When it Comes to 'Supertalls', No Design Consultancy Stretches the Limits More than Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, in Construction Digital
In a report in Construction Digital, the decision by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to re-consider its business practices during the economic downturn of the late 1980s and early 1990s is examined.
SAN DIEGO, CA, May 23, 2012
In a report in Construction Digital, the decision by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to re-consider its business practices during the economic downturn of the late 1980s and early 1990s is examined. Decisions made during that time of reflection laid the foundation upon which today's acclaimed international design specialist rests."We were focused on the office building market in English-speaking countries. During that downturn, basically every project stopped and clients went bankrupt. That forced us to expand our variety, both in terms of geography and the types of buildings," recalls Structural and Civil Engineering Partner Bill Baker, PE, SE, FASCE, FIStructE.
Many lesser companies folded. On the other hand, SOM drew upon decades of institutional knowledge and a veteran management team to steady the ship and navigate those uncertain waters.
"We do Architecture with a capital 'A' and Engineering with a capital 'E.' We've just passed our 75th year and we've been integrated since shortly after the founding of the firm, working together to design the built environment," says Baker. "The company has been able to continually renew itself and bring on the next generation of partners and leaders. And we have learned that you have to be quite diverse, especially given the vagaries of the economy."
SOM is the undisputed world leader when it comes to supertalls - towers that exceed 1,000 feet in height. The company first made its mark in this arena 40 years ago when it built Chicago's iconic 1,450-foot-tall Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower) and the 1,127-foot-tall John Hancock Center within two miles of each other. SOM claims six of the world's 12 tallest buildings, including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest of them all rising to a staggering 2,717 feet.
Read the article here: http://www.constructiondigital.com
About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Incorporated in 1936, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is diverse both across the numerous sectors it services and the solutions it provides, maintaining offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and Mumbai.
For more information, visit http://www.som.com.
About Construction Digital
Construction Digital is a leading digital media source of news and content for C-level executives focused on business and industry-specific issues such as: Green Building; Building Technologies; Project Management, and Design and Engineering. Construction Digital is the industry-dedicated arm of the WDM Group. Founded in 2007 by entrepreneur Glen White, WDM Group retains a diversified portfolio of websites, magazines, mobile apps, daily news feeds and weekly e-newsletters that leverage technology to innovatively deliver high-quality content, analytical data, and industry news.
Construction Digital is headquartered in San Diego, California, with additional offices in Boston, Toronto, Mumbai, and Norwich, England. For more information, contact 1-760-827-7800 or visit http://www.constructiondigital.com.
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Construction Digital
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