The industry may be slowly working its way out of a slump but at least one design firm, Gensler, managed to move a whole lot faster than that, boosting year-over-year regional revenue 29% to $112 million. Such growth—which moved the firm up three notches to 5th place this year in ENR New York's ranking of the region's top design firms—is also one of the reasons why ENR regional editors chose Gensler as Design Firm of the Year.

With a staff of 494 in New York and New Jersey, Gensler has worked on several big projects in the region in various sectors including office and transportation. Its largest green project, for example, is chemical giant Bayer's 700,000-sq-ft North American headquarters in Hanover Township, N.J., which is scheduled for completion this year. Gensler provided a range of services on the project including pre-design and LEED consulting.

Before making their decision, the judges also weighed the firm's efforts against its contenders in sustainability and community outreach. The firm also scored high here with employee involvement in numerous charities from walkathons to soup kitchens, and programs such as ACE mentoring.

Look for more about this firm in ENR New York's May 6 issue. This issue will also feature information about the top-90 firms ranked by regional revenue that participated in the survey.

In the meantime, congratulations Gensler.