More than a trend, green design is an institution in the tri-state area. Universities, hospitals and other institutional clients are the main drivers of local large-scale sustainable projects. Fortunately for design firms, many of those sectors held up relatively well during the downturn as private clients retreated from development plans or were held back by limited financing.
Still, 2010 wasn't without struggles. This year's Top 20 Green Design Firms list, based on green project revenue earned in 2010, tallied a combined $254 million in fees from green projects—a more than 17% drop from the $307 million collected by the top 20 firms in 2009. HDR had reported $77.5 million in fees from green design work on last year's list—more revenue than the top two firms on this year's list combined.