DLR Group CEO Griff Davenport, AIA, announced Tuesday that Westlake Reed Leskosky (WRL) is joining DLR Group.
Together, DLR Group and WRL create a global design firm providing integrated architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, building optimization and specialty consulting services. The strategic aim is to deliver a wide range of building type expertise to a diverse group of public and private sector clients throughout the world.
“WRL has been seeking to join a firm of like beliefs and values to increase the distribution of our design expertise,” said WRL Managing Principal Paul Westlake, FAIA. “DLR Group is the ideal partner, an integrated design firm committed to design excellence and environmental stewardship. This also ensures the design legacy of WRL and provides our staff with ownership opportunity through DLR Group’s ESOP structure.”
“It’s a case of right creative partner, right place, and right time,” said Davenport. “This increases the geographic reach of both firms and creates a design firm with demonstrated market-leading practices in the space of Cultural and Performing Arts, Energy Services, Healthcare, Hospitality, Justice, K-12 Education, Preservation, Retail and Mixed-Use, Sports, and Workplace.”
Together, the two firms feature a roster of signature clients and projects including Boeing, Cleveland Clinic, General Services Administration, Google, Hyatt, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Mall of America, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Smithsonian Institution, University of Southern California, U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Both DLR Group and WRL are perennial members of the ARCHITECT Magazine Top 50, each having been ranked as the No. 1 design firm in the United States by the official publication of the American Institute of Architects. WRL ranks No. 2 and DLR Group No. 23 on the 2016 ARCHITECT Top 50.
“The term ‘peer firm’ tends to be tossed around loosely,” said Davenport. “As we went through this process it became readily apparent that within our firms is a clear cultural alignment. The common foundations are a commitment to the benefits of an integrated design process, supported by a dedication to design excellence and the sustainability goals of Architecture 2030.”
WRL offices in Cleveland, Charlotte, and New York will operate as DLR Group|Westlake Reed Leskosky. In Phoenix, where both firms have a strong brand presence within differing client types, it also will operate as DLR Group|Westlake Reed Leskosky. In Washington DC, the existing DLR Group|Sorg office will join with WRL’s existing staff to operate as DLR Group|Sorg|Westlake Reed Leskosky. In China, WRL’s Shanghai office will merge into DLR Group’s Shanghai office and the combined firm will serve clients throughout Asia.
In Cleveland, Westlake will lead the transition to DLR Group|Westlake Reed Leskosky and be appointed to the DLR Group board of directors. He will be a Senior Principal and lead the combined firm’s Culture and Performing Arts Studio. Phil LiBassi, FAIA, FACHA, will assume the role of Global Healthcare Leader and direct the Healthcare practice of the combined firm. Matt Janiak, AIA, will be Northeast Region Leader for the firm, leading operations for the Cleveland and New York offices. Paul Siemborski, AIA, will lead business development and marketing for the Northeast Region.
WRL’s Tom Gallagher, AIA, will continue to direct the DLR Group|Westlake Reed
Leskosky New York office and lead a studio specializing in lighting and museum design. Gallagher also will continue to lead projects in Asia in collaboration with DLR Group design professionals in Shanghai. Glenn Johnson will continue to direct the DLR Group|Westlake Reed Leskosky office in Charlotte.
In Phoenix the two firms will join operations in DLR Group’s existing office at 6225 N. 24th St. WRL’s Peter Rutti, AIA, will be the new Southwest Regional Leader for the firm, overseeing operations for offices in Denver, Colorado Springs, and Tucson in addition to the 100-person Phoenix office.
In Washington DC, the two firms will unite to operate as DLR Group|Sorg|Westlake Reed Leskosky. In July 2015, DLR Group purchased SORG Architects, founded in 1986 by Suman Sorg, FAIA. WRL has operated in the District since 2004. The vision is for the firms to combine operations in a new location before the end of the year. DLR Group’s Nikki Sorg will lead operations in the role of Atlantic Coast Region Leader. Roger Chang, PE, will join DLR Group’s National Engineering Team and collaborate with DLR Group Global Engineering Leader Dan Munn to extend DLR Group’s Energy+ Engineering Studio to the East Coast.
“This is a unique opportunity to better serve the needs of both DLR Group and WRL clients in the Federal market as well as our private and public sector clients throughout the region,” said Davenport. “Nikki Sorg, Suman Sorg, and Rachel Chung from DLR Group will collaborate with WRL’s Jason Adolff and Roger Chang to create what I believe will be the leading integrated design firm in Washington DC.”
Together, DLR Group and WRL will serve clients from 26 locations: Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Denver, Des Moines, Dubai, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Lincoln (Neb.), Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nairobi, New York, Omaha, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland (Ore.), Riverside (Calif.), Sacramento, Seattle, Shanghai, Tucson, and Washington DC. The combined firm will be staffed by more than 1,000 design professionals.
“DLR Group’s brand promise is to elevate the human experience through design,” said Westlake. “The essence of that idea is certainly at the central core of our design teams. This is a great day for all WRL employees as it provides ownership opportunity for every employee as part of DLR Group and ensures and leverages the design legacy of WRL.”
