Let me get this straight.... You're an A&E recruiter and you've never heard of Perkins & Will?

lol not exactly Gin, just trying to find out their reputation in the industry. They use to have a presence in DC and the office didn't do very well. Now they're back and have asked me to help with a few positions. Any info would be appreciated.

I worked at their main office in Chicago as a student intern from 1995 to 1999. Ralph Johnson has done some very cool projects that have gotten wide publicity, but the firm also does a lot of "bread and butter" healthcare, higher ed, and K-12 education projects that aren't quite as glamorous. At the time, I found it to be a very cool place to work with a relatively casual atmosphere and lots of interaction between junior and senior staff. However, I'm sure they've gone through some changes since I left, and I have no idea what the office vibe is like now. Nor can I speak for any of the offices other than Chicago.

I should add that in almost all projects I worked on at P&W (not just the fancy Ralph Johnson projects), they always maintained very high project delivery and AutoCAD standards. I couldn't have asked for better expereince as an intern, and that experience has come in very helpful in some other firms I've worked for since then. Sometimes I still wish I was back there.

Thanks Gin that helps a lot. They actually acquired an existing firm to re-establish a presence in DC. The firm has a pretty diverse atmosphere & staff, but their work was mostly government and commercial. I was concerned that the Chicago atmosphere might not mesh well with the vibe in DC. For example, their dress code is pretty casual, they have happy hour for almost any reason and day of the week, and personality is just as important as ability. For a firm as successful as they are, things are pretty relaxed. I can already see a change in they're work as they are starting to pursue mix-use and hospital projects. I was wondering if the atmosphere might become more corporate.