The Top 5 Architectural Firms

The architectural world was caught off guard last winter when the U.S. State Department announced that the small Philadelphia firm Kieran Timberlake won the design competition for the new U.S. embassy in London. Kieran Timberlake beat out such architectural giants as Thom Mayne and Pei Cobb Freed for the job.

The $1 billion project, which includes the cost of the land at Nine Elms in the northeast corner of the city, generated plenty of interest since the building is meant to redefine American values and aspirations abroad in a post 9/11 world. State Department officials said the Kieran Timberlake design, a crystalline cubic form atop a colonnade, reflected “the core beliefs of our democracy — transparency, openness and equality.”

But others called the design dull – or worse. New York Times critic Nicolai Ouroussoff compared it to a “bland glass cube” with all the glamour of a corporate office block. Jay Merrick, an architecture correspondent for The Independent, also kicked the Kieran Timberlake design in the shins referring to it as, “a moated cube wrapped in seersucker body armour.”

But neither Stephen Kieran nor James Timberlake is troubled by the snarky critics. They stand by their reputations as innovators in sustainable design and they are pleased that they are, at least for the moment, sharing the spotlight with the some of the major players in the architectural world. In fact, some of the top firms and the most sought-after architects share the same concerns and ideals, and Kieran Timberlake now stands in the company of the following firms that are creating new skylines and cityscapes across the globe

FOSTER & PARTNERS
Foster & Partners, a London firm considered by many to be the leader in contemporary architecture, has a history of green designs that dates back to the 1960s, long before sustainability became a dominant force in architecture. Norman Foster built the company on a holistic approach that melds all aspects of a building from its structure and site to its intended use and symbolism of form. Since its launch, the firm has maintained a reputation for impeccable quality.

Foster & Partners’ famous steel-framed 40-floor building, 30 St. Mary’s Axe, or “The Gherkin”, blends green building concepts and high-performance security. Built on the site of the former Baltic Exchange which was badly damaged in 1992 terrorist attack, the Gherkin’s diagrid frame creates a unique façade of triangular shapes created withstand severe impacts. Loaded with green design strategies, the Gherkin uses just half the energy another building of similar size would require.

Foster & Partners continues to be one of the most sought after architectural firms in the world. They continue to bring an unmatched level of originality to designs like their plan to rebuild Tower Two of the World Trade Center in Manhattan and their master plan for Masdar, Abu Dhabi's completely sustainable city powered exclusively by renewable energy.

AEDAS
Aedas is an architectural powerhouse with a strong presence in Europe, Asia the Middle East, and both North and South America. Formed in 2002, Aedas has catapulted to the head of the design pack by mergers and strategic alliances such as its partnership with Dan Meis, known for his designs of major entertainment and sports complexes. Aedas’ alliance with New York architect David Brody Bond allowed the firm to establish a presence in North and South America.

The sheer size of Aedas – 1,500 architects, designers and planners work in the Asian offices alone – allows the firm to bring a broad base of talent to different types of projects. The firm’s expertise with mixed-use commercial and residential designs has earned it a leading role in the development of the Middle East.

Aedas is known for its sustainability team that reviews each detail of a design in light of the latest technology and research. The team works closely with each client reviewing options for sustainability.

KPF
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, known simply as KPF, is headquartered in New York but its most impressive work has been in Asia. With offices in London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul the firm’s portfolio includes offices, hotels and residential towers to educational and laboratory facilities.

KPF designs buildings that emphasize community and each individual’s relationship to the environment. The firm’s high-rise towers, particularly the gracefully tapered 555-meter super Lotte Tower in Seoul, have set a new standard for the form.

ZAHA HADID
Many of Zaha Hadid’s designs never make it past paper. Still the British Iraqi “deconstructivist” is probably one of the most closely followed architects working today. Hadid relentlessly challenges the expectations of space to create some of the current architectural community’s most breathtaking designs.

Hadid, who has a 350-member team working from her London-based headquarters, creates structures that bend and flow in ways that defy the nature of the concrete and steel used to build them. The only woman so far to be awarded the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s equivalent to the Nobel, Hadid is known for her fierce intellect and passionate creativity. Her work may not be in every city, but her influence is.