Search the forum; this question has been asked before.

All of the firms you listed are known for their commercial interiors.

Thanks for your response. I had already searched the forums before posting and hadn't found much information.

There were some Gensler-related posts (mostly Gensler bashing), no Envision posts, 1 LSM-referenced post, 1 VOA-referenced post and a lot of posts mentioning the word "Studios" but" nothing related to the DC firm itself.

I was hoping that Archinect would be more helpful than this. I know that they all produce excellent commercial interiors from time-to-time. However, in uncertain economic times, I'd like to know more about their culture (i.e. turnover, business practice transparency, advancement opportunities, etc...) before I make a move.

Ask Ken Wilson - he'll tell you that commercial interiors are where you want to be in times of economic downturn - corporations are downsizing and therefore need to move and/or reconfigure existing space, which creates more work for the interior architects.

What has your own research told you about these firms?

What I've heard:

LSM: great design but you definitely have to give up some personal autonomy to thrive in that firm
Studios: collegial, some managerial transitions happening there
VOA: high quality projects; collaborative environment overall, but can get a bit suffocating when certain senior level staff members start "managing"
Gensler: corporate, highly standardised design; lots of internal politics, but if you are in the "right" studio you can have an excellent experience.
Envision: mostly all positives-good working environment; high quality projects; principals are highly involved in some projects, so more senior level people may feel somewhat "managed". Great for junior/mid-level professionals

I know that there is no "perfect" firm. I'd just like to make sure that should I move to another firm, it makes sense for my professional goals and personal goals.

Commercial interiors: that's one of the reasons why I didn't go into base building-it's far more vulnerable to economic shifts than interiors.

What have you heard about these firms?

so at 4 years you have already decided to sell all the other experiences architecture has to offer down the river b/c corporate interiors is 'supposedly' economy proof?

i mean if you love CI thats great... but one of the best ways to avoid bad firm cultures or being pigeon-holed is to not pigeon hole yourself and be willing to work at firms because of who they are and not necessarily what they do...

I've done some work in multi-family housing and liked that a lot, but as you know the real estate market is tanking right now. I do like how corporate interiors projects are faster paced than base building. I don't know if I've completely committed to CI, I just want to broaden my skill set.

As cities go, DC is pretty recession-proof. When the fed stops spending money, we're all screwed.

Have you tried the online resource - Inside ARCH?

http://www.insidearch.org/

Thanks for your e-mail. I went there before posting to Archinect...Gensler was rated, but VOA + Studios had their reviews pulled for "audits". The other firms did not have reviews.