(Fort Worth, Texas) – VLK Architects continues to earn numerous acknowledgments for its success in the A/E/C industry and the greater business community. VLK’s honors achieved new heights of recognition for its performance, growth, and company culture during an incredibly challenging 2021.

Among the accolades for growth and performance, VLK was once again recognized for the strength of its company culture and as a great place to work. This year the firm was among the 2021 AIA Houston Emerging Professionals Friendly Firm Award, the Zweig Group’s Best Firms to Work For, and Fort Worth Inc.’s Best Companies to Work For.  These awards would not have been possible without the support of our exceptional clients.

While the 2021 rebound brought a considerably more optimistic business climate and an economy in fast recovery, the lingering effects of the global pandemic continue to profoundly impact the A/E/C industry.

“The lessons we learned from the pandemic have made us an even stronger firm,” said Sloan Harris, VLK Architects CEO | Partner. “Our clients usually don’t have the luxury of flexibility regarding the completion of their buildings. It’s our mission to develop feasible solutions to keep these projects on schedule and within budget despite the industry-wide challenges.”

The whiplash of supply and demand over the last 18 months has resulted in major disruptions in the supply chain for construction materials, resulting in shortages and severe price spikes of critical materials like steel and wood. The construction industry further suffered from a shortage of skilled workers and high unemployment rates, contributing to the struggle to meet scheduling requirements during construction. Finally, extreme weather events like the frigid artic blast in February and Hurricane Ida in September caused even more interruptions to construction progress.

“Tapping an extensive network of engineering, materials, and construction partners, VLK established systems of new protocols to identify materials alternatives and time-saving approaches,” Managing Partner Todd Lien explained. “These issues became opportunities to demonstrate our agility and resilience as a solutions resource for our clients. It also underscored the value of bringing experts together to collaborate for the ultimate good of our industry.”

Here is the comprehensive list of VLK’s 2021 awards and recognitions:

• Firm Culture, Employee Satisfaction, and Benefits
  • Fort Worth Inc. Best Companies to Work For in Fort Worth: #25 among Small/Medium Companies (2020: #3)
  • Zweig Group Best Firms to Work For: #25 among A/E/C Firms (2020: #12, 2019: #9, 2018: #6) and #4 among Architecture Firms (2020: #4)
• Growth and Performance
  • Architectural Record Top 300 List: #56 (2020: #63, 2019: #74, 2018: #106)
  • Building Design + Construction Magazine Top 90 Architectural Firms of 2021 #29 for Top 160 Architecture Firms of 2021 (2020: #32, 2019: #37, 2018: #49)
  • Zweig Group Hot Firm Award: #20 among all A/E/C firms (2020: #20, 2019: #7, 2018: #13) and #2 among Architecture Firms (2020: #3)
  • ENR Magazine Southeast, Southwest, and Texas/Louisiana Region Top 10 Design Firm: #7 among Architecture Firms (2020: #8, 2019: #8, 2018: #10); Top 50 Design Firm Overall: #38 (2020: #37, 2019: #41, 2018: #50); and #3 among Education Architecture Firms in 2021 (2020: #3)
  • ENR Magazine National Top 500 Design Firms: #281 (2020: #294, 2019: #324, 2018: #414)
  • Inc. Magazine’s 5000 202­1 List of Nation's Fastest-Growing Private Companies: #3,993 (2020: #4,219, 2019: #2,865, 2018: #3,369)
  • FW, Inc.’s 2021 Fastest Growing Companies in Fort Worth: Finalist among Architecture/Planning

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About VLK Architects: With offices throughout Texas, VLK Architects provides architecture, planning, and interior design services to automotive, K-12, higher education, corporate, and institutional clients throughout Texas. For more information, please visit our website: www.vlkarchitects.com or contact 817-344-0344 or tbartley@vlkarchitects.com.