What are the largest firms in the World?

As every year Building Design Online publish the annual survey of the world's in terms of fee income and employees.

In 2023, the top positions remain more or less unchanged compared to the previous years. Thus, on the podium of the largest architecture firms in the World, we can find Gensler (#1) HDR (#2) Nikkei Sekkei (#3) Sweco (#4) and AECOM (#5).

Art , along with his wife Drue Gensler and their associate James Follett, founded the firm in 1965. They originally focused on corporate interiors, pioneering interiors for newly constructed office buildings. The architecture firm has since diversified into numerous forms of architecture and design, including commercial office buildings, retail centers, airports, education facilities, entertainment complexes, planning and urban design, mission-critical facilities, consulting, brand design, and other areas

HDR, second largest architecture firm in the World, is an employee-owned design firm, specializing in engineering, architecture, environmental, and construction services. HDR works on projects in all 50 U.S. states and in 60 countries all over the World.

At the third place, , the renowned Japanese architecture firm based in Tokyo founded more than 115 years ago. They developed into a professional service firm in architecture, city planning and environmental fields with more than 1,300 staff employees.

is an American multinational engineering firm, recently moved and headquartered in Los Angeles. They provide design, consulting, construction, and management services to an ever increasing number of clients. (They are one of the first architecture firms we visited during our educational tours!)

Sweco, listed in our “best architecture firms in Sweden” is the only one based in Europe amongst the Largest architecture firms in the World. The Swedish architecture firm has broad experience in architecture, design, urban planning and construction. Founded in 1958, they are today more than 1,200 architects working from offices in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Poland, Belgium and Norway. With the combined strength of Sweco's 17,000 experts within architecture, engineering and environmental services, they can take on your project from design and planning to construction and site supervision. Sweco act in small teams close to you to ensure professional excellence in every project – no matter size. It's about creating value through architecture – to ensure a high quality of life in healthy cities by high-end design of places, spaces and buildings. Together with their clients, Sweco transforms communities and cities towards a sustainable future and reduced environmental impact.

sweco best architecture firms in sweden

Courtesy: Sweco

After the American and Asian hegemony, we can find other European architecture firms after the 18th ranking position: the Austrian architecture company  (#15), (#18) and HPP Architekten (#20), who attended to our LE3DERS exhibition during Milan Design Week 2022, both listed in our “Best architecture firms in Germany“. British architecture firm such as , BDP, Zaha Hadid Architects,  andChapman Taylor, listed amongst the largest architecture firms in the UK, are in position number #22, #24, #31, #43 and #47.

The first architecture firm from Norway is (32#). Their disciplines include architecture, interior design, landscape design and urban planning. This diverse expertise covers all areas of architecture, from the planning of extensive urban developments to product design. Amongst the largest architecture firms in the World we can even find in the ranking position number #44 , listed in our best architecture firms in Spain with the emerging Morph Estudio ranked #81. The largest French architecture firm is Arep (#36). DSP Design Associates is the largest architecture practice in India.

Courtesy: Link arkitektur

The renowned Dutch architecture firm and the Danish , are no longer amongst the biggest 100 architecture firms.

The largest architecture firms in the World in terms of turnover and employees are:

2023 rank Company name Country Employees Fee income (US$)
1 Gensler US 3,069 1bn-1.5bn
2 HDR US 1,404 500m-599m
3 Nikken Sekkei Japan 1,342 600m-699m
4 Sweco Sweden 1,297 170m-179m
5 Aecom US 1,236 380m-389m
6 Perkins Eastman US 832 270m-279m
7 Haeahn Architecture South Korea 741 140m-149m
8 Heerim Architects & Planners South Korea 727 170m-179m
9 DLR Group US 712 340m-349m
10 HKS US 707 290m-299m
11 US 705 220m-229m
12 Aedas China 684 220m-229m
13 Surbana Jurong Singapore 677 100m-109m
14 SmithGroup US 670 250m-259m
15 ATP Architects Engineers Austria 591 130m-139m
16 Tianhua China 589 280m-289m
17 Nihon Sekkei Japan 575 150m-159m
18 GMP Architekten Germany 541 90m-99m
19 Stantec Canada 536 330m-339m
20 HPP Architekten Germany 529 50m-59m
21 ZGF Architects US 484 140m-149m
22 Foster + Partners UK 483 310m-319m
23 HOK US 464 290m-299m
24 BDP UK 447 90m-99m
25 Lacime Architects China 430 270m-279m
26 Kume Sekkei Japan 419 110m-119m
27 Mitsubishi Jisho Design Japan 411 160m-169m
28 NBBJ US 410 250m-259m
29 LWK + Partners China 400 90m-99m
30 Azusa Sekkei Japan 398 80m-89m
31 Zaha Hadid Architects UK 371 70m-79m
32 Link Arkitektur Norway 352 60m-69m
33 Kunwon South Korea 351 100m-109m
34 National Engineering Bureau UAE 346 60m-69m
35 DLN Architects China 335
36 Arep France 315 60m-69m
36 Lemay Canada 315 100m-109m
38 PBK Architects US 313 170m-179m
39 Ehaf Consulting Engineers UAE 300 70m-79m
40 Aidea Philippines 295 10m-19m
41 Dewan Architects + Engineers UAE 294 60m-69m
42 Allford Hall Monaghan Morris UK 291 50m-59m
43 10 Design China 282 60m-69m
44 Idom Spain 280 50m-59m
45 Wong Tung & Partners China 276 50m-59m
46 P&T Group China 271 110m-119m
47 Chapman Taylor UK 268 40m-49m
47 Ronald Lu & Partners China 268 60m-69m
49 GHDWoodhead Australia 261 70m-79m
50 DSP Design Associates India 245 20m-29m
51 AXS Satow Japan 221 40m-49m
52 Wilmotte & Associés France 218 40m-49m
53 Lead8 China 217 40m-49m
54 C.F. Møller Denmark 216 40m-49m
55 KEO International Consultants Kuwait 214 150m-159m
56 Antao China 192 20m-29m
56 Corgan US 192 140m-149m
58 Itten+Brechbühl Switzerland 188 50m-59m
59 Leigh & Orange China 184 30m-39m
60 UK 183 30m-39m
61 Archetype Group Vietnam 182 20m-29m
61 Aukett Swanke UK 182 20m-29m
63 Jaspers-Eyers Architects Belgium 180 20m-29m
63 Visionarch Philippines 180 5m-9m
65 B+H Architects Canada 175 50m-59m
66 Valode & Pistre Architectes France 165 30m-39m
67 Morphogenesis India 159 5m-9m
68 Saota South Africa 155 10m-19m
69 CP Kukreja Architects India 150 5m-9m
69 JZFZ Architectural Design Co China 150 200m-209m
71 PM Group Ireland 147 30m-39m
71 Italy 147 30m-39m
73 SSH Bahrain 140 50m-59m
74 ASYA Philippines 138 5m-9m
74 Sikka Associates India 138 5m-9m
76 UK 136 20m-29m
77 Purcell UK 132 20m-29m
78 Henn Germany 131 60m-69m
79 France 128 20m-29m
80 Stride Treglown UK 127 10m-19m
81 Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios UK 112 10m-19m
81 Hyphen UK 112 20m-29m
81 Morph Estudio Spain 112 5m-9m
84 PRP UK 105 20m-29m
85 Diamond Schmitt Architects Canada 103 40m-49m
86 UK 101 20m-29m
87 Hames Sharley Australia 81 10m-19m
87 Sanjay Puri Architects India 81 Under 5m
89 AHR UK 79 10m-19m
89 Boogertman + Partners South Africa 79 10m-19m
91 Buckley Gray Yeoman UK 71 10m-19m
92 Gulf Consult Kuwait 59 30m-39m
93 GFP Architects Philippines 56 Under 5m
94 Fentress Architects US 45 30m-39m
95 Shanghai Jund Architects Co China 41 10m-19m
96 WTA Architecture and Design Studio Philippines 37 Under 5m
97 Smallwood US 27 20m-29m
98 Arch-Age Design China 25
99 Plan Associates Thailand 18 Under 5m
100 Albert Kahn Associates US 15
Source: Building Design Online | 2023 update

Here below you can find all our other selections of top architecture companies in the World and in Europe:

Cover image: ©Gensler / Ryan Gobuty