Gensler has set a new record for firm size after the 2023 Building Design WA100 survey listed its total design staff at just over 3,000 for the first time in history.
After losing its founder in May of 2021, Gensler grew by 14% over the last year to breach the 3,000-employee threshold. The company now employs some 3,069 architects globally, according to the UK-based publication.
That figure makes the international giant more than twice the size of HDR, whose architectural staff was listed at 1,404 globally. Aecom, Sweco, and Japan’s Nikken Sekkei were the only other companies with totals numbering over 1,000. Perkins Eastman, which has acquired three smaller firms since the beginning of 2021, ranked behind them with 832 architects.
The survey also noted firms’ reluctance to commit to downsizing efforts in spite of the assumed recession. Overall, half of the practices surveyed reported not anticipating any staff reductions for the coming year, with another third saying they actively planned to recruit and train additional architects averaging between 11 and 30 per office in the coming calendar year.
As Building Design reported, Gensler has opened offices in Berlin, Riyadh, and Nashville recently. The practice now has a total of 52 offices in six regions across the world and a reported fee income of over $1 billion.
5 Comments
Gensler laid off 1,100 people in 2020-2021.
I thought Gensler was known for having a large amount of overturn in their staffing. They hire and fire based on project load each month.
I've known them to make an effort to retain people during slow periods. Some Gensler offices treat their people better than others, however. The major firm-wide layoffs are usually only when a big global downturn makes it unavoidable.
Yes they mostly do large layoffs in times of global crises. Unfortunately that is when they let some expensive senior people go...
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