EYP and WHR Architects, two internationally recognized design firms, have merged to better serve today’s most pressing public and private building infrastructure needs: education, healthcare and energy. The strategic alliance provides unparalleled access to integrated thought leadership and high-performance design capabilities, regardless of client location.
The merger continues the expansive growth that both EYP and WHR have experienced in an increasingly competitive architecture and engineering market. In 2013, EYP grew by 20 percent and opened six new offices and WHR grew by 70 percent. Both firms’ continuing growth demonstrates the power of knowledge leadership to add exponential value in the architecture and engineering design market. The EYP and WHR merger unites 530 professionals to form a seamless innovation culture.
EYP, the national leader in sustainability with high-performance projects in over 100 countries, delivers expertise-driven designs to higher education, government, energy, and corporate clients. Prior to joining forces with WHR, EYP expanded its family of practices in 2013 with the addition of The Weidt Group, an energy consulting and software firm with offices throughout the Midwest. Renowned in the higher education and government sectors, EYP is ranked No. 1 for sustainable design by Architect magazine, and No. 4 in higher education and No. 5 in federal government in Building Design+Construction’s nationwide Giants 300 list.
Houston-based WHR, with additional offices in Dallas and Copenhagen, currently employs approximately 170 staff. WHR, the healthcare design firm of choice for the world’s leading medical center, is responsible for several of the largest current healthcare projects in the country. (Based on Architectural Record’s data on healthcare construction starts between January 2013 and February 2014.) WHR is ranked No. 1 in healthcare renovation in Health Facilities Management Magazine, September 2014.
“EYP and WHR are united by passion and purpose, fueled by research and focused on furthering our clients’ missions. They trust us to help them make well-informed decisions that will advance their vision and create lasting value,” said Tom Birdsey, AIA, President and CEO of EYP. “Understanding the intersection of technology, human experience, and the natural environment is key to building a more sustainable world and advancing a new paradigm for our profession. Our merger positions us to better help our clients negotiate this challenging landscape, and our increased national visibility will allow us to further expand our reach and continue to provide valued insight for clients in the healthcare, higher education and energy industries, among others.”
“As design professionals, we are uniquely positioned to help preserve and advance our culture in ways that enable individuals to prosper, including the transformation of the healthcare experience,” said David Watkins, FAIA, Chairman of WHR. “The culture and expertise WHR shares with EYP gives us the ability to help our clients better achieve their missions. I look forward to what this partnership holds for our future growth – as two design thought leaders, our strategic alliance offers public and private sector clients greater access to specialized expertise and expanded resources. The knowledge, tools and services EYP provides will be a crucial asset in helping clients embrace sustainability and collaborative design excellence.”
ABOUT EYP
EYP is a renowned global provider of high-performance building design, research, and consulting services to higher education, government, healthcare, and corporate clients. The company provides seamless project delivery with access to the award-winning expertise and resources of its family of practice groups, which includes sustainable design leader EYP Architecture & Engineering; WHR Architects, healthcare design specialists; and The Weidt Group, building energy performance specialists. More than 530 professionals in architecture, engineering, energy, and interior design collaborate across 15 offices in the United States and Europe to deliver expertise-driven design. For more information, visit http://eypaedesign.com/.
ABOUT WHR
WHR, based in Houston, Texas, with additional offices in Dallas and Copenhagen, Denmark, is a full-service architecture and interior design firm, currently ranked No. 1 in healthcare renovation and the 13th largest healthcare practice in the United States. The firm’s commitment to critical thinking is balanced by an ingrained empathy that results in both improved project outcomes and positive working experiences for their clients. With over 170 people firm-wide, the 35-year-old firm is working on projects worldwide for toptier public and private education and medical institutions. WHR is one of EYP’s practice groups. For more information about WHR Architects, visit http://www.whrarchitects.com.
ABOUT THE WEIDT GROUP
The Weidt Group, a practice group of EYP, was established in 1977 to account for and manage the environmental impacts of building design and construction. Working with architects, engineers, building owners, utilities, and government clients, The Weidt Group is an expert in improving building performance over time through energy modeling, benchmarking, measurement and verification, and software development. For more information, visit www.twgi.com.
Related Stories
Engineers | Feb 20, 2024
An engineering firm traces its DEI journey
Top-to-bottom buy-in has been a key factor in SSOE Group’s efforts to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive in its hiring, mentoring, and benefits.
Building Tech | Feb 20, 2024
Construction method featuring LEGO-like bricks wins global innovation award
A new construction method featuring LEGO-like bricks made from a renewable composite material took first place for building innovations at the 2024 JEC Composites Innovation Awards in Paris, France.
Codes and Standards | Feb 20, 2024
AISC, AIA release second part of design assist guidelines for the structural steel industry
The American Institute of Steel Construction and AIA Contract Documents have released the second part of a document intended to provide guidance for three common collaboration strategies.
Student Housing | Feb 19, 2024
UC Law San Francisco’s newest building provides student housing at below-market rental rates
Located in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and Civic Center neighborhoods, UC Law SF’s newest building helps address the city’s housing crisis by providing student housing at below-market rental rates. The $282 million, 365,000-sf facility at 198 McAllister Street enables students to live on campus while also helping to regenerate the neighborhood.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
UL Solutions launches indoor environmental quality verification designation for building construction projects
UL Solutions recently launched UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for New Construction, an indoor environmental quality verification designation for building construction projects.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
Nine states pledge to transition to heat pumps for residential HVAC and water heating
Nine states have signed a joint agreement to accelerate the transition to residential building electrification by significantly expanding heat pump sales to meet heating, cooling, and water heating demand. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by directors of environmental agencies from California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
Oregon, California, Maine among states enacting policies to spur construction of missing middle housing
Although the number of new apartment building units recently reached the highest point in nearly 50 years, construction of duplexes, triplexes, and other buildings of from two to nine units made up just 1% of new housing units built in 2022. A few states have recently enacted new laws to spur more construction of these missing middle housing options.
Green | Feb 15, 2024
FEMA issues guidance on funding for net zero buildings
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently unveiled new guidance on additional assistance funding for net zero buildings. The funding is available for implementing net-zero energy projects with a tie to disaster recovery or mitigation.
Hospital Design Trends | Feb 14, 2024
Plans for a massive research hospital in Dallas anticipates need for child healthcare
Children’s Health and the UT Southwestern Medical Center have unveiled their plans for a new $5 billion pediatric health campus and research hospital on more than 33 acres within Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District.
Architects | Feb 13, 2024
Pierluca Maffey joins Carrier Johnson + Culture as new Firmwide Head of Design
Carrier Johnson + Culture (CJ+C) has hired Pierluca “Luca” Maffey, International Assoc. AIA, as the firm's new Firmwide Head of Design and Design Principal.