with strong businesses, attractive portfolios and long histories of innovation," commented Andi Owen, President and CEO of Herman Miller as well as the future combined company. "As distributed working models become the new normal for companies, businesses are reimagining the office to foster collaboration, culture and focused work, while supporting a growing remote employee base. At the same time, consumers are making significant investments in their homes. With a broad portfolio, global footprint and advanced digital capabilities, we will be poised to meet our customers everywhere they live and work."

Bloomberg reports that the merger would help the companies "feed into the transformation of home and office as work continues to be split between the two."

The combination is expected to close by the...

Trinity Planning, Design, Architecture Merges with NAC Architecture

2020-08-03T18:28:00-04:00

Columbus-based healthcare analytics, planning and design firm, Trinity: Planning, Design, Architecture has merged with NAC Architecture. Trinity's expertise lies in its experience and deep knowledge in space analytics. As a result of this merger, that expertise will be able to expand beyond just healthcare, but now also serve within PK-12 and higher education work.

"This merger is not about getting bigger," said Dana Harbaugh, president and CEO at NAC in a statement. "Trinity and NAC share a common cultural commitment to personal service, quality, and design innovation. Trinity’s strength in analytics complements our focus on research."

Trinity Principal, Bob Gesing also added, "The fusion of our expertise gives us the opportunity to further a holistic approach to health, education and wellbeing and have a profound impact on our communities."

Starting today, Trinity will be called Trinity:NAC. Existing offices in Spokane, Seattle, and Los Angeles will remain NAC.

AECOM reportedly discussing deal with WSP

2020-01-15T19:09:00-05:00

Canada’s WSP Global Inc. has approached rival engineering services firm Aecom about a possible deal, according to people familiar with the matter. [...] Aecom shares opened up 4% Tuesday, valuing the company at about $7.7 billion. WSP fell 0.4% to C$93.22 apiece in Toronto, giving the company a market value of about C$9.9 billion ($7.6 billion).

"Meanwhile, WSP's acquisitions of U.S.-based construction and engineering firms go back several years," reported Construction Dive, detailing the Canadian company's strategic shopping spree that included notable acquisitions of companies like Berger Group Holdings Inc., Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Ecology and Environment Inc.

A deal with Los Angeles-based industry heavyweight AECOM would grant WSP further access to the U.S. market and result in significant cost savings, according to Bloomberg.

Hodgetts + Fung merges with Seattle-based Mithun

2019-01-14T16:19:00-05:00

The LA-based practice Hodgetts + Fung and Seattle-based practice Mithun have announced that they will merge, effective today. The Culver City office has updated its name, reflecting the new change, to Mithun | Hodgetts + Fung.

Hollywood Bowl / Los Angeles, CA [H+F project; image courtesy of Hodgetts+Fung]

Wanapum Heritage Center / Mattawa, WA [Mithun project; photo by Ben Benschneider]

In a recent conversation with Ming Fung, cofounder of Hodgetts + Fung, she explained to me that she and Craig Hodgetts, her partner at work and home, had no plans to merge with any firm, but got quite excited about the possibilities upon hearing from Mithun's Brendan Connolly last year, pitching the idea. Both offices recognized a tremendous synergy between the firms, rooted in a deep reverence for humanity, with a body of work focused on care for their clients.

Sustainability Treehouse / Mount Hope, WV [Mithun project; photo by Joe Fletcher]

Mithun values the overlap in markets both firms have speciali...

Danish firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen merges with Perkins+Will

2018-01-24T13:29:00-05:00

Perkins+Will has announced that it will be merging with the Copenhagen-based firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects; the two have been in negotiation since summer of 2017. The former aims to diversify its global talent, expand its cultural and civic practice, and reinforce the caliber of its design portfolio, while the latter aims to expand into new geographic markets, grow its client base, and apply groundbreaking design research to practice.

International Criminal Court Building. Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Photo by Adam Mørk.

Katuaq Cultural Center. Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Photo by Adam Mørk.

Since its founding in 1986, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has become one of Denmark's largest architectural firms and is best known for their highly sustainable cultural and civic architecture, particularly libraries. Some of their best known works include the 1999 extension of the Copenhagen Royal Library, the International Criminal Court building in The Hague, and the 2013 RIBA award–winning Uni...

FIU Considers Merging Journalism and Architecture

2015-12-08T15:34:00-05:00

FIU is now considering a merger between its journalism school and College of Architecture + The Arts. The new combined college would probably get a new name (such as adding “communications” somewhere in the title), and journalism would continue as a “school” within this larger umbrella college. Journalism would still be an available degree track, as would the school’s other offerings in broadcast media, public relations, and advertising.

Callison and RTKL merge in hopes to "bring swagger back" to Seattle office, CEO says

2015-10-20T20:06:00-04:00

On Tuesday, Callison and architecture/engineering firm RTKL announced they have officially joined forces as CallisonRTKL...[CEO Lance] Josal said the merger is good news for both firms and 'especially for the Seattle office.' In talking to the firm's senior leaders, Josal said there has been 'a little bit of frustration on their part' because they felt the firm 'may have lost a bit of swagger locally' and wanted an owner that would invest in the firm...

Previously on Archinect:

ARCADIS to buy Callison

UT Arlington approves school merger to create new College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs

2015-05-14T19:46:00-04:00

UT Arlington’s longstanding schools of Architecture and Urban and Public Affairs are in the final phase of an integration that will strengthen academic and research opportunities under the new College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs. [...] The College will incorporate six professional degree programs – urban planning, public administration, public policy, architecture, landscape architecture and interior design.

Proposed merger of University of Nebraska-Lincoln architecture, arts colleges met with criticism

2015-04-13T13:45:00-04:00

Merging the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Architecture with another college is a disaster waiting to happen, a handful of architects said Friday. They were attending the NU Board of Regents meeting to protest plans to merge the architecture program with the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. A merger could water down the quality of the architecture program and diminish the respect it commands, the architects told the board.

Previously: University of Nebraska-Lincoln proposes merger of architecture, arts schools

HOK's acquisition of 360 Architecture now complete

2015-01-13T14:22:00-05:00

HOK celebrated its return to Kansas City Tuesday, revealing new signage at what has been the offices of 360 Architecture at 300 W. 22nd St. The event marked completion of 360 Architecture’s acquisition by HOK, a global architecture, engineering and design company with 1,800 employees. The purchase, announced in August, made Kansas City HOK’s 24th office globally. The practice is marketed as HOK Sports + Recreation + Entertainment.

Previously: HOK will acquire 360, restart sports architecture practice

First SketchUp, now Gehry Technologies - Trimble makes another big acquisition

2014-09-08T12:37:00-04:00

In what is being described as "a strategic alliance to collaborate to transform the construction industry" software company Trimble has acquired Gehry Technologies. The alliance will offer other architects and designers use of the technology to collaborate on projects more efficiently.

Press release:

Trimble and Frank Gehry Announce Strategic Alliance to
Transform the Way the Construction Industry Works

SUNNYVALE and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 8, 2014—Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) and Frank Gehry announced today that they have entered into a strategic alliance to collaborate to transform the construction industry by further connecting the office to on-site construction technologies. As part of the alliance, Trimble has acquired Gehry Technologies, the software and consulting services business that has been instrumental in delivering Frank Gehry’s visionary designs while keeping cost and schedule in line for his clients.

The alliance combines deep Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC)...

HOK will acquire 360, restart sports architecture practice

2014-08-19T14:39:00-04:00

Global architecture and engineering firm HOK will acquire Kansas City's 360 Architecture. On Tuesday, the St. Louis-based firm announced that it will acquire the sports architecture-focused firm for an undisclosed price. The merger, expected to close by the end of October, will allow HOK to set up a new sports and entertainment practice staffed with experienced and established talent.

UPDATE: HOK's acquisition of 360 Architecture now complete

University of Nebraska-Lincoln proposes merger of architecture, arts schools

2014-02-18T16:50:00-05:00

One college on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus focuses on designing space through research and critical thinking. The other offers space for artists to expand their creativity in visual and performing arts and communications. Beginning in the 2015-16 academic year, the UNL College of Architecture and the Hixon-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts could merge under a proposal announced by university administrators last week.

CO Architects Forms Joint Venture with FXFOWLE

2012-01-10T20:49:00-05:00

Los Angeles architectural firm CO Architects on Tuesday announced a joint venture with New York City’s FXFOWLE to extend the geographic reach and expertise of each company. The firms will maintain individual identities and operations while pursuing new projects together under the name CO/FXFOWLE, including participating in a new competition to design a building for a prestigious educational institution in New York City.