2009 was a year many working in the Southeast’s construction and design industry would rather forget. While contractors of all types certainly suffered, many architects and other designers felt the pain just as intensely, as the number of business opportunities fell away with the receding markets. At the same time, some engineers and other designers were able to keep busy last year with projects that moved forward as the result of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.
Overall, however, it’s not surprising to find that this year’s Top Design Firms ranking shows a significant decline from a year ago. Last year, Southeast Construction’s annual design ranking included 90 firms and a cumulative total of about $3.8 billion in regional design revenues for 2008. The revenue total for this year’s ranking, which measures 2009 business activity, is down to roughly $2.9 billion.