After a long period of anemic performance, with growth mostly driven by renovations and additions, the K-12 sector is showing renewed interest in new construction. Consultant Paul Abramson, using data from Dun & Bradstreet, calculates that districts spent about $13.4 billion on construction projects in 2013, about $7.6 billion of which went for new schools (http://bit.ly/1kN4qkv).
Highest-spending regions included Texas-Louisiana-Oklahoma-Arkansas ($2.3 billion, or 17% of the nation’s K-12 total) and Arizona-California-Hawaii-Nevada ($1.68 billion). The lowest-spending regions included debt-plagued Illinois with neighboring states Minnesota and Wisconsin ($651 million) and Alaska-Idaho-Oregon-Washington ($558 million).
High schools are outpacing other K-12 facilities in construction spending, with the dollar value of projected 2014 starts at $4.15 billion, or 44% of the K-12 total. That’s followed by 33% for elementary schools, 23% for middle schools, and <1% for administrative and support projects.
Among the evident design trends: STEM morphing into STEAM with the addition of arts enrichment (sometimes with professional-quality performance spaces) to science, technology, engineering, and math schools; growing enthusiasm for vocational training facilities that provide an alternative to the traditional college prep path; and schools that do a better job of cementing community connections by leveraging local architectural themes.
The push for sustainable K-12 facilities also marches on; at high levels of green, the theme typically suffuses the pedagogy. Hood River (Ore.) Middle School’s Music and Science Building was recently certified net-zero energy by the International Living Future Institute, making it the first public school building to earn the tough-to-achieve designation.
Top K-12 School Sector Architecture Firms
Rank | Company | 2013 K-12 Revenue |
1 | DLR Group | $41,000,000 |
2 | SHW Group | 40,016,000 |
3 | PBK | 35,880,000 |
4 | HMC Architects | 26,097,082 |
5 | Fanning/Howey Associates | 17,877,000 |
6 | Perkins+will | 16,668,514 |
7 | Heery International | 14,994,535 |
8 | NAC|Architecture | 14,494,206 |
9 | LPA | 14,191,442 |
10 | Perkins Eastman | 13,950,000 |
11 | Quattrocchi Kwok Architects | 13,230,000 |
12 | Moseley Architects | 12,521,613 |
13 | Integrus Architecture | 12,229,858 |
14 | Corgan | 10,372,178 |
15 | FGM Architects | 9,846,977 |
16 | NTD Architecture | 9,200,000 |
17 | Parkhill, Smith & Cooper | 8,580,000 |
18 | Symmes Maini & McKee Associates | 8,375,000 |
19 | Stantec | 8,097,800 |
20 | SchenkelShultz Architecture | 7,880,000 |
21 | SEI Design Group | 7,566,000 |
22 | Slaterpaull Architects | 7,500,468 |
23 | DLA Architects | 7,255,830 |
24 | GWWO | 7,047,216 |
25 | BRPH | 6,681,000 |
26 | Legat Architects | 6,630,200 |
27 | Wight & Company | 6,579,000 |
28 | Ashley McGraw Architects | 6,093,874 |
29 | HMFH Architects | 6,032,607 |
30 | BBS Architects | 5,950,250 |
31 | BLDD Architects | 5,750,000 |
32 | LaBella Associates | 5,644,772 |
33 | LS3P | 5,155,547 |
34 | Eppstein Uhen Architects | 4,623,477 |
35 | H+L Architecture | 4,070,997 |
36 | EwingCole | 4,020,000 |
37 | FXFOWLE Architects | 3,940,000 |
38 | Harley Ellis Devereaux | 3,780,000 |
39 | Cooper Carry | 3,402,330 |
40 | Goodwyn Mills & Cawood | 3,399,167 |
41 | CTA Architects Engineers | 3,336,600 |
42 | HKS | 3,142,143 |
43 | Cuningham Group Architecture | 3,052,272 |
44 | Schrader Group Architecture | 3,047,414 |
45 | NORR | 2,976,836 |
46 | Hord Coplan Macht | 2,948,595 |
47 | Ratio Architects | 2,879,009 |
48 | Albert Kahn Associates | 2,775,253 |
49 | IBI Group ? Gruzen Samton | 2,500,000 |
50 | RS&H | 2,450,000 |
51 | Harvard Jolly Architecture | 2,097,387 |
52 | Shepley Bulfinch | 2,000,000 |
53 | Becker Morgan Group | 1,945,649 |
54 | Leo A Daly | 1,787,681 |
55 | Good Fulton & Farrell | 1,704,900 |
56 | KZF Design | 1,490,333 |
57 | Clark Nexsen | 1,441,748 |
58 | Little | 1,410,229 |
59 | LMN Architects | 1,223,400 |
60 | Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates | 1,213,567 |
61 | Environetics | 1,137,965 |
62 | Massa Montalto Architects | 1,056,000 |
63 | VOA Associates | 989,711 |
64 | Mithun | 930,000 |
65 | Gensler | 700,000 |
66 | WHR Architects | 699,316 |
67 | PGAL | 672,000 |
68 | Ennead Architects | 585,055 |
69 | Davis Brody Bond | 570,932 |
70 | DesignGroup | 538,710 |
71 | OZ Architecture | 487,900 |
72 | Kirksey | 466,989 |
73 | HNTB Corp. | 444,786 |
74 | Beyer Blinder Belle | 405,394 |
75 | CO Architects | 386,900 |
76 | RSP Architects | 377,000 |
77 | LawKingdon Architecture | 350,000 |
78 | Ziegler Cooper | 348,762 |
79 | Morris Architects | 335,000 |
80 | Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio | 320,000 |
81 | Cambridge Seven Associates | 305,000 |
82 | Ware Malcomb | 284,000 |
83 | Hoffmann Architects | 260,000 |
84 | CASCO Diversified Corp. | 250,000 |
85 | JRS Architect | 235,000 |
86 | Rosser International | 230,000 |
87 | Page | 229,000 |
88 | Nelson | 210,577 |
89 | Gresham, Smith and Partners | 200,000 |
90 | Hastings+Chivetta Architects | 169,568 |
91 | Nadel | 130,000 |
92 | Epstein | 108,000 |
93 | BSA LifeStructures | 106,426 |
94 | ATA Beilharz Architects | 104,525 |
95 | Niles Bolton Associates | 104,386 |
96 | Hensley Lamkin Rachel | 100,000 |
97 | GBBN Architects | 97,000 |
98 | Sherlock, Smith & Adams | 92,000 |
99 | Lord Aeck Sargent | 75,379 |
100 | Poskanzer Skott | 50,000 |
101 | TEG Architects | 11,928 |
Top K-12 School Sector Engineering Firms
Rank | Company | 2013 K-12 Revenue |
1 | AECOM Technology Corp. | $50,930,000 |
2 | URS Corp. | 47,642,239 |
3 | Jacobs | 35,150,000 |
4 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 20,057,993 |
5 | TTG | 12,352,642 |
6 | STV | 8,018,000 |
7 | Shive-Hattery | 5,975,671 |
8 | KCI Technologies | 4,800,000 |
9 | Dewberry | 4,340,398 |
10 | Joseph R. Loring & Associates | 4,300,000 |
11 | Heapy Engineering | 4,079,921 |
12 | Thornton Tomasetti | 3,617,144 |
13 | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates | 3,380,000 |
14 | Allen & Shariff | 3,000,000 |
15 | Interface Engineering | 2,934,922 |
16 | KJWW Engineering Consultants | 2,878,919 |
17 | Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor | 2,800,000 |
18 | Brinjac Engineering | 2,677,720 |
19 | Simpson Gumpertz & Heger | 2,610,000 |
20 | M/E Engineering | 2,531,610 |
21 | Primera Engineers | 2,357,000 |
22 | French & Parrello Associates | 2,297,300 |
23 | Coffman Engineers | 2,147,260 |
24 | Henderson Engineers | 2,103,903 |
25 | Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers | 2,024,344 |
26 | RDK Engineers | 1,880,000 |
27 | Wallace Engineering | 1,691,000 |
28 | KPFF Consulting Engineers | 1,625,000 |
29 | H.F. Lenz | 1,619,250 |
30 | Highland Associates | 1,600,000 |
31 | KLH Engineers | 1,384,045 |
32 | Glumac | 1,306,149 |
33 | AKF Group | 1,299,000 |
34 | Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering | 1,000,000 |
35 | Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber | 1,000,000 |
36 | CJL Engineering | 994,410 |
37 | TLC Engineering for Architecture | 967,161 |
38 | M-E Engineers | 966,000 |
39 | Walter P Moore and Associates | 937,062 |
40 | Vanderweil Engineers | 808,300 |
41 | Karpinski Engineering | 720,037 |
42 | Sparling | 682,833 |
43 | Martin/Martin | 674,166 |
44 | SSOE Group | 664,516 |
45 | RMF Engineering | 650,000 |
46 | Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corp. | 540,000 |
47 | Newcomb & Boyd | 534,136 |
48 | Environmental Systems Design | 521,731 |
49 | Guernsey | 502,819 |
50 | I. C. Thomasson Associates | 500,000 |
51 | G&W Engineering Corp. | 484,000 |
52 | Wick Fisher White | 446,553 |
53 | Arup | 431,084 |
54 | CTLGroup | 400,000 |
55 | OLA Consulting Engineers | 308,400 |
56 | Kamm Consulting | 286,426 |
57 | DeSimone Consulting Engineers | 262,015 |
58 | GRW | 189,200 |
59 | Zak Companies | 178,364 |
60 | Dunham Associates | 150,000 |
61 | Mazzetti | 149,031 |
62 | Davis, Bowen & Friedel | 132,028 |
63 | Affiliated Engineers | 112,000 |
64 | Spectrum Engineers | 93,110 |
65 | Magnusson Klemencic Associates | 76,069 |
Top K-12 School Sector Construction Firms
Rank | Company | 2013 K-12 Revenue |
1 | Gilbane | $480,230,252 |
2 | Turner Construction | 419,619,000 |
3 | Balfour Beatty US | 372,288,885 |
4 | CORE Construction Group | 278,177,865 |
5 | Skanska USA | 212,802,648 |
6 | Swinerton Builders | 182,000,000 |
7 | Kraus-Anderson Construction | 181,000,000 |
8 | JE Dunn Construction | 167,798,654 |
9 | Consigli Construction | 151,997,147 |
10 | Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The | 146,933,150 |
11 | Adolfson & Peterson Construction | 142,957,713 |
12 | Barton Malow | 142,524,833 |
13 | McCarthy Holdings | 140,400,000 |
14 | PCL Construction | 122,996,983 |
15 | Tutor Perini Corp. | 120,049,254 |
16 | McShane Companies, The | 118,124,887 |
17 | Flintco | 110,350,000 |
18 | KBE Building Corp. | 89,239,714 |
19 | Bernards | 85,000,000 |
20 | Sundt Construction | 69,522,647 |
21 | Absher Construction | 67,476,142 |
22 | LeChase Construction Services | 65,600,000 |
23 | Walsh Group, The | 62,965,887 |
24 | Wight & Company | 61,092,000 |
25 | Lend Lease | 59,255,000 |
26 | Haselden Construction | 55,166,396 |
27 | LPCiminelli | 54,810,831 |
28 | Shawmut Design and Construction | 51,000,000 |
29 | Ryan Companies US | 48,316,285 |
30 | URS Corp. | 47,642,239 |
31 | Yates Companies, The | 42,800,000 |
32 | Pepper Construction | 35,760,000 |
33 | C.W. Driver | 35,595,000 |
34 | E.W. Howell | 33,818,000 |
35 | Coakley & Williams Construction | 32,267,167 |
36 | Brasfield & Gorrie | 30,364,402 |
37 | Choate Construction | 30,237,395 |
38 | Bette Companies, The | 29,375,000 |
39 | S. M. Wilson & Co. | 25,725,568 |
40 | Suffolk Construction | 25,620,266 |
41 | EMJ Corp. | 24,000,000 |
42 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 20,057,993 |
43 | Manhattan Construction | 19,124,000 |
44 | New South Construction | 17,650,000 |
45 | Hill & Wilkinson | 17,026,000 |
46 | Kitchell Corp. | 16,545,918 |
47 | Heery International | 14,994,535 |
48 | HITT Contracting | 14,900,000 |
49 | Robins & Morton | 13,176,447 |
50 | W. M. Jordan Company | 12,735,471 |
51 | Messer Construction | 12,453,591 |
52 | Structure Tone | 12,081,000 |
53 | Hill International | 12,000,000 |
54 | Boldt Company, The | 11,978,048 |
55 | Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction | 11,690,000 |
56 | James G. Davis Construction | 10,187,161 |
57 | Stalco Construction | 10,040,000 |
58 | STV | 8,018,000 |
59 | Hunt Construction Group | 7,000,000 |
60 | O'Neil Industries/W.E. O'Neil | 5,825,412 |
61 | Weis Builders | 3,389,000 |
62 | Beck Group, The | 3,117,539 |
63 | Allen & Shariff | 3,000,000 |
64 | Linbeck Group | 2,590,000 |
65 | Batson-Cook | 1,810,861 |
66 | Hoar Construction | 1,769,000 |
67 | Clark Group | 1,731,296 |
68 | James McHugh Construction | 1,460,905 |
69 | Weitz Company, The | 1,434,533 |
70 | IMC Construction | 1,433,690 |
71 | Astorino | 743,040 |
72 | JLL | 242,655 |
Read BD+C's full 2014 Giants 300 Report
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Feb 13, 2015
First Look: Sacramento Planning Commission approves mixed-use tower by the new Kings arena
The project, named Downtown Plaza Tower, will have 16 stories and will include a public lobby, retail and office space, 250 hotel rooms, and residences at the top of the tower.
Architects | Feb 13, 2015
OMA commissioned to design newest New York High Line addition
Rem Koolhaas is the latest addition to the list of starchitects working on projects near the High Line elevated park.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2015
ASHRAE, USGBC, IES consider biomass requirements in green building standard
The proposal would add biomass to approved renewables.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2015
New Appraisal Institute form aids in analysis of green commercial building features
The Institute’s Commercial Green and Energy Efficient Addendum offers a communication tool that lenders can use as part of the scope of work.
Office Buildings | Feb 12, 2015
Is Houston headed for an office glut?
More than 13 million sf could be completed this year, adding to this metro’s double-digit vacancy woes.
Modular Building | Feb 12, 2015
New shipping container complex begins construction in Albuquerque
The Green Jeans Farmery already has a hydroponic farm component courtesy of owner and entrepreneur Roy Solomon.
Transit Facilities | Feb 12, 2015
Gensler proposes network of cycle highways in London’s unused underground
Unused tube lines would host pedestrian paths, cycle routes, cultural spaces, and retail outlets.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 11, 2015
Primer: Using 'parallel estimating' to pinpoint costs on healthcare construction projects
As pressure increases to understand capital cost prior to the first spade touching dirt, more healthcare owners are turning to advanced estimating processes, like parallel estimating, to improve understanding of exposure, writes CBRE Healthcare's Andrew Sumner.
Transportation & Parking Facilities | Feb 11, 2015
11 of the nation’s best ‘Complete Streets’ policies of 2014
Austin, Texas, and Troy, N.Y., are among the cities with the strongest safe streets policies, according to a new report.
Sponsored | Roofing | Feb 11, 2015
New school blends with local architecture using Petersen metal roof
Perkins Eastman in Stamford, Conn., designed the school to emphasize and integrate the International Baccalaureate curriculum throughout.