High-end hotels in the U.S. have been having a good 2012 and can expect to do even better next year, with average daily room rates expected to be up 5.3% in 2013 compared to 4.7% this year and the 2.8% long-term average, according to PKF Hospitality Research. That bodes well for firms doing hotel design and construction.
On the retail side, the ULI Center for Capital Markets and Real Estate forecasts vacancy rates to begin to turn around this year, down to 12.5% in 2013. Retail rentals should be up 2.0% next year, says the ULI. +
TOP 10 HOSPITALITY SECTOR ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
| Rank | Company | 2011 Hospitality Revenue ($) |
| 1 | WATG | 54,939,171 |
| 2 | Gensler | 51,750,000 |
| 3 | HKS | 32,336,523 |
| 4 | HOK | 18,287,163 |
| 5 | Hnedak Bobo Group | 14,580,025 |
| 6 | tvsdesign | 14,188,382 |
| 7 | RTKL Associates | 13,970,968 |
| 8 | BLT Architects | 12,200,000 |
| 9 | BBG-BBGM | 12,058,000 |
| 10 | Perkins Eastman | 11,050,000 |
TOP 10 HOSPITALITY SECTOR ENGINEERING FIRMS
| Rank | Company | 2011 Hospitality Revenue ($) |
| 1 | AECOM Technology Corp. | 296,000,000 |
| 2 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 17,600,000 |
| 3 | Rolf Jensen & Associates | 9,000,000 |
| 4 | Arup | 8,838,492 |
| 5 | Jacobs | 6,310,000 |
| 6 | KPFF Consulting Engineers | 6,000,000 |
| 7 | Thornton Tomasetti | 5,850,000 |
| 8 | WSP USA | 5,300,000 |
| 9 | Michael Baker Jr., Inc. | 4,340,000 |
| 10 | Stantec | 4,230,000 |
TOP 10 HOSPITALITY SECTOR CONSTRUCTION FIRMS
| Rank | Company | 2011 Hospitality Revenue ($) |
| 1 | Tutor Perini Corp. | 839,703,000 |
| 2 | Swinerton | 243,415,560 |
| 3 | Hardin Construction | 239,457,598 |
| 4 | Structure Tone | 223,330,000 |
| 5 | Balfour Beatty US | 170,785,709 |
| 6 | Hunt Construction Group | 164,500,000 |
| 7 | Yates Co., The | 137,600,000 |
| 8 | Weitz Co., The | 118,200,000 |
| 9 | Pepper Construction Group | 89,843,000 |
| 10 | Manhattan Construction Group | 84,325,000 |
TOP 10 RETAIL SECTOR ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
| Rank | Company | 2011 Retail Revenue ($) |
| 1 | Gensler | 84,700,000 |
| 2 | RTKL Associates | 58,957,056 |
| 3 | MulvannyG2 Architecture | 42,033,036 |
| 4 | WD Partners | 35,294,000 |
| 5 | Perkowitz+Ruth Architects | 32,686,910 |
| 6 | MBH Architects | 30,541,000 |
| 7 | RSP Architects | 17,641,000 |
| 8 | FRCH Design Worldwide | 16,630,000 |
| 9 | LawKingdon Architecture | 15,600,000 |
| 10 | CASCO Diversified Corp. | 14,650,000 |
TOP 10 RETAIL SECTOR ENGINEERING FIRMS
| Rank | Company | 2011 Retail Revenue ($) |
| 1 | AECOM Technology Corp. | 136,000,000 |
| 2 | Jacobs | 60,550,000 |
| 3 | Stantec | 59,220,000 |
| 4 | Henderson Engineers | 47,600,000 |
| 5 | URS Corp. | 23,650,000 |
| 6 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 21,700,000 |
| 7 | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates | 18,562,000 |
| 8 | Bergmann Associates | 14,200,000 |
| 9 | Science Applications Int’l Corp. | 11,860,000 |
| 10 | Wallace Engineering | 7,210,000 |
TOP 10 RETAIL SECTOR CONSTRUCTION FIRMS
| Rank | Company | 2011 Retail Revenue ($) |
| 1 | Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The | 396,821,222 |
| 2 | Shawmut Design and Construction | 276,700,000 |
| 3 | PCL Construction Enterprises | 188,344,721 |
| 4 | EMJ Corp. | 164,437,662 |
| 5 | Weitz Co., The | 136,700,000 |
| 6 | Structure Tone | 97,500,000 |
| 7 | O’Neil Industries / W.E. O’Neil | 96,620,000 |
| 8 | Ryan Companies US | 92,895,680 |
| 9 | E.W. Howell | 79,395,000 |
| 10 | KBE Building Corp. | 70,365,040 |
Related Stories
| Dec 28, 2014
The lowdown on LODs: Bringing clarity to BIM
These days, BIM is par for the course across most facets of design. But a lot of the conversation surrounding BIM still lacks clarity due to ambiguous terminology, a lack of clear-cut guiding illustrations, and widely varying implementation, writes GS&P's John Scannell.
| Dec 28, 2014
The future of airport terminal design: destination status, five-star amenities, stress-free travel
Taking a cue from the hospitality industry, airport executives are seeking to make their facilities feel more like destinations, writes HOK's Richard Gammon.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 key design interventions for a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace
Numerous studies and mountains of evidence confirm what common sense has long suggested: healthy, happier workers are more productive, more likely to collaborate with colleagues, and more likely to innovate in ways that benefit the bottom line, writes Gensler's Kirsten Ritchie.
| Dec 28, 2014
7 fresh retail design strategies
Generic ‘boxes’ and indifferent service won’t cut it with today’s savvy shoppers. Retailers are seeking a technology-rich-but-handmade vibe, plus greater speed to market and adaptability.
| Dec 28, 2014
Workplace design trends: Make way for the Millennials
Driven by changing work styles, mobile technology, and the growing presence of Millennials, today’s workplaces are changing, mostly for the better. We examine the top office design trends.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA: Commercial glass façade and door systems
When it comes to selecting fenestration systems—particularly glass facades and door systems—a number of factors come into play, requiring a thorough evaluation of a project’s individual requirements.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 essential habits of successful architects
Want to take the next step as a design processional? John Gresko, Senior Project Architect with HDR, explores the traits that many great architects possess.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 unglamorous things architects do
An acquaintance recently asked me about the kinds of things I did on a day-to-day basis at work, anticipating a response loaded with enviable activities. She was wrong, writes HDR's John Gresko.
| Dec 28, 2014
New trends in ceiling designs and materials [AIA course]
A broad array of new and improved ceiling products offers designers everything from superior acoustics and closed-loop, recycled content to eased integration with lighting systems, HVAC diffusers, fire sprinkler heads, and other overhead problems. This course describes how Building Teams are exploring ways to go beyond the treatment of ceilings as white, monolithic planes.
| Dec 27, 2014
7 ways to enhance workplace mobility
The open work environment has allowed owners to house more employees in smaller spaces, minimizing the required real estate and capital costs. But, what about all of their wireless devices?
