The market for design in the U.S. and around the world is as strong as it has ever been and large design firms are reaping the bounty. But with the strong market come challenges that are promising to bring significant changes to the industry as firms struggle to cope with the climbing volume of work, staffing issues, new client demands and a shift toward a more sustainable building model.
The scope of the current construction boom can be measured by the huge surge in revenue from design. The ENR Top 500 Design Firms as a group generated $69.61 billion in design revenue in 2006, 17.5% above the $59.25 billion level they achieved in 2005 and 31.4% over 2004, when the Top 500 garnered $52.99 billion. The Top 500 enjoyed volume increases both domestically and abroad. The Top 500 revenue level from projects in the U.S. reached $54.72 billion in 2006, up 15.5% from 2005, while design revenue from work outside the U.S. topped out at $14.89 billion, up 25.7% over 2005.