Following solid revenue growth in 2013, the majority of U.S.-based engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms expect more of the same this year, according to BD+C’s 2014 Giants 300 report. Of the 68 engineering and EA firms that reported a forecast for 2014, 56 companies expect revenue to be higher, with the average growth rate at nearly double digits (9.1%). The same group saw revenue increase 16% on average in 2013.
As the green building movement shifts focus from the new construction sector to existing buildings, engineering firms are well positioned to capitalize on the influx of dollars heading into the reconstruction and retrofit markets. Firms, in turn, are adding services like commissioning (BECx, Cx, and RCx), energy retrofit design, energy auditing, energy modeling, and facilities management consulting in an effort to cater to this growing segment.
San Francisco-based Mazzetti is seeing growth from its recently launched facilities management consulting business, especially on the East Coast. The firm works directly with building owners and their facilities teams to assess how their facilities can operate more efficiently. Mazzetti also advises owners on the best ROI in terms of equipment replacement or repair.
TOP ENGINEERING FIRMS
2013 Engineering Revenue ($)
1 Fluor Corporation $585,150,000
2 Arup 136,464,506
3 Day & Zimmermann 130,576,072
4 WSP Group 124,400,000
5 Affiliated Engineers 104,121,000
6 KPFF Consulting Engineers 94,025,000
7 Syska Hennessy Group 93,902,508
8 Vanderweil Engineers 80,334,000
9 Simpson Gumpertz & Heger 71,640,000
10 AKF Group 67,487,000
SEE FULL LIST
TOP ENGINEERING/ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
2013 EA Revenue ($)
1 Jacobs $3,684,260,000
2 AECOM Technology Corp. 1,769,120,000
3 Parsons Brinckerhoff 316,350,284
4 URS Corp. 280,333,336
5 Burns & McDonnell 160,922,332
6 Thornton Tomasetti 145,038,225
7 SSOE Group 114,501,762
8 CRB 96,860,000
9 Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates 88,887,000
10 Dewberry 78,770,181
SEE FULL LIST
“We often grow this relationship into more of a capital planning consultant role,” says Walt Vernon, PE, LEED AP, EDAC, Principal and CEO of Mazzetti. “The results are that we have significantly grown our Nashville office, because we’ve increased our work. We’ve hired specialists in this area, which creates a new service line for us.”
Giants 300 coverage of Engineering Firms brought to you by Viega www.viega.us
For TLC Engineering for Architecture, increased emphasis on energy and water services, especially energy audits, is paying dividends. The firm has dedicated staff in each operating unit to focus on these services, with huge success, according to the firm’s CEO and Chairman, Debra A. Lupton, AIA, LEED AP BD+C.
Seeing a growth in demand for water design services, Magnusson Klemencic Associates developed its proprietary Strategic Water Planning tool (http://tinyurl.com/MKAwater) to aid in the assessment and optimization of a project’s global water supplies and demands. The tool takes into account the characteristics of a project—including the site, building type, size, and location—to provide a comprehensive, holistic, and accessible picture of water inputs and outputs, such as stormwater runoff, precipitation, wastewater, evaporation, potable water, and ground infiltration.
The firm has utilized the tool to develop net-zero-water design schemes for several projects, including the Sylvan Theatre at the base of the Washington Monument in Washington D.C.
BIM/VDC/IPD GROWTH
Advanced project modeling and team collaboration continue to play a vital role on engineering projects. More than three-quarters (76%) of the engineering firms that participated in the Giants 300 survey reported at least some design revenue from BIM/VDC-driven building projects. These firms report that, on average, 47% of their total design billings in 2013 were derived from BIM/VDC-driven projects.
Several firms reported innovations in this area:
HNTB has developed a BIM workflow that allows its aviation clients to quickly transfer both geometric and non-geometric data from a project’s BIM model directly into their facility management system, like Tivoli Maximo Asset Management. The process was employed most recently on the Denver International Airport’s Hotel and Transit Center Program. The facilities team plans to use the BIM data for ongoing operations and maintenance management, as well as feasibility studies and planning for future projects on the site.
The firm’s sports practice launched a fully parametric design tool that replaces its 2D bowl and sightline design program. The new tool allows for fast, dynamic design iteration in a 3D BIM environment.
Thornton Tomasetti, through its Core Studio computational modeling and R&D group, has developed dozens of breakthrough engineering design and analysis tools, including a cloud-based, rapid-iterative design program (see BIM Giants section, page 54), building performance analysis software, and a series of custom plug-ins for commercially available BIM/VDC/CAD tools. Custom plug-ins include a parameter explorer, a suite of automated drawing production tools, and programs that check and improve the accuracy and quality of BIM models. Core Studio also builds physical prototypes using its in-house 3D printer.
Robins & Morton is carving out a niche in the emerging integrated project delivery (IPD) field. The construction and engineering giant has worked on four pure IPD projects with multi-party agreements—including the Alfond Center for Health at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, a BD+C 2014 Building Team Award winner—and completed 44 projects utilizing many of the elements and management practices of the IPD approach.
Read BD+C's full 2014 Giants 300 Report
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Oct 6, 2022
Top 170 Healthcare Sector Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
HDR, CannonDesign, HKS, and Stantec top the ranking of the nation's largest healthcare sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors all healthcare sector work, including hospitals, outpatient facilities, and medical office buildings.
Designers / Specifiers / Landscape Architects | Oct 6, 2022
DAHLIN announces acquisition of Design Line Interiors
DAHLIN Architecture | Planning | Interiors announced today that it is expanding its interiors capabilities with the acquisition of Del Mar, California-based Design Line Interiors.
Contractors | Oct 6, 2022
Modular construction gets boost from impacts of the pandemic
The impact of the Covid pandemic on the construction industry appears to be fueling demand for modular construction methods, especially in the western U.S. and Canada.
Laboratories | Oct 5, 2022
Bigger is better for a maturing life sciences sector
CRB's latest report predicts more diversification and vertical integration in research and production.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 5, 2022
Co-living spaces, wellness-minded designs among innovations in multifamily housing
The booming multifamily sector shows no signs of a significant slowdown heading into 2023. Here is a round up of Giants 400 firms that are driving innovation in this sector.
Contractors | Oct 5, 2022
Materials shortages, cost spikes throwing Design-Bid-Build process out of whack
The traditional Design-Bid-Build delivery process is under considerable stress this year as materials shortages and cost spikes are upending usual practices, according to a new report from JLL.
Green | Oct 5, 2022
In California, a public power provider’s new headquarters serves as a test case for an innovative microgrid and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Sonoma Clean Power (SCP), the public power provider for California’s Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, recently unveiled its new all-electric headquarters.
Contractors | Oct 4, 2022
Which comes first, the building or the cost estimate?
At the start of a project, don’t forget to establish financial parameters when you’re discussing the design and program. By establishing the costs up front, you can avoid the pitfalls that might derail your project and guarantee its lasting success.
Fire and Life Safety | Oct 4, 2022
Fire safety considerations for cantilevered buildings
Bold cantilevered designs are prevalent today, as developers and architects strive to maximize space, views, and natural light in buildings. Cantilevered structures, however, present a host of challenges for building teams, according to José R. Rivera, PE, Associate Principal and Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection with Lilker.
| Oct 4, 2022
Rental property owners want access to utility usage data for whole properties
As pressure from investors for ESG reporting mounts, owners of multifamily properties increasingly look to collect whole-building utility usage data.