Top Architectural firms nyc [ New York] 2023

New York is arguably the epicenter of the architectural industry in the United States, with more than 20,000 licensed architects and well over 1,000 firms working in the state. At its heart, Architectural firms nyc is home to a thriving community of architects, interior designers, landscape architects, engineers and contractors, with projects ranging from residential and retail to cultural and commercial. Construction firms generated an estimated $84 billion in economic activity in 2018, representing 10 percent of New York City’s total economic output.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in NYC based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked? [Architectural firms nyc]

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

• The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2019)
• The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2020)
• The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2020)
• The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2020)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of NYC architecture firms throughout the year. Without further ado, here are the 25 best architecture firms in New York City, as of April 2020:

1. Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

A+Awards won: 17
Projects of the Day: 10
Featured Projects: 35
Total Projects: 75

Via 57 West by BIG; photo by Nic Lehoux

Based in Copenhagen, London and New York City, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) was founded in 2005 and has since grown to a staff of more than 400. Led by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, the firm has developed a reputation for designing innovative buildings with forms and programs that respond to their local context. The firm practices what it calls “programmatic alchemy”, mixing conventional ingredients such as living, leisure, working, parking and shopping to create new forms of “symbiotic” architecture.

Some of BIG’s most prominent projects include:

• Via 57 West, a striking, pyramidal apartment building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that combines high-rise living with a shared courtyard.
• The Mountain, an experimental multi unit housing project with stepped terraces in Copenhagen, Denmark (designed in collaboration with JDS Architects).
• Shenzhen Energy Mansion, a high-rise, multi-functional commercial building with an energy-efficient façade in Shenzhen, China.
• Amagerforbrændingen, a waste-to-energy plant in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a ski slope built into its sloping roof.
• Danish National Maritime Museum, a subterranean museum built into an old dry dock in the harbor of Helsingør, Denmark.

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2. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM)

A+Awards won: 13
Projects of the Day: 10
Featured Projects: 31
Total Projects: 92

One World Trade Center by SOM; photo by James Ewing

International firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) was founded back in 1936 and has since become one of the world’s most renowned practices, particularly famous for its iconic skyscraper designs in Chicago, New York and beyond. The firm comprises architects, engineers, urban planners and more, all participating in a highly collaborative effort to bring incredibly complex, large-scale developments to reality. SOM’s use of innovative materials and emerging technologies has made them a leading force in the design of modern commercial projects.

Some of SOM’s seminal projects include:

• One World Trade Center, the landmark skyscraper at the heart of the redeveloped World Trade Center site in Downtown Manhattan, New York City.
• Burj Khalifa, a 829.8 m (2,722 ft) tall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates that is currently the world’s tallest building.
• Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2, a vast terminal in Mumbai, India featuring an innovative sculptural concrete roof canopy.
• Poly International Plaza, an iconic commercial skyscraper in Beijing, China with an expressive diagrid structure.
• John Hancock Center, a Chicago landmark that was the world’s first mixed-use high rise.

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3. OMA

A+Awards won: 4
Projects of the Day: 9
Featured Projects: 36
Total Projects: 60

Seattle Public Library by OMA, REX and Balmond Studio; photo courtesy Balmond Studio

Led by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) is famous for its avant garde approach to architecture, constantly reexamining the relationship between form and function since its inception in 1975. The firm specializes in “architecture, urbanism and cultural analysis”, expanding its work beyond the built environment with its parallel research and design studio, AMO. One of the world’s most influential design firms, OMA has offices in Rotterdam, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, Doha and Dubai.

Some of OMA’s most well-known projects include:

Seattle Public Library, a multi-functional civic space with an intertwining program that redefined the library typology (designed in collaboration with REX and Balmond Studio)

CCTV Headquarters, an iconic skyscraper in Beijing, China which connects the entire process of TV production in a single loop of activity.

The Interlace, a multi unit housing project comprising a striking series of stacked, cantilevering volumes.

De Rotterdam, a huge multi-functional high-rise that is the largest building in the Netherlands.

Taipei Performing Arts Centre, a bold new cultural building in Taiwan’s capital that acts as a “machine for theater”.

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4. Gensler

A+Awards won: 4
Projects of the Day: 7
Featured Projects: 20
Total Projects: 136

Shanghai Tower by Gensler (tallest building in frame); photo by Blackstation

Founded in 1965, Gensler is one of the world’s largest architecture firms, with more than 6,000 staff working across 48 offices worldwide. The firm has an incredibly diverse portfolio, with projects “as large as a city and as small as a task light for an individual desk.” Gensler specializes in the design of large-scale, high-performance urban developments, and is considered an industry leader in high-rise commercial construction.

Some of Gensler’s most notable projects include:

• Shanghai Tower, a high-tech skyscraper in Shanghai, China with a double-skin façade that is currently the second tallest building in the world.
• Chennai International Airport, Kamaraj Domestic and International Terminals, major new terminals at India’s third busiest airport.
• Cadillac House, an iconic showroom for automobiles in Shanghai, China with a curvaceous stainless steel façade.
• IZU Velodrome, a modern sporting arena housing Japan’s first 250-meter indoor cycle track near Mount Fuji.
• Facebook at Menlo Park, part of the media giant’s headquarters and one of many projects Gensler has delivered for major technology companies.

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5. Steven Holl Architects

A+Awards won: 4
Projects of the Day: 6
Featured Projects: 28
Total Projects: 37

Institute for Contemporary Art, Virginia Commonwealth University by Steven Holl Architects; photo by Iwan Baan

Steven Holl Architects is an award-winning design firm operating continuously between two offices in New York City and Beijing. Founded by renowned architect Steven Holl, the 40-person firm has completed dozens of projects globally, with an emphasis on cultural buildings such as museums and galleries. Holl is also known for his artistic approach, utilizing watercolors and model making to explore new spatial ideas and material applications.

Some of Steven Holl Architects’ best known works include:

• Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, a bold composition of cantilever volumes housing gallery spaces and exhibition halls in Richmond, VA.
• MIT Simmons Hall, a 350 bed residence for students envisioned as a “vertical slice of city” in Cambridge, MA.
• Nanjing Museum of Art and Architecture, an art gallery in Nanjing, China featuring translucent cantilevered volumes elevated above the treeline.
• Linked Hybrid, a huge multi-functional development in Beijing, China with interconnected sky bridges, courtyards and roof gardens.
• Lewis Arts Complex, a cultural institution in Princeton, NJ defined by natural materials, porosity and ease of movement.

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6. HDR

A+Awards won: 4
Projects of the Day: 6
Featured Projects: 28
Total Projects: 37

Peter Kiewit Foundation Sculpture Garden by HDR; photo by © Tom Kessler Photography

HDR is a truly global architecture firm, with 225 offices around the world working on major commercial, residential, educational and cultural projects. Since its inception more than 100 years ago, the firm has grown to a team of 10,000 and provides a wide range of services including engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. HDR aims to design architecture that is “both proud and humble, stays true to its purpose, and creates a sense of place that is meaningful to the society it serves.”

Some of HDR’s most significant projects include:

• Wollongong Central Development, a large-scale shopping center in the heart of Wollongong, Australia that features an innovative series of wood, metal and concrete façade details.
• Zayed Building for Personalized Cancer Care, a landmark building for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.
• Peter Kiewit Foundation Sculpture Garden, an elegant landscape design that adds outdoor exhibition space for the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE.
• Kolos Data Center, a 6.5 million square foot data center integrated into the stunning landscape of Ballengen, Norway.
• University of Melbourne, a design for a vibrant new student hub that features a glass atrium filled with plants, people and natural light.

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7. Sharon Davis Design

A+Awards won: 4
Projects of the Day: 0
Featured Projects: 6
Total Projects: 8

Partners in Health Housing by Sharon Davis Design; photo by Sharon Davis Design

Sharon Davis Design is renowned for its humanitarian and community-focused projects, having completed education and healthcare projects for developing communities across Africa and Asia. Led by architect Sharon Davis, the firm aims to provide “cost-effective, environmentally conscious” designs that integrate seamlessly with the local context. Sharon Davis was named one of Architizer’s “50 Women Rocking the World of Architecture” in 2020.

Some of Sharon Davis’ Designs’ key projects include:

• Women’s Opportunity Center, a multi-functional complex including classrooms, lodgings and a demonstration farm for women in Kayonza, Rwanda.
• Partners in Health Housing, a community building wrapped in permeable eucalyptus screens in Kayonza, Rwanda.
• Davis House, a beautifully detailed timber residence designed and built for the architect herself in Garrison, NY.

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8. RAAD Studio

A+Awards won: 4
Projects of the Day: 0
Featured Projects: 2
Total Projects: 20

The LowLine by RAAD Studio; image by RAAD Studio

Led by principal architect James Ramsey, RAAD (Ramsey Architecture and Design) was founded in 2004 and has since completed over 100 projects across the United States. RAAD is known for its stylish yet comfortable residential projects and hotel designs, with the firm constantly balancing “the relationship between open space and cozy enclosure.” The firm’s award-winning work has featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Metropolis, Monocle, and New York magazine.

Some of RAAD Studio’s most renowned projects include:

• The Lowline Lab, a plant-filled subterranean laboratory and public art installation featuring situated in an abandoned market.
• The Lowline, a proposed subterranean park beneath Delancey St. in Manhattan, New York that builds upon the findings of the Lowline Lab.
• The Strand, a proposed regeneration of an abandoned Brutalist building in London, enlivened with greenery, pathways and creative uses of light.
• Franklin Street, a beautifully renovated Manhattan loft featuring a distinctive brick arcade at the heart of its design.
• BK Hotel, a boutique hotel in Brooklyn featuring tactile concrete finishes inside and out.

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9. NADAAA, Inc.

A+Awards won: 3
Projects of the Day: 2
Featured Projects: 8
Total Projects: 15

Rock Creek House by NADAAA, Inc.; photo by NADAAA, Inc.

NADAAA is a multi-disciplinary design firm led by Nader Tehrani, Katherine Faulkner, and Daniel Gallagher, which works with dozens of collaborators to challenge traditional ways of working in the AEC industry. The firm’s work ranges from small-scale pavilions and installations to large scale infrastructure and landscape projects, and designs often feature innovative applications of materials or unconventional construction techniques.

Some of NADAAA’s key projects include:

• Rock Creek House, a daring renovation of a 1920s brick residence in Washington, D.C. that features a constellation of different sized windows across its elevations.
• Melbourne School of Design, a large educational facility defined by a distinctive wooden ceiling structure (designed in collaboration with John Wardle Architects).
• Banq Restaurant, a bar and restaurant in Boston, MA featuring a sculptural, organic wood canopy.
• University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, a contemporary extension to a historic institution at the center of a circular site in Toronto, Canada.
• Tanderrum Pedestrian Bridge, a steel-wrapped pathway linking Birrarung Marr with the Melbourne Park sports precinct in Melbourne, Australia.

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10. SHoP Architects

A+Awards won: 3
Projects of the Day: 2
Featured Projects: 7
Total Projects: 40

Steinway Tower by SHoP Architects (tallest building in frame); rendering by dbox

Award-winning architecture firm SHoP Architects utilizes interdisciplinary expertise to produce a range of innovative projects across all scales. The firm was founded in 1996 by six individuals with backgrounds in fine arts, banking, history, real estate, political science, business and architecture. Currently led by four principals along with more than 180 employees, SHoP Architects boasts a diverse portfolio including residences, commercial buildings, schools, cultural institutions, and large-scale master plans.

Some of SHoP Architects’ best known works include:

• Barclays Arena at Atlantic Yards, a multi-purpose indoor arena in Brooklyn, New York. It is most notably the home of NBA basketball team the Brooklyn Nets.
• LaGuardia Airport Master Plan, a reimagining of New York’s LaGuardia Airport that will provide a much improved, world-class facility.
• Pier 35, an eco-park on the East River in Manhattan, NY that was designed to provide a passive recreation space for the local community.
• 9 Dekalb, a 73-story residential tower set to rise above the historic Brooklyn Dime Savings Bank, which will become the tallest building in Brooklyn upon completion.
• Midtown Center, a 14-story mixed-use office, dining, and retail complex arranged around a large public plaza in Washington, D.C.

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11. Handel Architects

A+Awards won: 3
Projects of the Day: 1
Featured Projects: 9
Total Projects: 82

National September 11 Memorial by Handel Architects; photo by Mark Lennihan

Handel Architects LLP is an architecture, interior design and planning firm that was formed in New York City in 1994. Led by founding Partner Gary Handel, The practice has offices in New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Hong Kong. Over 200 architects and designers represent the firm, working on projects across North and South America, the Middle East and Asia. The firm strives to create buildings that serve as catalysts for positive urban and social change, with clients ranging from private developers to non-for-profit groups.

Some of Handel Architects’ most significant projects include:

• The House at Cornell Tech, a 26-story residential tower for Cornell University’s new Roosevelt Island Campus that will include 350 residences for students, staff, and faculty.
• Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Residences, a high-end mixed-use complex that cleverly integrates a 1932 landmark incinerator building.
• National September 11 Memorial, an eight acre plaza in Lower Manhattan, where the former World Trade Center Twin Towers once stood (designed in collaboration with Davis Brody Bond and Snøhetta).
• Enclave at the Cathedral, a contemporary residential development located next to Manhattan’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
• 170 Amsterdam, a 20-story residential building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan defined by its visible exoskeleton that maximizes the interior space.

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12. LEVENBETTS

A+Awards won: 3
Projects of the Day: 2
Featured Projects: 6
Total Projects: 14

ZOID by LEVENBETTS; photo by LEVENBETTS

Founded in 1997 by David Leven and Stella Betts, LEVENBETTS is an award-winning architecture practice that focuses on design at all scales. With projects including urban design, public architecture, housing, commercial workspaces, exhibitions and furniture, the practice seeks to create an architecture that engages succinctly with its urban and natural environment. The firm’s work strives to be social, sustainable and devoted to the public. 

Some of LEVENBETTS’ standout works include:

• ZOID, a shelter arrayed around a courtyard that can be entered from all apertures, designed to prioritize nature and collective engagement with others.
• ZOID House, a unique trapezoidal residence conceived as a series of rooms that can serve multiple functions depending on the needs of the inhabitants.
• Square House, a 43’ x 43’ house with no front or back door that can be accessed directly from the outside, creating a fluid relationship between interior and exterior.
• Brooklyn Heights Interim Library, a temporary library in the Church of Our Lady of Lebanon in Brooklyn, defined by its openness while able to provide private spaces. 
• 36SML Beach House, a residence divided by three yards, each serving a specific purpose.

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13. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 5
Featured Projects: 21
Total Projects: 40

Apple Store, Fifth Avenue by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson; photo by Peter Aaron

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson was founded in 1965 and is known for elegant and humane design, with projects ranging from small homes to large civic, cultural and commercial buildings. The firm’s design culture revolves around energy efficiency and environmental sensitivity. Since its inception, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has received more than 675 regional, national and international design awards, and has offices located across North America.

Some of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson’s most noteworthy works include:

• Apple Store, Fifth Avenue, an iconic 32-foot glass cube that serves as the entrance to an Apple Store in the center of the General Motors Plaza, Manhattan, NY.
• Twitter, Inc. Headquarters, a new headquarters and urban campus for Twitter that promotes the company’s evolving culture and appeals directly to their innovative staff.
• High Meadow Dwellings at Fallingwater, four dwellings with wood interiors and framed vistas that house students of Fallingwater Institute’s summer residency programs. 
• The Bear Stand, a 3,300 square foot retreat on a remote, seasonally isolated woodland plot.
• Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, a museum defined as a “landscape of cultivation”, with a distinct overhead “Grand Canopy” that has an undulating form.

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14. Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 2
Featured Projects: 21
Total Projects: 81

Shanghai World Financial Center (tallest building in frame) by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; photo by H.G. Esch, Courtesy Mori Building Ltd.

One of the largest architecture firms in New York City with over 650 employees, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates has an extensive portfolio spanning more than 40 countries. The firm was founded in 1976 and has offices in New York, London, San Francisco, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Berlin and Singapore. Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates has an open-minded approach to design and seeks to create buildings that strengthen the urban context and promote sustainable environments. 

Some of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates’ most iconic projects include:

• Shanghai World Financial Center, one of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates’ most highly recognized and award-winning projects. The skyscraper houses a mix of office and retail spaces.
• 10 Hudson Yards, an office tower that anchors the southeast corner of the famous real estate development and the High Line. 
• International Commerce Centre, a 118-story tower that accommodates offices, a 360 degree observation deck, and the world’s highest hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong.
• Centra Metropark, an office park that blends urbanism with the living landscape. 
• Songdo ConvensiA Convention Center, a low-rise complex in the master-planned city of Songdo, South Korea that is conceptualized as a series of folded roof planes.

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15. Ennead Architects

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 2
Featured Projects: 21
Total Projects: 81

The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law, Katz Building by Ennead Architects; image via Ennead Architects

Since 1963, Ennead Architects has designed educational and cultural programs that powerfully shape the public realm, inspire design innovation and enrich neighborhoods. Based in New York City, the 180-person firm boasts a diverse portfolio including master planning, new construction, renovation, preservation and interior design, with a particular focus on museum design. Ennead Architects executes each project with meticulous attention to detail, undertaking a rigorous analysis of the history, context and program for each project.

Some of Ennead Architects’ most notable works include:

• The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law, Katz Building, a glowing academic building whose sinuous form follows the topography of its site in Centre County, PA.
• Natural History Museum of Utah, a copper-clad cultural landmark embedded within the desert landscape of Salt Lake City, UT.
• The Standard, an iconic hotel perched on concrete stilts that straddles James Corner Field Operations‘ High Line in New York.
• Shanghai Astronomy Museum, an iconic planetarium and space museum that will be the largest of its kind in the world upon opening in 2021.
• Rose Center for Earth and Space, a contemporary extension to the American Museum of Natural History in New York characterized by its lofty glass façades.

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16. ZGF Architects

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 2
Featured Projects: 9
Total Projects: 24

Expensify Portland Office by ZGF Architects; image courtesy ZGF Architects

Focused on architecture, interior design and urban design, ZGF Architects was founded 70 years ago in Portland, Oregon. The firm has since grown to include over 500 employees, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Seattle and Vancouver. ZGF strives for design excellence, environmental stewardship and outstanding client service, a mission that is reflected in its wide-ranging portfolio, which includes transportation terminals, commercial offices, healthcare facilities, libraries and museums. 

Some of ZGF Architects’ most significant projects include:

• Federal Center South Building 1202, a high energy-performance  project for the federal government that includes light-filled office space and natural materials.
• The University of Arizona Cancer Center, a high-tech medical facility in Phoenix, AZ with a distinctive, faceted copper façade.
• Expensify Portland Office, a bold interior transformation of the National Landmark First National Bank building in Portland, OR incorporating modern materials and detailing.
• UCLA Wasserman Football Center, a state-of-the-art sports center including training facilities, team meeting rooms, rehabilitation rooms and an auditorium.

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17. CannonDesign

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 1
Featured Projects: 11
Total Projects: 39

University of California Riverside, Recreation Center Expansion by CannonDesign; photo courtesy CannonDesign

With offices in 17 cities in the United States, as well as in Mumbai and Toronto, CannonDesign is an integrated global design firm that unites the passion and intelligence of more than 1,000 creative thinkers. Through using a self-created design approach called Living-Centered Design and addressing the complex interdependencies between businesses, society and the environment, CannonDesign seeks to create a world where people may continuously flourish. The firm’s body of work includes a range of educational facilities, healthcare centers and commercial office buildings and headquarters. 

Some of CannonDesign’s most exciting projects include: 

• Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), a contemporary development that merges 3 old hospitals in Montreal, Canada. It was the largest health infrastructure project in North America at the time of completion.
• Carnegie Mellon University, Cohon University Center Addition, a contemporary extension to the original Beaux Arts style university building in Pittsburgh, PA.
• Landsdowne Park, a sports arena in Ottawa, Canada with a maximum capacity of 45,000 and a façade of undulating timber louvers.
• University of California Riverside, Recreation Center Expansion, a cutting edge 155,000-square-foot sports facility that includes multiple running tracks and swimming pools.

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18. CetraRuddy

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 1
Featured Projects: 8
Total Projects: 20

ARO by CetraRuddy; image courtesy CetraRuddy

Established by John Cetra and Nancy Ruddy in 1987, CetraRuddy is an award-winning architecture, planning and interior design firm with a staff of over 100 talented professionals. For more than 30 years, CetraRuddy has been driven to create one-of-a-kind architectural experiences, developing innovative designs in the hospitality, education, cultural and commercial sectors. CetraRuddy has not only shaped skylines, but also added inspiration to the urban fabric throughout the United States and abroad.

Some of CetraRuddy’s most eye-catching projects are:

• ARO, a 62-story tower in Midtown Manhattan with white façades and a striking curvilinear form.
• One Madison, a high-end residential skyscraper in New York that features a series of glass “pods” inserted into the building’s structure.
• Sushi Samba London, a “culinary village” is set in a three-story crystalline volume at the top of Heron Tower, the tallest building in the UK’s capital.
• Walker Tower, a sensitive restoration of an iconic 1929 Art Deco tower in New York City.

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19. SOMA

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 1
Featured Projects: 4
Total Projects: 49

45 Park Place by SOMA; rendering via 45 Park Place

Led by Michel Abboud, SOMA is a global collective of architects, designers and creative minds. First established in New York, the firm now has offices in Beirut and a rising presence in Dubai, and is known for creating eye-catching residential projects, hospitality and mixed-use developments. With its focus on the integration of digital technologies and environmental responsibility, the firm’s designs have attracted critical acclaim for their boundary-pushing nature.

• 45 Park Place, a luxury condominium in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood with stunning modern interiors and panoramic views of the city.
• WAVE, a landmark office tower in Beirut, Lebanon with a unique double skin façade and concertinaed louvers that zig-zag up the building.
• CALYPSO, a contemporary private residence in Jounieh Bay, Lebanon perched on the edge of the sea cliff.
• ONE AT PALM JUMEIRAH, a luxury apartment building located on one of Dubai’s famou artificial archipelagos containing 90 exclusive residences.

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20. LEONG LEONG

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 0
Featured Projects: 7
Total Projects: 18

City View Garage by LEONG LEONG; photo by Naho Kubota

LEONG LEONG is a New York and Los Angeles based design firm founded in 2009 by brothers Christopher and Dominic Leong. Their ideas-driven office works on projects across a multitude of sectors, from retail to community-based developments. Each project forms an exploration of new concepts, striving to challenge conventions found within both architecture and society itself. The firm’s experimental, theoretical approach means no two projects are alike.

Some of LEONG LEONG’s key projects include:

• 3.1 Phillip Lim Seoul Flagship, a modern retail building in Seoul, South Korea featuring a distinctive front elevation covered in pillow-like concrete tiles.
• City View Garage, a public parking structure in Miami, FL that is wrapped in a perforated façade of gold-colored, titanium-coated stainless steel.
• Los Angeles LGBT Center – Anita May Rosenstein Campus, a community-based urban development that includes diverse social and affordable housing programs.
• AAFE Center for Community and Entrepreneurship, a mixed-use development in Queens, NY featuring a seven-story translucent façade (designed in collaboration with JCJ Architecture).

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21. Lemay

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 0
Featured Projects: 5
Total Projects: 26

Bibliothèque du Boisé by Lemay; photo by Yien Chao

Lemay was founded in 1957 and has a multitude of offices across Canada as well as a studio in New York City. Its team of more than 450 professionals works on a varied range of projects with a focus on civic and commercial architecture, and prides itself on its “unique blend of creativity, large-firm capacity and transdisciplinary service offering.” The company also possesses a research office named LemayLAB, which aims to advance innovation within the firm.

Some of Lemay’s most renowned projects include:

• Bibliothèque du Boisé, a landmark library in Montreal that Lemay claims as “Canada’s greenest library.”
• Humaniti, a contemporary mixed-use development under construction in Quebec, Canada that has been dubbed “Montreal’s first smart vertical community.”
• Montmagny Library, a multi-functional cultural building that combines a heritage building with a modern light-filled addition.
• 407 McGill, a mixed-use development in Montreal including a contemporary addition to a 1912 commercial building.

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22. Marvel Architects

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 0
Featured Projects: 3
Total Projects: 27

Pierhouse and 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge by Marvel Architects; photo by © David Sundberg/ESTO

Based in New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico, Marvel Architects is a multidisciplinary firm offering design services in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and urban design. Led by partners Lissa So, Guido Hartray, Jonathan Marvel and Jose Marchand Sifre, the firm’s diverse portfolio ranges from solar deployments in Puerto Rico to the renovation of commercial and retail buildings in the heart of New York City.

Some of Marvel Architects key projects to date include:

• TheatreSquared, a mixed-use project combining cultural and residential programs in Fayetteville, AR, featuring raw concrete and wood finishes.
• New Lab at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the redevelopment of Brooklyn’s Navy Yard into a hub for technology and entrepreneurship.
• Pierhouse and 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, a multi unit housing and hotel development with stepped terraces on the bank of the East River in New York.
• State Street Townhouses, a row of modern brick residences in Brooklyn, NY that creates a dialogue between old and new.

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23. Pfeiffer

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 0
Featured Projects: 2
Total Projects: 14

With offices in New York City and Los Angeles, Pfieffer is a 50-person architecture and design firm that works across a wide range of sectors. The firm originated in New York City as Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer in the 1960s, before opening its Los Angeles studio in 1986. Now simply named Pfeiffer, the firm involves clients as active participants in the design process, combining its technical expertise with the clients’ knowledge of their community in order to realize successful buildings.

Some of Pfeiffer’s most notable projects include:

• Science Museum of Virginia, a large expansion of an existing museum in Richmond, VA with a swooping roof that contrasts with the old museum’s neoclassical façade.
• UCLA Northwest Campus Housing Infill, a modern residential complex for students with multi-functional common spaces (designed in collaboration with KieranTimberlake).
• Chapman University Musco Center for the Arts, a highly flexible 1,050 seat multipurpose performance venue in Orange County, CA.
• Seattle University Lemieux Library, a 40,000-square-foot modern addition and complete renovation of the original library, constructed in 1966.

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24. STUDIO V Architecture

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 0
Featured Projects: 2
Total Projects: 12

STUDIO V Architecture is a design firm that specializes in transit-oriented developments and waterfront urban design at all scales, and adaptive reuse projects that repurpose historic structures for public use. When it comes to urban planning and design, STUDIO V focuses on transforming “edges into centers”, taking underutilized spaces and regenerating them as hubs of public activity and engagement.

Some of STUDIO V’s key projects include:

• Empire Stores, a mixed-use development situated in formerly abandoned brick warehouses between the iconic Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges (with S9 Architecture and Perkins Eastman).
• Frank 57 West, a high-end mixed-use development with a distinctive zinc-clad exterior.
• The Tanks / Maker Park, a proposed renovation of disused industrial tanks on Brooklyn’s waterfront into a vibrant new public space.
• J+K Residence, a private residence in Manhattan, NY that combines two classic New York housing typologies: The townhouse and the historic loft.

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25. Sage and Coombe Architects

A+Awards won: 2
Projects of the Day: 0
Featured Projects: 1
Total Projects: 5

Sage and Coombe Architects was founded in 1995 and is led by Jennifer Sage FAIA and Peter Coombe AIA. Based in New York City, the firm has delivered dozens of projects throughout the city, including libraries, parks, firehouses, athletic facilities, art centers and schools for all ages. Sage and Coombe Architects prides itself on an open-minded, flexible approach to architecture, working closely with clients to reach a solution that benefits them long into the future.

Some of Sage and Coombe Architects’ most well known projects include:

• Rockaway Beach Open Up, a series of raised “island” boardwalks to reintroduce accessibility following damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.
• Ocean Breeze Track and Field House, a 135,000 square foot sporting facility in PlaNYC’s new 110-acre Ocean Breeze Park.
• Swingtones, a series of playful suspended installations designed and constructed in collaboration with 88 children at a summer camp in Strafford, NH.
• Noguchi Museum, an art gallery in Brooklyn, NY for which the architects designed a new entry pavilion and restored gallery spaces, museum café, bookshop and sculpture storage.

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Other Architecture Firms to Consider

Several other renowned architecture firms can be found just outside the Top 25, each of which is worth considering for their experience in delivering high quality, large-scale projects across typologies. They include: Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Studio Gang, Allied Works Architecture, WEISS/MANFREDI, WORKac, ODA New York, nARCHITECTS, Arquitectonica and Robert A.M. Stern Architects.

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

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