Evolving into more comprehensive design-build services was the driver behind CannonDesign’s recent merger with gkkworks, an integrated planning, design, and construction firm.
Founded in 1991, gkkworks employs 120 people in its offices in Irvine, Pasadena, and San Diego, Calif.; Denver; and Pune, India. (CannonDesign has an office in Mumbai.) Its annual revenue ranges from $50 million to $60 million.
Praful Kulkarni, president and CEO of gkkworks, says his goal has been to “create a firm with multiple professionals to customize the design process.” He notes that his company’s progressive design-build delivery model is promulgated on the belief that “architecture and construction are inseparable.”
Kulkarni’s new title at Cannon Design is director of integrated services, focused on advancing the combined firm’s design and construction capabilities.
Praful Kulkurni is now Cannon Design's director of intergated services, focused on the firm's design and construction capabilities. Image: courtesy of Cannon Design
Last year, Fast Company magazine recognized CannonDesign as one of the 10 most innovative architectural firms in the world. CannonDesign became acquainted with gkkworks through a “client connection,” says Brad Lukanic, AIA, LEED AP, CannonDesign’s growth-minded CEO.
Merging with gkkworks expands CannonDesign’s west-coast partnerships and moves the firm into the hospitality sector. Lukanic further explains the rationale behind this merger by stating “we’re finding that the industry is really hungry for alternative delivery methods. When there’s a single source of delivery, fewer mistakes are made.”
Cannon Design got into integrated modular design two years ago. Based on post-occupancy studies that CannonDesign has conducted on those subsequent projects, its delivery model is reducing delivery times by 28%, lowering costs by 20%, and reducing material waste by 30%. Kulkarni observes that these results “rest on involving the construction company at the point of selection.”
Deb Sheehan, Cannon Design's Executive Director-Firmwide Strategies, is looking forward to her company working earlier with subs and suppliers. Image: Cannon Design
Merging with gkkworks extends CannonDesign’s delivery reach to the supply chain, says Deb Sheehan, CannonDesign’s Executive Director-Firmwide Strategies. The company is already collaborating with GCs, and has started to include large subcontractors such as Hill Mechanical in early design discussions. Sheehan speaks enthusiastically about working sooner with suppliers and subcontractors to get costs down.
When asked why more firms should go the IDP route, Kulkarni cites a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that, he says, set “an impossibly high bar” for the accuracy of design drawings. In any disputes among building team members or with clients, that ruling “became a defensive position.” But when design and construction are integrated, “you no longer have these disputes.”
Since joining Cannon Design in 2016, CEO Brad Lukanic has been acquisition minded. Image: Cannon Design
“I believe our firm can play a vital role in a unified approach, as clients seek integrated solutions that link a project’s design and delivery phases,” says Lukanic. “By breaking traditional boundaries, our firm seeks to delivery every project aspect—from shaping the design experience to final construction.”
Its merger with gkkworks brings to 24 the number of offices Cannon Design operates. Over the next several months, Cannon Design and gkkworks will be combining their respective operations, “especially in California,” says Lukanic.
Related Stories
| May 7, 2013
First look: Golden State Warriors stadium by Snøhetta, AECOM
Architects Snøhetta and AECOM have revealed their latest renderings of a new stadium for NBA basketball team the Golden State Warriors on the waterfront in San Francisco.
| May 7, 2013
Renovated bridge building will anchor Nashville riverfront master plan
Renovations to the former Nashville Bridge Company building were recently completed, including a newly-built modern wing. The facility has been re-dubbed The Bridge Building and now offers spaces for meetings, parties, weddings, and other events.
| May 7, 2013
First look: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill skyscraper designed to 'confuse the wind'
The 400-meter-high, 116-story Imperial Tower in Mumbai will feature a slender, rounded form optimized to withstand the area's strong wind currents.
| May 6, 2013
SAFTI FIRST announces 3D Autodesk Revit models for fire rated wall, window, and door systems
SAFTI FIRST, leading USA-manufacturer of fire rated glass and faming systems, is proud to announce that Autodesk Revit models are now available for its fire rated walls, window and door systems via www.safti.com and Autodesk Seek.
| May 6, 2013
7 major multifamily residential projects in the works
A $140 million redevelopment of a landmark, 45-building apartment complex in Los Angeles is among the nation's significant multifamily developments under way.
| May 3, 2013
5 common failures in paints and coatings
As experienced designers, contractors, and owners know, most paint and coating problems are correctable, but some are especially stubborn to address. Here is a partial compendium of typical failure modes and methods for addressing the problem.
| May 3, 2013
'LEED for all GSA buildings,' says GSA Green Building Advisory Committee
The Green Building Advisory Committee established by the General Services Administration, officially recommended to GSA that the LEED green building certification system be used for all GSA buildings as the best measure of building efficiency.
| May 3, 2013
SMPS Foundation accepting applications for Ron Garikes Student Scholarship
The SMPS Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications from eligible students majoring in marketing, communications, or public relations who are planning a career in professional services marketing in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry.
