New York-based Perkins Eastman and Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, two international design and architecture firms have announced that they will be merging their practices, totaling nearly 600 employees.

EE&K specializes in the conceptualization and design of large-scale mixed-use urban projects and brings a 50-year record of innovative educational facility design, a distinguished portfolio of historic preservation and adaptive reuse as well as a growing practice in China and Vietnam. Perkins Eastman is one of the top architectural firms in the world and will bring added strength to EE&K’s core interests including campus planning and building design, according to Stan Eckstut, Chairman of EE&K. The firms will consolidate their New York, Washington DC and China practices.

“This merger will be transformative for both practices, and will create an international firm with expanded reach, enhanced capabilities, and value for our clients,” said Bradford Perkins, Chairman of Perkins Eastman.