These annual rankings were last updated on September 13th, 2024. Want to see your firm on next year’s list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studio’s ranking.

London is a city that has been forced to redevelop constantly. Like many cities, it has accrued layers of history. However, events like the Great Fire and The Blitz have also torn holes in the urban fabric, necessitating moments of reflection and rethinking. Nowadays, Georgian, Regency and Victorian architecture are intermingled with hulking Brutalist structures, curving glass façades and anonymous steel giants.

Nowadays, the city remains home to preeminent architectural schools such as UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture. In addition, London’s galleries and museums nurture a design culture with thought-provoking exhibitions about space and society, including the ever-popular Serpentine Pavilion. Meanwhile, as a global metropolis, the British city’s diversity is one of its great strengths, becoming home to a bevy of heavyweight firms and up-and-coming studios whose names are known locally and abroad.

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 London, United Kingdom based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

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 2024)
• The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)
• The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2024)
• The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2024)
• The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)

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 London, United Kingdom architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in London, United Kingdom:

32. Jamie Fobert Architects

© Jamie Fobert Architects

Since its inception in 1996, Jamie Fobert Architects has had a reputation for innovative and inspiring architectural design in the residential, retail and arts sectors. The practice has demonstrated a consistent approach to resolving client ambitions and site complexities into a tactile architecture of volume, material and light.

Jamie Fobert Architects has garnered several awards, including the RIBA London Award 2014, the Manser Medal and the RIBA and English Heritage ‘Award for a building in an historic context’. The practice has won three major public commissions for cultural organisations: Kettle’s Yard Gallery; the Charleston Trust; and Tate St Ives.

Some of Jamie Fobert Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Travertine Stair, London, United Kingdom
• Luker House, London, United Kingdom
• Tate St Ives, United Kingdom
• Levring House, United Kingdom
• Camino de Playa, GA, Spain

The following statistics helped Jamie Fobert Architects achieve 32nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

31. Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

© Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) is an award-winning, international architectural practice based in London. Over three decades, RSHP has attracted critical acclaim with innovative projects across Europe, North America and Asia. The practice is experienced in designing a wide range of building types including: office, residential, transport, education, culture, leisure, retail, civic and healthcare. The quality of its designs has been recognised with some of architecture’s highest awards, including two RIBA Stirling Prizes, one in 2006 for Terminal 4, Madrid Barajas Airport and the other in 2009 for Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, London. RSHP employs around 180 people in offices across the world – London, Shanghai, Sydney and Madrid.

Some of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

• Jean Prouvé 6×6 Demountable House, 1944, Adaptation Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, 2015, Paris, France
• One Park Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
• International Towers Sydney, Barangaroo, Australia
• Conservation and Storage Facility, Muse?e du Louvre, Liévin, France
• Oslo Airport Competition, Oslo, Norway

The following statistics helped Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners achieve 31st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

30. Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

© Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

At Allford Hall Monaghan Morris we make buildings that are satisfying to use and beautiful to look at; an architecture that is defined by the experience of users who should be able to understand and use each building with ease and enjoyment.

We design very different buildings, for very different people to use in very different ways and, since our early days in the late 1980s, we have grown from four to over one hundred and fifty people and our budgets from a few thousand to tens of millions of pounds.

Through our wide range of projects we search for the opportunities in every site, budget and programme and pursue a pragmatic, analytical and collaborative working method to produce a responsive, intelligent and delightful architecture.

Some of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris’s most prominent projects include:

• Alder Centre, United Kingdom
• North London Hospice, City of London, United Kingdom
• Barking Central, Axe Street, Barking, United Kingdom
• Burntwood School, London, United Kingdom
• Adelaide Wharf, Queensbridge Road, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Allford Hall Monaghan Morris achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

29. David Chipperfield Architects

© David Chipperfield Architects

David Chipperfield Architects was founded in 1985 and has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai. The practice works internationally on cultural, residential and commercial projects providing full architectural and interior design, master planning, product and furniture design services for both public and private sectors. Our diverse built portfolio includes museums and galleries, libraries, apartments, private houses, hotels, offices, master plans, and retail facilities. David Chipperfield Architects has won more then fifty national and international competitions and many international awards and citations for design excellence.

Some of David Chipperfield Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield, United Kingdom
• Cafe Royal, Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, City of London, United Kingdom
• Villa Eden, Italy
• James Simon Gallery, Berlin, Germany
• Nobel Center, Stockholm, Sweden

The following statistics helped David Chipperfield Architects achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

28. Jestico + Whiles

© Jestico + Whiles

Jestico + Whiles is an award winning architecture and interior design practice with offices in London and Prague. At the forefront of innovation and design excellence, the practice has won over one hundred national and international awards. We have proven expertise for excellent and sustainable designs across a wide range of sectors, including universities, schools, hotels, housing, cultural facilities, offices, transport infrastructure and retail, many within schemes involving major urban regeneration, refurbishment of historic buildings or low energy designs.

Some of Jestico + Whiles’s most prominent projects include:

• National Graphene Institute, Manchester, United Kingdom
• Stoke Newington Sixth Form Centre, London, United Kingdom
• House 19, Amersham, United Kingdom
• Southwark Town Hall & Theatre Peckham, London, United Kingdom
• Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form, Clissold Road, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Jestico + Whiles achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

27. Eldridge London

© Nicholas Guttridge

London architectural practice Eldridge Smerin was established in 1998 and has since relaunched as Eldridge London. Architect Nick Eldridge’s vision continues to inspire the design and material quality of the practice’s recent projects in the UK and abroad defined by a series of cutting-edge houses including the Stirling Prize nominated Lawns project and the House in Highgate Cemetery.

The practice has also completed a number of high profile retail, commercial and cultural projects including interiors for Selfridges Birmingham, Villa Moda Kuwait, O2’s Mobile Applications Development Centre, the Design Council Headquarters, The Business and Intellectual Property Centre and a restaurant at the British Library and the Globe Theatre’s Sackler Studios.

The practice demonstrates a consistent approach to producing intelligent and unique solutions to specific client briefs and often constrained budgets with an unerring attention to detail from concept through to completion.

Some of Eldridge London’s most prominent projects include:

• Cor-Ten House in Putney, London, United Kingdom
• House in Coombe Park, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
• House in Epsom, Epsom, United Kingdom
• House in Chelsea, London, United Kingdom
• House in Highgate Cemetery, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Eldridge London achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

26. FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture)

© FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture)

Architecture has the power to transform environments and quality of life.

FORM studio aims to create places that can be inhabited and experienced by people in a natural and instinctive way. Enjoyable places with a tranquil sense of simplicity, which create a supportive and uplifting backdrop for life.

Individual solutions are developed for our clients which are an intelligent, inventive and sustainable response to the complex matrix of issues that shapes each project. Solutions with a lucidity and apparent simplicity which belie their underlying complexity.

Listening, analysis, discussion and clarification are at the heart of an inclusive approach that recognises the fact that some of the best ideas are generated in the space between people rather than by individuals.

Some of FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture)’s most prominent projects include:

• Bermondsey Warehouse Loft, London, United Kingdom
• Walcot Square mews, London, United Kingdom
• Flatiron House, London, United Kingdom
• Benbow Yard, London, United Kingdom
• Narrow House, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture) achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

25. Studio Octopi

© Studio Octopi

Studio Octopi is an award winning architecture practice based in central London, UK.

Some of Studio Octopi’s most prominent projects include:

• Albion House
• Park Avenue South, Park Avenue South, London, United Kingdom
• Orchard House, Calne, United Kingdom
• Bradfield College Greek Theatre, United Kingdom
• Writ in Water, England, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Studio Octopi achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

24. WilkinsonEyre

© WilkinsonEyre

WilkinsonEyre is one of the world’s leading architectural practices with a portfolio of national and international award-winning projects. Since our inception in 1983, we have built a portfolio of bold, beautiful, intelligent architecture in sectors as diverse as culture, sport and leisure, education, infrastructure, residential, office and large-scale masterplanning. Project highlights include the Guangzhou International Finance Center – one of the tallest buildings in the world, the giant, cooled conservatories for Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, the new Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, the refurbishment of the New Bodleian Library for the University of Oxford and the acclaimed temporary structure of the London 2012 Olympic Games Basketball Arena. Our work is based on an informed use of technology and materials and combines a commitment to the spirit of the new with an awareness of context.

Some of WilkinsonEyre’s most prominent projects include:

• Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, Singapore
• Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
• Wellcome Collection, London, United Kingdom
• Maggie’s Centre, Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
• Dyson Campus Expansion, Malmesbury, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped WilkinsonEyre achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

23. Sheppard Robson Architects

© Sheppard Robson Architects

The practice’s work is underpinned by fully integrating a sustainable design methodology that balances efficiency and performance with form.
In the practice’s 75-year history, Sheppard Robson has designed award-winning architecture, interior design and masterplanning projects around the world, building a strong reputation across numerous typologies – including office, education, residential, healthcare, science and retail projects.

From our head office in London and studios in Manchester, Glasgow and Abu Dhabi, the founding principles of innovation and sustainability continue to shape the work of the practice and its interior design group (ID:SR), reinterpreted and enlivened by the creative talent of our designers. The work of the practice benefits from an ability to have a constructive dialogue with clients and end-users, as well as collaborating closely with other members of the project team throughout the design and delivery of a project.

Some of Sheppard Robson Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Siemens Middle East Headquarters, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom
• The Avenue, Manchester, United Kingdom
• St Ambrose College, Manchester, United Kingdom
• Waingels College, Wokingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Sheppard Robson Architects achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

22. 6a architects

© Johan Dehlin

6a architects was founded by Tom Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald in 2001. They are best known for their contemporary art galleries, educational buildings, artists’ studios and residential projects, often in sensitive historic environments. 6a architects rose to prominence with the completion of two critically acclaimed public art galleries, Raven Row (2009), which won a RIBA Award in 2011, and the expanded South London Gallery (2010). Recently completed projects include a new 68-room hall of residence at Churchill College, Cambridge (2016), which garnered a RIBA Regional East Award (2017), and a new studio complex for photographer Juergen Teller (2016), which was winner of both RIBA London Building of the Year (2017) and a RIBA National Award (2017).

Some of 6a architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Tree House , London, United Kingdom
• Façade for Paul Smith, Mayfair, London, City of London, United Kingdom
• V&A Gallery 40, London, United Kingdom
• Photography Studio for Juergen Teller, United Kingdom
• Cowan Court, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped 6a architects achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

21. Foster Lomas

London based studio specialising in craft and collaboration to create bespoke architecture and interior design.

Unique to the practice is the pursuit of an architecture which is imaginatively responsive to site and place, whether an urban project or a rural retreat. We carefully craft buildings which are the result of working directly with leading structural engineers, artisans and craftsmen creating buildings which will remain relevant, sustainable and timeless.

Since we established Foster Lomas Architects in 2005 we have developed a broad palette of work from urban penthouses to rural residential houses within heritage landscape areas, which have led to expertise in developing a uniquely sensitive and innovative approach.

Some of Foster Lomas’s most prominent projects include:

• Hindmans Yard, London, United Kingdom
• A Restorative Rural Retreat for Sartfell, Isle of Man
• Bridge Apartment, London, United Kingdom
• Cliff House, Hythe, United Kingdom
• Riverside Penthouse, Hester Road, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Foster Lomas achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

20. Carl Turner Architects

© Carl Turner Architects

Carl trained at the Royal College of Art, gaining a first class honours degree and a RIBA Bronze Medal (runner-up) before undertaking an MA at the Royal College of Art in London.The RCA provided a foundation for collaboration and working across platforms with an integrated approach; Carl sees his approach to design and construction as an extension of his time there as a ‘maker’.User-focused design was embedded as a founding principle for practice, through a two year research post for the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the RCA, investigating new strategies for wayfinding for BAA plc at Heathrow’s Terminal 5.After working for Norman Foster on the Citibank Tower (Canary Wharf), and Penoyre and Prasad on various community-based projects, Carl formed a partnership (TurnerCastle).

Some of Carl Turner Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Slip House, United Kingdom
• Stealth Barn, United Kingdom
• Ochre Barn, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom
• Frame House, United Kingdom
• Tulip Bar, Milan, Italy

The following statistics helped Carl Turner Architects achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

19. Atelier Chang Ltd

© Kyungsub Shin

Atelier Chang is an international design praxis based in South Kensington, London and Zurich since 2011. Our design philosophy is to create innovative design through focusing on the unembellished basics – basics of nature, social behaviour, and urban phenomena. To achieve this absolute simplicity of content through impactful forms takes extra effort in researching the context, a devotion to material and technology, and active interaction with other industries. Currently we work on projects in Asia and Europe at multiple scales of design, covering master plans, architecture, interior design, installations, and products.

Some of Atelier Chang Ltd’s most prominent projects include:

• Knot House, Geoje-si, South Korea
• SJCC Glamping Resort & White Forest Restaurant, Suncheon-si, South Korea
• Glamping, Yangpyeong-gun, South Korea
• KCP Fffice, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Atelier Chang Ltd achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

18. Levitt Bernstein

© Phil Boorman

As architects, landscape architects and urban designers, Levitt Bernstein creates award winning buildings, living landscapes and thriving urban spaces, using inventive design to solve real life challenges. Putting people at the heart of our work, each of our projects is different but the driving force behind every one is the desire to create an environment that is beautiful, sustainable and functional.

Some of Levitt Bernstein’s most prominent projects include:

• Vaudeville Court, Saint Thomas’s Road, London, United Kingdom
• Sutherland Road, London, United Kingdom
• King’s School, Bruton, Somerset, England, United Kingdom
• The Courtyards, Dovedale Avenue, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
• Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France

The following statistics helped Levitt Bernstein achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

17. Architects of Invention

© Architects of Invention

Architects of Invention (AI) is an award winning international partnership practicing contemporary architecture, urbanism, and design led by Nikoloz Japaridze. To accommodate a range of projects throughout the world, AI maintains offices in London and Tbilisi. Since its establishment in 2010 AI has completed 10 buildings in 10 years and produced more than 100 projects and collaborations.

The practice has good international experience contributing to project in Chile, Switzerland, Germany, Canary Islands, Seychelles, India, Russia, China, Czech Republic, France, UK and Georgia. AI has successfully collaborated with many international clients and consultants. Its core consultants’ teams are established in the UK as well as in Georgia.

Some of Architects of Invention’s most prominent projects include:

• Prosecutor’s Office Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia
• National Olympic Commettee House, Tbilisi, Georgia
• Lazika Town Hall, Anaklia, Georgia
• House of Justice
• Corporate HQ, Moscow, Russia

The following statistics helped Architects of Invention achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

16. Hawkins\Brown

© Hawkins\Brown

The first time someone decided to mix sweet and salty popcorn, their guests must have been horrified. Minutes later though they would be guzzling the lot. That’s the thing about new combinations – you have to be a bit odd to consider them in the first place, but when they pay off you’re left wondering how you managed before they existed.

Admittedly, this isn’t a usual sort of About page for an architectural practice, but we’re not a usual sort of practice. We believe that projects come alive through uncommon combinations of ideas and people. In fact, we think that’s the only way they really come alive at all.

Some of Hawkins\Brown’s most prominent projects include:

• 1235 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA, United States
• Corby Cube, George Street, Corby, United Kingdom
• Student Village, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Brookmans Park, United Kingdom
• Beecroft Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
• Park Hill, Sheffield, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped HawkinsBrown achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

15. Bennetts Associates

© Bennetts Associates

Bennetts Associates creates sustainable and enduring architecture. As one of the UK’s leading practices, their diverse portfolio has been celebrated with more than 150 awards over 30 years and covers education, cultural and workplace projects in both the public and private sector, ranging from masterplans to small historic buildings. They are an employee-owned trust of 70 people with studios in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, and have recently earned Building Design’s Higher Education Architect of the Year 2019 Award.

Bennetts Associates also leads in their field in sustainability – in April 2019 they became the world’s first architects to secure Science Based Target approval and commit to the UN’s Climate Neutral Now campaign.

Some of Bennetts Associates’s most prominent projects include:

• The Royal College of Pathologists, London, United Kingdom
• Storyhouse, London, United Kingdom
• Jaguar Land Rover Advanced Product Creation Centre, Gaydon, United Kingdom
• Bennetts Associates’ London Studio, London, United Kingdom
• London Fruit and Wool Exchange, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Bennetts Associates achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

14. Buckley Gray Yeoman

© Dirk Lindner

Formed in 1997, Buckley Gray Yeoman is an award-winning architecture and design practice based in Shoreditch, London. Directed by Matt Yeoman and Paul White, the firm provides pragmatic and deliverable solutions to complex design issues. Founded on the premise that outstanding results require careful planning and an intuitive approach, Buckley Gray Yeoman’s designs adapt and respond to the context of each project to create intelligent and enduring architecture. The practice’s work is driven by the needs and ambitions of its clients.

Some of Buckley Gray Yeoman’s most prominent projects include:

• Apparatus, London, United Kingdom
• Carnaby Club, London, United Kingdom
• Henry Wood House, London, United Kingdom
• Channing School, London, United Kingdom
• The Buckley Building, Clerkenwell Green, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Buckley Gray Yeoman achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

13. AL_A

© Francisco Nogueira / Architectural Photography

Architecture studio AL_A was founded in 2009 by the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete with directors Ho-Yin Ng, Alice Dietsch and Maximiliano Arrocet.

Their designs are conceived not just as buildings, but as urban propositions. Spaces that promote reciprocity between nature and neighbourhood; projects that express the identity of an institution, reflect the ambitions of a place, and hold the dreams of a community.

Recently completed projects include an undergraduate and outreach centre for Wadham College at the University of Oxford and a new centre for the cancer care charity Maggie’s within the grounds of University College Hospital in Southampton.

Some of AL_A’s most prominent projects include:

• Maggie’s Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
• V&A Exhibition Road Quarter, London, United Kingdom
• MAAT, Lisbon, Portugal
• Corian Super-surfaces
• Spencer Dock Bridge, Mayor Street Lower, Dublin, Ireland

The following statistics helped AL_A achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

12. Studio Seilern Architects

© Philip Vile

Studio Seilern Architects is a London based international creative practice established in 2006 by Christina Seilern with the intent of producing exceptional architecture that lasts, working across geographies, building sizes and typologies. Our diverse portfolio of built work spans the UK, Europe and Africa.

While we tackle a diversity of projects, it is our conscious decision to keep working on the smaller and larger scales both simultaneously and continuously: from new build to restoration works. Irrespective of size or context, each project we undertake informs another. The smaller scale keeps our pencils sharp on questions of intricate detailing and the unraveling of the human condition both on the living and working fronts.

Some of Studio Seilern Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Andermatt Concert Hall, Andermatt, Switzerland
• El Gouna Plaza, Hurghada, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt
• G.W.Annenberg Performing Arts Centre, Reading, United Kingdom
• Boksto Skveras, Vilnius, Lithuania
• Kensington Residence, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Studio Seilern Architects achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

11. Steyn Studio

© DOOK Photography

Steyn Studio is a collaborative architecture practice. We believe that design has the power to solve problems, inspire, and improve lives and work hard everyday to realise this ambition. We always aim to do this honestly and with the freedom to creatively explore meaningful design solutions. Designs that make a real difference to the end-user and the client; culturally and commercially.

Some of Steyn Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Bosjes Chapel, South Africa
• Spens Garden Café & Winkel Gift Shop, South Africa
• Sierra House, Madrid, Spain
• Kombuis Restaurant, South Africa

The following statistics helped Steyn Studio achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

10. Hopkins Architects

Copyright 2007 Paul Tyagi - © Hopkins Architects

Hopkins Architects is an international architectural practice with studios in London and Dubai. Led by its five Principals, the practice’s work is rooted in clear and logical design thinking, a deep understanding of the potential of materials and craft, and consideration of context. A consistent and rigorous approach has resulted in a portfolio of ground-breaking, beautiful and functional buildings across Europe, the US and Asia which have added tangible value for both clients and users.

The practice has designed and delivered a portfolio of renowned, award-winning projects, including Portcullis House at Westminster and the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome.

Some of Hopkins Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
• Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
• Eton Sports & Aquatics Centre, Windsor, United Kingdom
• Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
• London 2012 Olympic Velodrome, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Hopkins Architects achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

9. Haworth Tompkins

Photo: Philip Vile - © Haworth Tompkins

Haworth Tompkins is an award-winning British architectural studio united by a commitment to integrity, intellectual quality and the art of making beautiful buildings. Founded in 1991 by Graham Haworth and Steve Tompkins, the rapidly-growing London-based studio consists of 70 people, and specialises in bespoke buildings in the public, cultural, private and financial sectors. Acclaimed projects include the Everyman Theatre, winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2014, Young Vic Theatre, Royal College of Art campus in Battersea, Coin Street housing development and the London Library, for which they received the prestigious American Institute of Architect’s Excellence in Design award. The studio is currently working on a number of highly anticipated schemes including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Fish Island Village, Bristol Old Vic and Kingston University.

Some of Haworth Tompkins’s most prominent projects include:

• National Theatre ‘The Shed’, London, United Kingdom
• Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, United Kingdom
• Dovecote Studio, Snape, United Kingdom
• Open Air Theatre, Inner Circle, London, United Kingdom
• Park View School, Birmingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Haworth Tompkins achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

8. Allies and Morrison

© Nicholas Guttridge

We are architects and urbanists. We strive to design beautiful buildings that have long life and can adapt over the generations. We also shape enduring places whether new pieces of city or settlements at any scale. All our projects are concerned with the crafting of every detail and an appreciation for the uniqueness of each context.

As architects, we are known for the rigour of our technical delivery, a commitment to quality, to embedded environmental performance. As urbanists, we are known for developing plans that are flexible and pragmatic, inspirational in vision, responsive to the local climate and character. Based in London and Cambridge, we come from around the world and our diversity is one of our fundamental strengths.

Some of Allies and Morrison’s most prominent projects include:

• Msheireb Downtown Doha Phase 4, Doha, Qatar
• Sir Michael Uren Hub, London, United Kingdom
• 100 Bishopsgate , London, United Kingdom
• 2150 Lake Shore, Toronto, Canada
• The Design Museum, Kensington High Street, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Allies and Morrison achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

7. bureau de change

© bureau de change

Bureau de Change is an award winning architecture practice founded by architects Katerina Dionysopoulou and Billy Mavropoulos. Its work is a direct product of the founders’ upbringing, passions and experiences – combining the pragmatism and formality of their architectural training with a desire to bring a sense of theatre, playfulness and innovation to the design of spaces, products and environments. The result is a studio where rigorous thinking and analysis are brought to life through prototyping, testing and making.

Some of bureau de change’s most prominent projects include:

• The Interlock, London, United Kingdom
• Clay House, London, United Kingdom
• Homemade, London, United Kingdom
• Folds House, London, United Kingdom
• Slab House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped bureau de change achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

6. Alison Brooks Architects

© Alison Brooks Architects

Founded in 1996, Alison Brooks Architects has developed an international reputation for delivering design excellence and innovation in projects ranging from urban regeneration, masterplanning, public buildings for the arts, higher education and housing.

ABA’s award-winning architecture is born from our intensive research into the cultural, social and environmental contexts of each project. Our approach enables us to develop pioneering solutions for our buildings and urban schemes, each with a distinct identity and authenticity. Combined with rigorous attention to detail, ABA’s buildings have proved to satisfy our client’s expectations and positively impact the urban realm.

Our approach has led ABA to be recognised with both national and international awards including Architect of the Year Award 2012 and Housing Architect of the Year 2012.

Some of Alison Brooks Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• The Smile, London, United Kingdom
• Lens House, London, United Kingdom
• Exeter College Cohen Quad, Oxford, United Kingdom
• Mesh House, London, United Kingdom
• Newhall Be, Harlow, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Alison Brooks Architects achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

5. Squire and Partners

© Squire and Partners

Squire & Partners is an architecture and design practice with experience spanning four decades, earning it an international reputation for architecture informed by the history and culture of where it is placed. Their award winning portfolio, for some of the world’s leading developers, includes masterplans, private and affordable residential, workspace, retail, education and public buildings.

In addition, the practice has a series of dedicated teams for modelmaking, computer generated imaging, illustration, graphics and an established interior design department, which has created a number of bespoke product ranges.

Squire & Partners’ approach responds to the unique heritage and context of each site, considering established street patterns, scale and proportions, to create timeless architecture rooted in its location.

Some of Squire and Partners’s most prominent projects include:

• Zubabox, Bogotá, Colombia
• The Ark, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
• 5 Hanover Square, 5, Hanover Square, London, United Kingdom
• Mayfair House, City of London, United Kingdom
• Reiss HQ

The following statistics helped Squire and Partners achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

4. Adjaye Associates

© Adjaye Associates

Since establishing Adjaye Associates in 2000, Sir David Adjaye OBE has crafted a global team that is multicultural and stimulated by the broadest possible cultural discourse. The practice has studios in Accra, London, and New York with work spanning the globe. Adjaye Associates’ most well-known commission to date, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), opened in 2016 on the National Mall in Washington DC and was named “Cultural Event of the Year” by The New York Times.

Further projects range in scale from private houses, bespoke furniture collections, product design, exhibitions, and temporary pavilions to major arts centers, civic buildings, and master plans.

Some of Adjaye Associates’s most prominent projects include:

• Winter Park Library & Events Center, Winter Park, FL, United States
• The Abrahamic Family House, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• dot.ateliers, Accra, Ghana
• 130 William, New York, NY, United States
• Abrahamic Family House, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The following statistics helped Adjaye Associates achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

3. Heatherwick Studio

© Hufton+Crow Photography

Heatherwick Studio is a team of 180 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone.
Based out of our combined workshop and design studio in Central London, we create buildings, spaces, master-plans, objects and infrastructure. Focusing on large scale projects in cities all over the world, we prioritise those with the greatest positive social impact.

Working as practical inventors with no signature style, our motivation is to design soulful and interesting places which embrace and celebrate the complexities of the real world. The approach driving everything is to lead from human experience rather than any fixed design dogma.

The studio’s completed projects include a number of internationally celebrated buildings, including the award-winning Learning Hub at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. The studio is currently working on 30 live projects in ten countries.

Some of Heatherwick Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Coal Drops Yard, London, United Kingdom
• Maggie’s Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
• Bombay Sapphire Distillery , Hampshire, United Kingdom
• 1000 Trees Phase 1, Shanghai, China
• Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa

The following statistics helped Heatherwick Studio achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

2. Foster + Partners

© Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners is a global studio for sustainable architecture, engineering, urbanism and industrial design, founded by Norman Foster in 1967. Since then, he, and the team around him, have established an international practice with a worldwide reputation. With offices across the globe, we work as a single studio that is both ethnically and culturally diverse.

Some of Foster + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

• Ombú, Madrid, Spain
• Apple Battersea, Battersea, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
• Apple Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States
• House of Wisdom, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
• Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar

The following statistics helped Foster + Partners achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

1. Zaha Hadid Architects

© Zaha Hadid Architects

Internationally renowned architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects works at all scales and in all sectors to create transformative cultural, corporate, residential and other spaces that work in synchronicity with their surroundings.

Some of Zaha Hadid Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing, China
• KnitCandela, 3000, Insurgentes, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Mexico
• Leeza SOHO, Beijing, China
• Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan
• Salerno Maritime Terminal, Salerno, Italy

The following statistics helped Zaha Hadid Architects achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in London, United Kingdom:

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

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

• Project completed within the last 3 years
• A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
• Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
• High quality, in focus photographs
• At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
• Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
• Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

The post 30 Best Architecture Firms in London appeared first on Journal.

These annual rankings were last updated on August 16th, 2024. Want to see your firm on next year’s list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studio’s ranking.

Chicago is near the top of many enthusiasts’ lists or architectural pilgrimages. After being destroyed by a fire in 1871, like a phoenix, Chicago rose from its ashes, and in the process, it became an urban incubator for skyscraper design. Throughout the next several decades, architects explored the possibilities of steel frame construction and plate glass. Architects like Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies pioneered novel theories and designs, in the process devising methods for erecting taller and taller buildings with unique ways of expressing their structural prowess.

Fast forward to today, and Chicago remains an influential producer in the architectural world. More and more, the city has turned its attention to landscape architecture and the architecture of public places. This urban-oriented approach is apparent in many leading firms found in the following list.

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 Chicago based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

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 2024)
• The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)
• The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2024)
• The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2024)
• The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)

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 Chicago architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Chicago:

30. OKW Architects

© OKW Architects

OKW Architects is in the business of reimagining, reinventing, and repositioning. We use our design and business acumen to improve the built environment in creative and imaginative ways.

Some of OKW Architects’ most prominent projects include:

• 15 E Oak, Chicago, Illinois
• Time Out Market, Chicago, Illinois
• Harlem Irving Plaza, Norridge, Illinois
• Eataly, Chicago, Illinois
• Hinsdale Golf Club, Clarendon Hills, Illinois

The following statistics helped OKW Architects achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

29. Earles Architects and Associates (EAA)

© Earles Architects and Associates (EAA)

Innovating Successful Environments is what inspires us. Established in 1991, Earles Architects and Associates (EAA) is a full-service architectural design firm offering a wide range of architectural, interior design and planning services. EAA has years of experience with a variety of clients in the corporate, tenant development, healthcare, institutional, industrial and retail/hospitality sectors. Innovation is at the core of every architectural design solution we create and evident in the thousands of projects we’ve successfully delivered. We are strong proponents of the “team approach”, partnering well not only with our clients but with everyone involved; from brokers and building owners to engineers and contractors.

Some of Earles Architects and Associates (EAA)’s most prominent projects include:

• Sterling Bay , Chicago, Illinois
• Starbucks , Chicago, Illinois
• Great Dane Trucking , Chicago, Illinois
• Phusion Projects , Chicago, Illinois
• Embeya , Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Earles Architects and Associates (EAA) achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

28. Bailey Edward

© Bailey Edward

Bailey Edward is a purpose-driven, forward-thinking, and award-winning architecture and engineering firm that offers creative design solutions for the way people live, work and learn. Their innovative team employs an integrated and effective design approach to respond to the needs of the public. Every project is approached with a sense of social contract, purpose and a promise to deliver clients creative and responsive solutions.

Founded in 1991, the Illinois-based firm practices throughout the Midwest with offices in Chicago, Fox River Grove and Champaign. Every project is approached with a sense of social contract, purpose and a promise to deliver clients creative and responsive solutions.

Some of Bailey Edward’s most prominent projects include:

• Department of Veterans Affairs Federal Health Care Center Community Living Courtyard, North Chicago, Illinois
• Ismaili Jamatkhana House of Worship Glenview, Glenview, Illinois
• University of Illinois at Chicago Richard J. Daley Library Corridor Oasis Renovation, Chicago, Illinois
• Illinois Army National Guard Readiness Center and Army Aviation Support Facility, Kankakee, Illinois
• The Compass Church Worship Center, Naperville, Illinois

The following statistics helped Bailey Edward achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

27. Vinci-Hamp Architects

© Tom Harris

VHA is committed to the improvement of the built environment through the preservation of historic buildings and the design of new buildings of the highest quality. Historic architecture, through its materials, detailing, scale and proportion, contributes to a rich and pleasing built environment. Such buildings should be preserved, both for their historic significance and for their adaptability to other, contemporary uses. VHA has considerable experience with historic architecture, both as a defender of Chicago’s buildings and as architect for numerous preservation and reuse projects. VHA’s new buildings demonstrate that contemporary architecture develops through straightforward expressions of function, structure and materials. Like the best buildings of the past, our new buildings emphasize dignified spaces, refined proportions and quality materials. We strive for buildings that are clearly organized, well built and relatively timeless in their forms and details.

Some of Vinci-Hamp Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Tribune Tower Conversion, Chicago, Illinois
• The Drawing Room at the Arts Club of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Vinci-Hamp Architects achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

26. GREC Architects, LLC

© GREC Architects, LLC

We are a group of architects, designers and planners who lead collaborative efforts with our team and our clients to provide creative and efficient project solutions.

Some of GREC Architects, LLC’s most prominent projects include:

• ACE Hotel Downtown LA, Los Angeles, California
• Westin Hotel at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Bacardi at the Park, Chicago, Illinois
• Energy Trading Tower, Chicago, Illinois
• Business Bay Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The following statistics helped GREC Architects, LLC achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

25. Searl Lamaster Howe Architects

© Searl Lamaster Howe Architects

Searl Lamaster Howe Architects is committed to realizing inspiring spaces for clients who value where they live, work, play and learn. Each project is approached as a unique opportunity with a distinct set of needs and aspirations. Client collaboration at each step of the design and construction process is key to the quality of the office’s work. A project’s aesthetic is complemented and shaped by a detailed study of program, context, technology, and budget. The studio shares a commitment to creativity, innovation, sustainability, detail, and materiality. The firm portfolio includes residential, commercial and institutional projects that range from master planning to renovations to restorations to new construction; it is a member of the United States Green Building Council and offers full LEED services.

Some of Searl Lamaster Howe Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Harbert Cottage, Michigan
• Pearson Residence, Chicago, Illinois
• Seneca Road House, Chicago, Illinois
• Mies Residence, Chicago, Illinois
• BIGA

The following statistics helped Searl Lamaster Howe Architects achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

24. Palmyra PLLC

© Palmyra Geraki

PALMYRA PLLC is a woman-owned full-service architecture practice based in Chicago. The practice, like its founder, is named after the city of Palmyra in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria, a city with an independent streak and an incredibly rich multicultural history. The archaeological site of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was partially destroyed by ISIS in 2015. Even in its ruinous state, Palmyra is a palimpsest, if there ever was any. In our practice we believe that we are never creating in a vacuum and the name of our practice serves as a reminder of that.

Architecture always starts with a problem: sometimes an eminently practical one and sometimes an abstract or conceptual one.

Some of Palmyra PLLC’s most prominent projects include:

• Not All White Walls, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Palmyra PLLC achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

23. dSPACE Studio

© dSPACE Studio

We are an award-winning architecture firm dedicated to architecture, interiors, and landscape. Our work is defined by thoughtful design and innovation. Every project is tailor-made. Project types include residential and commercial, with a focus on urban dwellings, vacation homes, and unique business spaces. Projects include new construction, renovations and additions.

We approach all projects individually. Each project starts with an exploration of client needs and evolves from budget, location, and context without imposition of preconceived styles or solutions. We strive to integrate environmentally sustainable design with green technologies and materials, whenever possible. We are dedicated to client satisfaction by meeting mutually agreed upon project requirements and goals.

Some of dSPACE Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Escape Pod- 2013 AIA Award Winner, Chicago, Illinois
• Zinc House, Chicago, Illinois
• Atrium House, Chicago, Illinois
• Contemporary Office, Chicago, Illinois
• The Wave- 2014 AIA Award Winner, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped dSPACE Studio achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

22. moss design

© moss design

moss is a multidisciplinary architecture and urban design studio. We provide a wide range of services and expertise throughout the project, from site selection to design, project management, construction, and completion. Our credentials include WBE certification, LEED accreditation, and Illinois, Michigan, and California licensure. Our work is diverse by design, allowing us to explore the best design solutions across various project types, including residential, commercial, hospitality, interiors, urban planning, and custom furniture.

Our approach is both collaborative and customized. We seek collaboration with owners and developers looking for more than a set of drawings but true partners in a comprehensive process. We explore work that stretches the boundaries of what an architect typically does, tapping the experience we’ve gained and generating innovative and transformative solutions.

Some of moss design’s most prominent projects include:

• Begyle Brewing Company Tasting Room, Chicago, Illinois
• 5411 Winthrop – Flats, Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
• Vic Loft, Chicago, Illinois
• Bar Pastoral, Chicago, Illinois
• Crew Bar + Grill, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped moss design achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

21. Pappageorge Haymes Partners

© YoChicago

Since 1981, the architecture of Pappageorge Haymes Partners (PH) has had a profound influence on attitudes toward the rebirth of our cities and the promise of urban living. Our unique approach – both passionately civic and distinctly practical – has produced a remarkable and award-winning body of work that includes nearly every product and building type, from single-family homes to high-rises, expansive mixed-use developments, far-sighted neighborhood plans, and the creative adaptive re-use of structures across the United States. Well known for the collaborative, client-oriented approach and insightful skill we bring to every project, PH is widely recognized as an important leader in its field.

Some of Pappageorge Haymes Partners’s most prominent projects include:

• K2 Apartments, Chicago, Illinois
• ARC at Old Colony, Chicago, Illinois
• Christopher House Charter School, Chicago, Illinois
• 600 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois
• Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Pappageorge Haymes Partners achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

20. Krueck Sexton Partners

© Krueck Sexton Partners

Krueck Sexton Partners is a Chicago-based, nationally recognized architecture practice comprised of design professions dedicated to the realization of buildings that are reflective of our diverse clients. We work in close collaboration with industry-leading engineers and consultants, reinforcing an interdisciplinary and research-based studio culture. We have achieved a consistent design portfolio of the highest quality for over thirty years. Client participation is encouraged throughout a journey of discovery, when ideas and opportunities that best support the project goals begin to crystallize. This allows for the development of unique and specific solutions.

Some of Krueck Sexton Partners’ most prominent projects include:

• CME Center, Chicago, Illinois
• 1100 First Street, Washington, DC
• Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning & Leadership, Chicago, Illinois
• University of Chicago — Edward H. Levi Hall Portal, Chicago, Illinois
• ddd

The following statistics helped Krueck Sexton Partners achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

19. bKL Architecture

© bKL Architecture

bKL Architecture’s open studio environment encourages a spirited exchange of ideas. Our culturally diverse team brings together a broad range of skills, experiences and backgrounds to create a vibrant atmosphere and design process. At the center of our process is a focus on in-depth analysis, intensive experimentation and collaboration. Our team designs projects that only enrich sites and cities around the world in which we build.

Some of bKL Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• The St. Regis Chicago (Vista Tower), Chicago, Illinois
• GEMS World Academy-Chicago, Lower School, Chicago, Illinois
• Whitney Young Library Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
• Coast at Lakeshore East, Chicago, Illinois
• Wolf Point West, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped bKL Architecture achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

18. Cordogan Clark & Associates

© James Steinkamp Photography

We create great environments. We are a full service architecture, planning, and engineering firm with deep experience in academic, civic, and residential architecture. Our portfolio includes many innovative, first of their kind projects. We have extensive experience in the design and technical development of building systems and the management of complex projects. We maintain a special focus on architecture that supports and benefits community.

Some of Cordogan Clark & Associates’s most prominent projects include:

• 41st and 43rd Street Pedestrian Bridges Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
• Fay-Cooper Cole Hall, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
• Herget Middle School, Aurora, Illinois
• Ningbo Industrial Design and Creative Center, Ningbo, China
• Corporate Headquarters and Resort Hotel Zhuhai, China, Zhuhai, China

The following statistics helped Cordogan Clark & Associates achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

17. FGP atelier

© FGP atelier

Chicago-based global architecture firm FGP Atelier is changing the paradigm of what constitutes great architecture and building. Helmed by award-winning, Mexican-born architect Francisco Gonzalez Pulido (FGP), FGP Atelier was founded in September of 2017 following Gonzalez Pulido’s departure as partner and president of JAHN.

Some of FGP atelier’s most prominent projects include:

• Diablos Rojos Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
• Orchid Educational Pavilion, Oaxaca, Mexico
• LOT 41, Shanghai, China
• Facet, Shenzhen, China
• Starring by Ted Gibson, Los Angeles, California

The following statistics helped FGP atelier achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

16. Latent Design

© Latent Design

Latent Design is a Chicago based full service architecture firm and strategic design consultancy working at the intersection of design and community development to create social, economic and environmental impact beyond the building. We use design as a tool to make the invisible forces impacting a project at local and global levels; policy, culture, climate, economy, visible through architecture. We offer innovative design solutions to those in resource and budget limited environments through a participatory approach that leverages local assets to directly generate project opportunities. Our collaborations range from small-scale tactical interventions, new construction community buildings, adaptive reuse, neighborhood master plans and design speculations.

Latent Design is a registered Benefit Corporation in the State of Illinois and is required by law to create and demonstrate positive social impact to the community through our work.

Some of Latent Design’s most prominent projects include:

• Boombox Micro Retail, Chicago, Illinois
• Electrolux Meander Kitchen
• Demoiselle 2 Femme HOPE Center, Chicago, Illinois
• Chicago Women’s Health Center, Chicago, Illinois
• Jackson Flat, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Latent Design achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

15. Goettsch Partners

© Goettsch Partners

Goettsch Partners (GP) is an architecture firm with a global perspective. Based in Chicago, with additional offices in Denver and Shanghai, we share a singular approach to design that combines seasoned experience with a passion for exploration and innovation. Our completed and active projects span five continents and represent a diverse range of types and sizes.

Some of Goettsch Partners’s most prominent projects include:

• Lincoln Park Zoo Pepper Family Wildlife Center, Chicago, Illinois
• Mennica Legacy Tower, Warsaw, Poland
• 110 North Wacker , Chicago, Illinois
• Alcove, Nashville, Tennesse
• Abu Dhabi Global Market Square, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The following statistics helped Goettsch Partners achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

14. Partners By Design

© Partners By Design

As we mark our 30th year in business in 2023, Partners by Design continues to design and deliver powerful, one-of-a-kind spaces for our clients. Through our integrated approach, innovative solutions, and diversified suite of services (Interiors, Architecture, Spark Environmental Branding, and VIZfire Architectural Visualization), all under one roof, we continue to be an industry leader through our innovation, technology integration, and thought leadership on the direction and formation of new space typologies.

Our client-centric process driven by research and grounded in data, gives us a deep understanding of human behavior and what our clients face every day. Utilizing this behavioral understanding directly correlates to successful placemaking design and delivery.

Some of Partners By Design’s most prominent projects include:

• Mead Johnson Nutrition, Chicago, Illinois
• Color Factory, Chicago, Illinois
• Vizient, United States
• CCC Intelligent Solutions, Chicago, Illinois
• JBG Smith, Bethesda, Maryland

The following statistics helped Partners By Design achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

13. SCB

© Darris Lee Harris Photography

SCB is an architecture, planning, interior and urban design firm. Founded in Chicago in 1931, SCB provides design services from four locations across the US. SCB is at the forefront of dense urban living, innovative workplaces, inspiring learning environments, resilient infrastructure, and vibrant communities. Through the collective impact of nearly a century of work, the firm has made an indelible mark on the contemporary landscape.

Some of SCB’s most prominent projects include:

• Academic and Residential Complex at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
• Vital Proteins, Chicago, Illinois
• Tribune Tower Conversion, Chicago, Illinois
• 55 Ninth, San Francisco, California
• Institute for Environmental Sustainability, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped SCB achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

12. JAHN

© JAHN

JAHN is a unique architectural firm conceived to meet the challenges posed by the new millennium. Under the leadership of Helmut Jahn the firm has grown and evolved steadily from the original practice founded in 1937 by Charles F. Murphy, Sr. out of a tradition started with Daniel H. Burnham. The firm has carried the name Murphy/Jahn from 1979 to 2012 and is now known simply as JAHN. We believe our commitment to this balance is fundamental to the successful translation from architectural concept into built reality. We are committed to creating forward reaching buildings, which will endure the test of time and become a source of pride in the minds of owners, users, communities, and ourselves.

Some of JAHN’s most prominent projects include:

• Leatop Plaza, Zhejiang, China
• Joe and Rika Mansueto Library, Chicago, Illinois
• Joe and Rika Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
• Highlight Towers, München, Germany
• HEGAU TOWER, Singen, Germany

The following statistics helped JAHN achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

11. Jacobs Ryan Associates

© Jacobs Ryan Associates, Mikyoung Kim Design

Jacobs/Ryan Associates combines knowledge, conceptual thinking and attention to detail to produce enduring landscapes. The firm believes three fundamentals are important to the success of all landscape projects: design, technology and management. Each plays a critical part in making the finished landscape meet the client’s expectations.

While we are known for our designs and aim for beauty in every finished product, we also believe form should follow function. We take advantage of technological advances that will improve both the process and outcome of a project, whether the concern is aesthetic, functional, ecological or economic. We rely on time-tested approaches to many landscape solutions because what has worked well may not need changing. We manage every project closely, giving it our focused, personal attention. Every project is assigned a partner who plays an active role in the day-to-day events of the project.

Some of Jacobs Ryan Associates’ most prominent projects include:

• Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, Illinois
• Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, Illinois
• Ford Calumet Environmental Center, Chicago, Illinois
• Searle Visitor Center, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois
• Palos Community Hospital Landscape, Palos Heights, Illinois

The following statistics helped Jacobs Ryan Associates achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

10. Hoerr Schaudt

© Perkins&Will

At Hoerr Schaudt, we design beautiful, purposeful gardens that connect people, site, and season. Gardens elicit joy, soothe our souls, and become places where we interact with each other and the world around us. Drawing upon centuries of time-honored tradition, our work layers botanical silhouettes to shape space and create settings that artfully blend the natural and built environments be it a residence, streetscape, campus, city park, or botanical garden.

Based in Chicago, with offices in Kansas City and Los Angeles, Hoerr Schaudt continues its 30-year mission to make gardens that thrive and delight.

Some of Hoerr Schaudt’s most prominent projects include:

• CME Center, Chicago, Illinois
• Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Des Moines, Iowa
• The Gary Comer Youth Center, Chicago, Illinois
• Mountain Modern, Colorado
• Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

The following statistics helped Hoerr Schaudt achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

9. STLarchitects

© STLarchitects

STLarchitects is an internationally recognized architectural and design firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm is dedicated to the creation of architecture of exceptional quality, consistently navigating the delicate equilibrium between pragmatic considerations and idealistic aspirations. This commitment is manifest in the deliberate integration of essential attributes inherent in exemplary architectural endeavors, including the judicious manipulation of light and space, the meticulous orchestration of proportion and volume, the imposition of order and hierarchy, and the nuanced application of color and texture.

Some of STLarchitects’s most prominent projects include:

• Gwangju Library, Gwangju, South Korea
• National Museum of Korean Literature, Seoul, South Korea
• Jinju National Museum, Jinju-si, South Korea
• Korean Museum of Urbanism and Architecture, South Korea
• Indore School Design, Indore, India

The following statistics helped STLarchitects achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

8. JGMA

© JGMA

JGMA is a progressive architecture and design practice committed to active community involvement and the enrichment of peoples’ lives through the attentive and dynamic organization of space and materiality. We understand that quality design has a unique ability to influence civic life and transform communities.

We proudly consider ourselves innovators in the field of architecture and are dedicated to formulating consistently unique solutions to every design opportunity. Our work is conceptually driven but exhibits the highest level of quality at every stage of design, construction, and occupancy. JGMA is led by the firm’s president, Juan Gabriel Moreno, and is supported by a talented team of experienced architectural professionals.

Some of JGMA’s most prominent projects include:

• Uno Soccer Academy, Chicago, Illinois
• Richard J. Daley College Campus, Chicago, Illinois
• Esperanza Health Centers, Chicago, Illinois
• Westfield Old Orchard Glass Cube, Skokie, Illinois
• Northeastern Illinois University – El Centro, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped JGMA achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

7. Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

© James Steinkamp Photography

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture is dedicated to the design of high-performance, energy-efficient and sustainable architecture on an international scale. The firm approaches each project, regardless of size or scale, with an understanding that architecture has a unique power to influence civic life. We strive to create designs that aid society, advance modern technology, sustain the environment and inspire those around us to improve our world. Our office is dedicated to the creation of new paradigms for sustainable development.

Some of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Waldorf Astoria Beijing, Beijing, China
• Al Wasl Plaza, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Steppenwolf Theatre Campus Expansion, Chicago, Illinois
• Federation of Korean Industries, Seoul, South Korea
• Chengdu Greenland Tower, Chengdu, China

The following statistics helped Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

6. Valerio Dewalt Train

© Tom Harris Photography

Valerio Dewalt Train is a 50 person national architectural and design practice with offices in Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; and San Francisco, California. Since 1994, the firm has based its practice on the simple idea that whatever the question, design is the answer. But we also believe that before an answer can be provided, one has to do the research to make sure the question is understood.

As designers, we take a research-based approach to the design process; it is immersive and specific. This process allows us to explore the client’s DNA, user profile, research best practices and discover early on what sustainable strategies should be integrated in the project.

Some of Valerio Dewalt Train’s most prominent projects include:

• Vue53, Chicago, Illinois
• The YouTube Lobby, San Bruno, California
• Ford Calumet Environmental Center, Chicago, Illinois
• 1098 Alta, Mountain View, California
• Gordon Parks Arts Hall – University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Valerio Dewalt Train achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

5. Ross Barney Architects

© Ross Barney Architects

Ross Barney Architects is a Chicago-based architecture and urban design studio. Established by Carol Ross Barney, the studio occupies a unique place within the panorama of contemporary practice that is characterized by a reputation for work in the public realm. From community buildings to campus buildings for premier academic and research institutions, to groundbreaking transit stations that connect vibrant neighborhoods, Ross Barney Architects has produced distinctive structures that have become community icons.

The studio’s ideas and projects have been recognized by entities and publications from around the world. Ross Barney Architects’ work has been exhibited in Chicago, New York, Washington D.C.

Some of Ross Barney Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, Illinois
• McDonald’s Global Flagship Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
• McDonald’s Chicago Flagship, Chicago, Illinois
• Railyard Park, Rogers, Arkansas
• CTA Cermak-McCormick Place Station , Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Ross Barney Architects achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

4. Wheeler Kearns Architects

© Wheeler Kearns Architects

Wheeler Kearns is a collective practice of architects. We work with people who seek to enrich their lives in spaces that embody their purpose, energy and vision.

When a space we design resonates with your deepest intention, it has a lasting and powerful impact. As we work with you, we devote all our energies to understanding your core purpose, the transformation you seek, your mission. We want to see your challenge through your eyes. Doing this guides us to what we call the “emotional center,” the heart around which your entire project revolves. We return to that central idea as we craft concepts, help you make decisions, and refine our responses to those choices.

Some of Wheeler Kearns Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• North Lawndale Employment Network, Chicago, Illinois
• Clearwater Lake Retreat, Clearwater Lake, Wisconsin
• Intrinsic School, Chicago, Illinois
• The Night Ministry, Chicago, Illinois
• Art Institute of Chicago – Ryan Learning Center Renovation, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Wheeler Kearns Architects achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

3. Perkins&Will

© Perkins&Will

Perkins&Will, an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm, was founded in 1935 on the belief that design has the power to transform lives. Guided by its core values — design excellence, diversity and inclusion, living design, research, resilience, social purpose, sustainability and well-being — the firm is committed to designing a better, more beautiful world. Metropolis named Perkins&Will “Firm of the Year” in 2022 for its industry leadership in advancing climate action and social justice.

With an international team of more than 2,000 professionals, the firm has over 20 studios worldwide, providing integrated services in architecture, interior design, branded environments, urban design, and landscape architecture.

Some of Perkins&Will’s most prominent projects include:

• MIT Site 4, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Billerica Memorial High School, Billerica, Massachusetts
• First Year student Village
• The Exchange at 100 Federal, Boston, Massachusetts
• University of California, San Francisco, Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building, San Francisco, California
• Featured image: The St. Regis Chicago (Vista Tower), Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Perkins&Will achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

2. Studio Gang

© Studio Gang

Founded and led by Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang is an architecture and urban design practice headquartered in Chicago with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Paris. We work as a collective of more than 100 architects, designers, and planners, using design as a medium to connect people to each other, to their communities, and to the environment. We collaborate closely with our clients, expert consultants, and specialists from a wide range of fields to design and realize innovative projects at multiple scales: architecture, urbanism, interiors, and exhibitions.

Some of Studio Gang’s most prominent projects include:

• Writers Theatre, Glencoe, Illinois
• Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, New York City, New York
• Solar Carve (40 Tenth Ave), New York City, New York
• Beloit College Powerhouse, Beloit, Wisconsin
• WMS Boathouse at Clark Park, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Studio Gang achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

1. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

© Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is an influential collective of architects, designers, engineers and planners, responsible for some of the world’s most technically and environmentally advanced buildings, and significant public spaces. From a strategic regional plan to a single piece of furniture, SOM’s designs anticipate change in the way we live, work and communicate, and have brought lasting value to communities around the world. The firm’s approach is highly collaborative, and its interdisciplinary team is engaged on a wide range of international projects, with creative studios based across the globe.

Some of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)’s most prominent projects include:

• Poly International Plaza, Beijing, China
• Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru — Terminal 2, Bengaluru, India
• P.S. 62 The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability, Staten Island, New York
• JTI Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
• Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2, Mumbai, India

The following statistics helped Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago:

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

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

• Project completed within the last 3 years
• A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
• Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
• High quality, in focus photographs
• At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
• Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
• Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

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