A roundup of the best architecture firms in the US based on ingenuity, past accomplishments, annual revenue and impact on the industry.*

*This list was formed based on criteria from Construction Digital Magazine.

10. STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS
New York, New York
With only 40 employees split between offices in New York and Beijing, the impact of Steven Holl Architects on the industry far exceeds its size. The firm has received international recognition over the last decade as one of the most innovative firms around with leading designs in the green building sector.

9. GWATHMEY SIEGEL & ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS
New York, New York
Founded in 1968, this New York-based firm has completed over 400 projects for corporate, educational, healthcare, government and private clients. The firm’s Central Park South apartment building won an American Institute of Architects Honor Award, one of more than 100 awards given to GS&A.

8. BLT ARCHITECTS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This Philadelphia-based architecture firm has established a reputation for its work on interiors and hospitality design. In 2008 the company won an International Interior Design Award for its work on the Venice Lofts Project in Philadelphia.

7. DLR GROUP
Omaha, Nebraska
The DLR Group was founded in 1966 as Dana Larson and Roubal and Associates by Irv Dana and Bill Larson. With 21 offices throughout the United States and one in Shanghai, DLR gets a broad range of work in the education, retail and corporate sectors.

6. WILLIAM RAWN ASSOCIATES
Boston, Mass.
While William and Rawn Associates doesn’t crack the top five in terms of revenue, the company has built up a reputation for excellence that places it near the top of most ‘Best of’ architecture lists. The firm has the awards to back that reputation up, with nine American Institute of Architects Awards on its shelf.

5. HDR ARCHITECTURE
Omaha, Nebraska
The architecture division of HDR has made a name for itself as a leader in the healthcare industry, having worked with John Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. With recent government reforms giving tens of millions of new Americans access to healthcare, business is only getting brighter for HDR.

4. RAFAEL VINOLY ARCHITECTS
New York, New York
Uruguay-born architect Rafael Vinoly has racked up quite a few accomplishments. In 1964, he was a founding partner of Manteola-Petchersky-Sanchez Gomez-Santos-Solsona-Viñoly Estudio de Arquitectura, which became one of the largest architectural firms in South America. Later, he set his sights on the architecture industry in North America, opening his own firm in 1983.

3. PERKINS+WILL
Chicago, Illinois
Established back in 1935 in Chicago, Perkins+Will has grown to become a prominent player in the international architecture industry with work in more than 40 countries. The firm is also a pioneer in the green sector, with more than 1,000 LEED projects under its belt (read more about Perkins+Will in our cover story).

2. HOK
St. Louis, Missouri
A leader in green building, HOK has built a plethora of LEED certified products and has a close partnership with the Biomimicry Guild. In 2008, the firm was ranked number one on the Engineering News-Record’s list of the Top 100 Green Design Firms.

1. SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL
Chicago, Illinois
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is one of the largest architectural firms in the world. The company specializes in high-end commercial buildings, and pioneered the use of today’s modern “glass box” style of skyscraper used all over the world. Over the years SOM has built some of the tallest buildings ever built, including the John Hancock Center in 1969 (second tallest building in the world at the time), the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in 1973 (world’s tallest building for over 20 years), and the Burj Khalifa in 2010, which currently holds the record for the world’s tallest building.

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