Architects in the United States shape the buildings, campuses, workplaces, hospitals, schools, airports, homes, cultural spaces, and mixed-use districts that define American cities and communities. Their work goes far beyond drawing attractive buildings. Architects help clients turn ideas into buildable, code-compliant, financially realistic, sustainable, and human-centered spaces.
The U.S. architecture market is large, competitive, and highly specialized. Some firms lead in corporate interiors and workplace strategy. Others dominate healthcare, education, airports, hospitality, residential towers, cultural buildings, sports venues, science facilities, urban design, or sustainable design. This makes choosing the right architect a strategic decision, not just a design choice.
Demand for architectural services is being shaped by several major trends: adaptive reuse, healthcare modernization, campus planning, housing demand, climate resilience, data centers, mixed-use redevelopment, sustainability, and changing workplace needs. At the same time, clients face cost pressure, permitting delays, labor shortages, zoning complexity, and higher expectations for energy performance.
Architectural Record’s 2025 Top 300 U.S. Architecture Firms ranking placed Gensler and Perkins&Will in the top two positions for the sixth consecutive year, with Gensler reporting $1.86 billion in architecture revenue and Perkins&Will reporting $720 million based on 2024 data.
This guide profiles leading Architects in the United States, explains what they do, highlights industry trends, and gives buyers practical guidance for selecting the right architecture firm.
Industry Overview: Architects in the United States
Architecture in the United States includes design firms, planning studios, interior design practices, landscape architecture firms, healthcare design specialists, residential architects, commercial architects, urban designers, and multidisciplinary architecture-engineering firms.
Architectural services may include concept design, feasibility studies, master planning, schematic design, design development, construction documents, permitting support, sustainability consulting, interior design, space planning, code analysis, construction administration, and post-occupancy evaluation.
Licensing is state-based. NCARB explains that the United States does not have one national architecture license; architects must be licensed by the board in the state or jurisdiction where they practice. Requirements typically include education, experience, and examination.
The strongest architecture firms combine design creativity with technical discipline. They understand codes, zoning, building systems, construction costs, environmental performance, accessibility, materials, and user experience. Large projects often require close coordination with engineers, contractors, owners, consultants, regulators, and communities.
Ranking Methodology
This directory evaluates architecture firms based on reputation, revenue ranking, design influence, sector expertise, geographic reach, public visibility, innovation, sustainability, project portfolio, and buyer usefulness.
The list includes major U.S. architecture firms and multidisciplinary design practices recognized for commercial, healthcare, education, civic, residential, hospitality, science, technology, workplace, and urban projects.
Best Architects in the United States
Gensler
Overview
Gensler is the largest and most recognized architecture and design firm in the United States. The firm provides architecture, design, planning, and consulting services through a global network of offices. Gensler says it has more than 6,000 people across 57 offices in 16 countries.
Services Offered
Architecture, interior design, workplace strategy, urban design, planning, brand design, consulting, sustainability, hospitality design, aviation design, retail design, and mixed-use development.
Industries Served
Commercial real estate, corporate workplaces, aviation, hospitality, retail, education, technology, civic, residential, sports, and urban development.
Notable Projects
Gensler’s New York office lists projects including New Terminal One at JFK Airport, Jackie Robinson Museum, Pearl House, IBM New York City Flagship, and Google at St. John’s Terminal.
Competitive Advantages
Gensler’s advantage is scale, market intelligence, workplace expertise, and global design reach.
Headquarters
San Francisco, California.
Website
gensler.com
Why It Stands Out
Gensler stands out for corporate, commercial, aviation, workplace, mixed-use, and large urban design projects.
Perkins&Will
Overview
Perkins&Will is one of America’s most influential architecture and design firms, known for healthcare, education, civic, workplace, science, technology, and sustainable design. It ranked second in Architectural Record’s 2025 U.S. architecture revenue list.
Services Offered
Architecture, interior design, planning, urban design, branded environments, sustainability consulting, healthcare design, education design, and research-based design.
Industries Served
Healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, civic, corporate workplace, science, technology, culture, and urban development.
Notable Projects
Perkins&Will has designed major healthcare, university, civic, workplace, and science facilities across the United States and globally.
Competitive Advantages
Its advantage is research-led design, sustainability depth, and strong institutional-sector experience.
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois.
Website
perkinswill.com
Why It Stands Out
Perkins&Will stands out for healthcare, education, civic, science, workplace, and sustainable architecture.
HKS
Overview
HKS is a major U.S. architecture firm known for healthcare, hospitality, sports, commercial, residential, education, and urban design. It is one of the most prominent firms in large-scale building design, especially in sectors requiring technical and user-focused planning.
Services Offered
Architecture, interior design, master planning, urban design, health design, hospitality design, sports design, workplace design, and advisory services.
Industries Served
Healthcare, sports, hospitality, commercial, residential, education, aviation, civic, and mixed-use development.
Notable Projects
HKS has designed major hospitals, stadiums, hotels, residential towers, and commercial developments across the United States and internationally.
Competitive Advantages
Its advantage is experience in technically complex, high-profile building types.
Headquarters
Dallas, Texas.
Website
hksinc.com
Why It Stands Out
HKS stands out for healthcare, sports, hospitality, and large mixed-use architecture.
Perkins Eastman
Overview
Perkins Eastman is a major architecture, planning, and design firm with strong experience in education, senior living, healthcare, residential, civic, hospitality, and urban design.
Services Offered
Architecture, planning, interior design, urban design, education design, senior living design, healthcare design, residential design, and sustainability consulting.
Industries Served
Education, healthcare, senior living, residential, civic, hospitality, culture, and mixed-use development.
Notable Projects
The firm has worked on major schools, universities, senior living communities, healthcare facilities, and urban projects.
Competitive Advantages
Its strength is human-centered design across education, housing, senior living, and civic sectors.
Headquarters
New York City, New York.
Website
perkinseastman.com
Why It Stands Out
Perkins Eastman stands out for education, senior living, healthcare, residential, and civic projects.
HOK
Overview
HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a strong U.S. presence. It is known for commercial buildings, airports, sports facilities, healthcare, science, technology, civic, and sustainable design.
Services Offered
Architecture, engineering, interior design, planning, workplace strategy, sustainability consulting, aviation design, sports design, healthcare design, and urban design.
Industries Served
Aviation, sports, healthcare, science, technology, commercial, civic, education, government, and corporate clients.
Notable Projects
HOK has designed major airports, sports venues, laboratories, corporate headquarters, and civic buildings.
Competitive Advantages
HOK’s advantage is multidisciplinary design, technical depth, and experience with complex global projects.
Headquarters
St. Louis, Missouri.
Website
hok.com
Why It Stands Out
HOK stands out for aviation, sports, science, healthcare, commercial, and large civic architecture.
SOM
Overview
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, commonly known as SOM, is one of the most respected architecture and engineering firms in the United States. It is known for skyscrapers, urban design, structural innovation, commercial towers, civic projects, transportation hubs, and master planning.
Services Offered
Architecture, structural engineering, urban design, planning, interior design, sustainability, high-rise design, and infrastructure-related design.
Industries Served
Commercial real estate, civic, transportation, mixed-use, culture, education, government, residential, and urban development.
Notable Projects
SOM is associated with many landmark towers and major urban projects in the United States and globally.
Competitive Advantages
Its advantage is architectural prestige combined with structural engineering and high-rise expertise.
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois.
Website
som.com
Why It Stands Out
SOM stands out for skyscrapers, civic buildings, urban design, and technically ambitious architecture.
HDR
Overview
HDR is a major employee-owned architecture, engineering, and consulting firm. It is especially strong in healthcare, civic, science, education, transportation, water, and public infrastructure. HDR is often chosen for projects where architecture must integrate with engineering and technical systems.
Services Offered
Architecture, engineering, planning, interior design, healthcare design, science design, civic design, transportation design, environmental services, and construction services.
Industries Served
Healthcare, education, civic, science, transportation, water, government, energy, and infrastructure.
Notable Projects
HDR has designed hospitals, research facilities, civic buildings, transportation facilities, and public infrastructure projects across the United States.
Competitive Advantages
Its advantage is integration of architecture and engineering under one multidisciplinary platform.
Headquarters
Omaha, Nebraska.
Website
hdrinc.com
Why It Stands Out
HDR stands out for healthcare, civic, science, infrastructure, and technically complex public projects.
Corgan
Overview
Corgan is a U.S. architecture and design firm known for aviation, data centers, commercial interiors, education, healthcare, and workplace projects. It has become especially relevant as airports and mission-critical facilities expand.
Services Offered
Architecture, interior design, aviation design, data center design, workplace design, education design, healthcare design, planning, and sustainability.
Industries Served
Aviation, data centers, commercial workplace, education, healthcare, corporate, and technology clients.
Notable Projects
Corgan has worked on major airport, data center, education, workplace, and commercial projects.
Competitive Advantages
Its advantage is specialization in aviation and data centers, two of the most active U.S. building markets.
Headquarters
Dallas, Texas.
Website
corgan.com
Why It Stands Out
Corgan stands out for aviation, mission-critical, workplace, and education architecture.
NBBJ
Overview
NBBJ is a major architecture and design firm known for healthcare, science, workplace, education, technology, and urban projects. It is especially strong in research-based design and large institutional work.
Services Offered
Architecture, planning, interior design, workplace strategy, healthcare design, science design, urban design, and experience design.
Industries Served
Healthcare, technology, education, science, commercial, civic, and workplace clients.
Notable Projects
NBBJ has worked on healthcare campuses, technology workplaces, research facilities, and institutional buildings.
Competitive Advantages
Its advantage is research-driven design for complex organizations.
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington.
Website
nbbj.com
Why It Stands Out
NBBJ stands out for healthcare, technology, science, and workplace projects.
CannonDesign
Overview
CannonDesign is an integrated architecture, engineering, and consulting firm known for healthcare, education, science, commercial, sports, and civic projects. It combines design services with strategy, engineering, and advisory capabilities.
Services Offered
Architecture, engineering, interior design, planning, healthcare design, education design, science design, strategy, sustainability, and consulting.
Industries Served
Healthcare, education, science, commercial, sports, civic, and institutional clients.
Notable Projects
CannonDesign has worked on hospitals, university buildings, science facilities, civic spaces, and institutional campuses.
Competitive Advantages
Its advantage is integrated design and consulting, especially for mission-driven institutions.
Headquarters
New York City, New York.
Website
cannondesign.com
Why It Stands Out
CannonDesign stands out for healthcare, education, science, civic, and institutional architecture.
Industry Trends Affecting Architects
Adaptive Reuse
Many U.S. cities are converting outdated offices, warehouses, malls, schools, and industrial buildings into housing, hotels, laboratories, mixed-use spaces, or civic facilities.
Sustainable Design
Clients increasingly expect lower energy use, better materials, climate resilience, embodied carbon awareness, and green building certification support.
Healthcare Modernization
Hospitals and clinics need flexible, technology-ready spaces that support patient care, staff efficiency, infection control, and future expansion.
Workplace Transformation
Hybrid work has changed office design. Architects now focus on collaboration, flexibility, employee experience, amenities, and space efficiency.
Housing and Mixed-Use Development
Housing shortages and urban redevelopment are increasing demand for multifamily, affordable housing, transit-oriented development, and mixed-use planning.
Digital Design
BIM, digital twins, AI-assisted design, parametric modeling, visualization, and performance simulation are changing how architects design and coordinate projects.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose Architects
Match the Firm to the Project Type
Choose an architect with direct experience in your sector. A hospital, airport, school, hotel, office tower, home, laboratory, and apartment project all require different expertise.
Confirm Licensing
Architecture licensing is state-based. Confirm that the architect or firm has licensed professionals authorized to practice in the project location.
Review Similar Projects
Ask for comparable completed projects by size, budget, location, building type, and complexity.
Understand the Scope
Clarify whether the architect will provide concept design, construction documents, permitting, interior design, engineering coordination, bidding support, and construction administration.
Ask About Budget Discipline
Good architects design with cost awareness. Ask how the firm works with estimators, contractors, and owners to keep design aligned with budget.
Watch for Red Flags
Red flags include weak sector experience, unclear fees, poor communication, vague deliverables, no licensed professional identified, unrealistic schedules, and limited construction-phase support.
Why Architects Matter in the United States
Architects shape how people live, work, learn, heal, travel, and gather. Their decisions affect safety, accessibility, energy use, construction cost, property value, comfort, identity, and long-term building performance.
Good architecture can strengthen communities, improve public services, support business productivity, reduce operating costs, and create spaces that last. Poor design can lead to cost overruns, inefficient buildings, code problems, maintenance issues, and user dissatisfaction.
As the United States faces housing needs, climate risks, healthcare demands, workplace change, and infrastructure renewal, architects will remain central to responsible development.
Conclusion
The leading Architects in the United States include Gensler, Perkins&Will, HKS, Perkins Eastman, HOK, SOM, HDR, Corgan, NBBJ, and CannonDesign. Each firm has different strengths. Gensler leads in scale and workplace design. Perkins&Will is strong in sustainability, healthcare, education, and civic work. HKS is known for healthcare, sports, and hospitality. HOK and SOM bring global design depth. HDR and CannonDesign are strong in healthcare and institutional projects. Corgan is highly relevant for aviation and data centers. NBBJ is strong in healthcare, technology, and science.
For buyers, the best architect is not always the largest firm. It is the firm with the right experience, licensed professionals, communication style, technical discipline, design vision, and ability to deliver within budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Architects in the United States?
Some of the best-known Architects in the United States include Gensler, Perkins&Will, HKS, Perkins Eastman, HOK, SOM, HDR, Corgan, NBBJ, and CannonDesign. The best choice depends on project type. A hospital, airport, office tower, home, school, laboratory, hotel, or mixed-use project requires different design experience.
Who is the largest architecture firm in the United States?
Gensler is widely recognized as the largest architecture firm in the United States by architecture revenue. Architectural Record’s 2025 Top 300 list reported Gensler at No. 1 with $1.86 billion in architecture revenue, followed by Perkins&Will at No. 2.
What does an architect do?
An architect plans, designs, documents, and helps deliver buildings and spaces. Services may include concept design, feasibility studies, master planning, code review, construction drawings, permitting support, interior coordination, sustainability planning, consultant coordination, bidding assistance, and construction administration.
Do architects need a license in the United States?
Yes. Architects are licensed by state or jurisdiction, not through one national license. NCARB explains that each of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions sets its own requirements, usually involving education, experience, and examination.
How do I choose an architecture firm?
Choose an architecture firm based on relevant project experience, licensing, portfolio quality, communication, technical ability, budget discipline, fee clarity, and construction-phase support. Ask who will lead the project and whether the firm has completed similar buildings in your state or city.
Are large architecture firms better than small firms?
Not always. Large firms are useful for complex hospitals, airports, campuses, towers, and multi-location programs. Small or boutique firms may be better for custom homes, local commercial projects, restaurants, interiors, and highly personalized design. The best choice depends on scope, budget, and design goals.
How much do architects charge in the United States?
Architect fees vary by project type, size, complexity, location, and scope. Fees may be fixed, hourly, percentage-based, or phase-based. A simple renovation may cost far less in design fees than a hospital, school, tower, or laboratory. Buyers should request a clear written proposal.
What is the difference between an architect and an interior designer?
Architects are licensed to design buildings and address structure, codes, life safety, accessibility, permits, and construction documents. Interior designers focus on interior spaces, finishes, furniture, layouts, lighting, and user experience. Many large firms provide both services.
When should I hire an architect?
Hire an architect early, before major site, budget, or construction decisions are locked in. Early involvement helps with feasibility, zoning, code issues, design strategy, budgeting, consultant coordination, and permitting. Waiting too long can lead to redesigns and delays.
What are warning signs of a weak architect?
Warning signs include poor communication, unclear fees, no licensed professional identified, weak experience in your building type, vague deliverables, unrealistic schedules, poor budget awareness, and limited construction support. A strong architect should explain design, cost, code, and delivery risks clearly.
Read Also: Quantity Surveyors in the United States
