1. world architecture top 100 January 2016 65
merger
mysteryWhy do some tie-ups create successful
powerhouses, while others serve only to
damage relationships with trusted partners?
David Blackman investigates
Managingthemergeroftwobig
businessesisnoeasytask.
Andtheconstructionindustry
hasseenawaveofbigtie-upsin
recentyears,themostsignifcant
ofwhichisAECOM’sunionwith
itscompetitorURStoentrench
itspositionastheworld’sbiggest
constructionconsultant.
However,themergerseemsto
havegonedownlikealeadballoon
amongtheworld’stoparchitects,
accordingtoBD’sWA100survey.
Whenitcomestowhichcost
consultantarchitectsthink
providesthebestservice,AECOM
hasdroppedfromfrsttoequal
ffthplace.
Thecompany,whichonly
pickeduptwovotesinthis
categoryfromtheWA100
respondents,wasovertakenin
thepollbyRiderLevettBucknall,
Langdon&Seah,Gardiner&
TheobaldandTurner&Townsend.
RiderreplacedAECOMatthetop
followedbytheSingapore-based
Langdon&Seah,whichissoon
todisappearasaseparatebrand
followingitsabsorptionintothe
Dutch-basedArcadisgroup.
Respondingtothenewsofits
slipdownthepolls,AECOMsaid:
““Ofcoursewearedisappointed
thatwehavelostournumber
1position,particularlyhaving
spentsomanyyearsatthetop.
“AECOMisanorganisationthat
pridesitselfonbeingresponsive
toclientsandthewidermarket,
andassuchwehavespenttime
overthelastyearlookingathow
wecanbestserveourclients,
includingthearchitecture
community.”
It’sadiferentstorysofarat
WSPParsonsBrinckerhof,
createdfollowingthesaleof
theUS-basedengineerbyUK
contractorBalfourBeatty. WSP
hasretaineditsedgeoverArupas
theservicesengineerthatofers
best-qualityservice,according
torespondents,althoughthe
tableswereturnedwhenthe
samequestionwasposedabout
structuralengineering.
TheWA100’sfavouriteproject
managerwasMacebyaclear
margin.Opiniononcontractors
wasmoremixedwithnocompany
scoringmorethanthefourvotes
securedbyBouygues,followed
byBAMandBrookfeldonthree
apiece. Inthiscategory,bigdidn’t
necessarilymeanbeautiful,with
GermangiantHochtiefbarely
troublingthescorersandtheUK’s
biggestcontractorBalfourBeatty
failingtosecureasinglevote.
Commentingonherfrm’s
successintoppingthecost
consultantpoll,RiderLevett
Bucknallglobalchairman
AnnBentleypointedtothe
partnership’sindependentstatus.
“Thisisafantasticaccoladeforour
workglobally,andweareproud
thatthearchitecturecommunity
holdsourconsultancyinsuch
highregard.
“Ourmarkethasseenalot
ofchangeoverthelastfew
years,withmanymergersand
acquisitionstakingplace.Our
statusasanindependentfrm
givesusacleardiferentiatorand
itisanimportantdistinctionfor
ourclientswhentheyareselecting
theirpartnerstoappraisetheir
projects.Ourcompanystructure
isfocusedonaregionalapproach
ineverycountryweoperatein,
meaningthatwecanprovide
localsupportandexpertise
underpinnedbythestrengthand
knowledgeoftheglobalpractice.”
PhilippeHonnorat,UKhead
ofbuildingservicesatWSP
ParsonsBrinckerhof,saidthat
hiscompany’smergerisworking
oneyearon.“Becausewehavevery
diferentclientbaseswearenot
steppingoneachother’stoes,”he
says,explainingthatwhileWSP’s
biggeststrengthtraditionally
layinprivate-sectorbuilding
work,ParsonsBrinckerhofwas
morerootedinpublicsector
infrastructureprojects.
Bringingthetwocompanies
togetherhascreated
opportunities–forexample,
ParsonsBrinckerof’sstrengthin
transporthadhelpedopendoors
attheUK’stwobiggestairports,
GatwickandHeathrow.The
otherbigpluspointisParsons
Brinckerhof’sstrongfootprintsin
theAsianandUSmarkets.
TonyWilliams,ofthe
consultancyBuildingValue,says
thatthecontrastintheWA100
pollfortunesofAECOMandWSP
t
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tonywilliams,buildingvalue

2. coSt conSultantS
2016 practice
1 RiderLevettBucknall
2 Langdon&Seah
3 Gardiner&Theobald
4 Turner&Townsend
5= AECOM
5= DGJones
5= Arcadis
5= Hanscomb
SerVice enGineerS
2016 practice
1 WSP
2 Arup
3= Aurecon
3= BuroHappold
5= HoareLea
5= Meinhardt
Structural enGineerS
2016 practice
1 Arup
2 WSP
3 Thornton,Tomasetti
4= AKTII
4= Aurecon
4= BuroHappold
4= EckersleyO’Callaghan
BeSt partnerS Surveyedarchitects’favouriteprofessionalassociates
66 world architecture top 100 January 2016
proJect ManaGerS
2016 practice
1 Mace
2= Drees&Sommer
2= Arcadis
2= HillInternational
2= RCP
BuildinG contractorS
ranK
2016 practice
1 Bouygues
2= BAM
2= BrookfeldMultiplex
4= LaingO’Rourke
4= Larsen&Toubro
4= Lendlease
4= SirRobertMcAlpine
4= Skanska
4= Züblin
2016 pra
1
2
3
4
5= AECOM
5=
5= Arcadis
5= Hanscomb
2016 pra
1 Mace
2=
2= Arcadis
2=
2= R
2016 pra
1 WSP
2 Ar
3= A
3=
5=
5= M
2016 pra
1 Ar
2 WSP
3
4=
4= A
4=
4=
Residentialdevelopersare
architects’favouriteclients,
accordingtotheWA100poll.
Respondingtoapollquestion
onwhohadbeentheirbesttype
ofclientthisyear,23%named
housebuilders,followedcloselyby
officedevelopers(19%).Healthcare
providerswerethethirdbest
client,namedby13%.
forthoseworkinginthefar
East,though,thesesplitsfeel
increasinglyarbitrary.Keith
Griffiths,chairmanofHong
Kong-headquarteredAedasargues
thatprojectsbeingdeliveredin
EastAsia’sbigcitiesincreasingly
fallintothemixedcommercial
camp,embracingretail,officesand
loftapartments.“Weveryrarelydo
astand-aloneofficedevelopment
inAsia.There’samuchwider
rangeofproduct.”
nikKaralis,chiefexecutive
ofWoodsBagot,agreesthat
mixed-useisthebiggesttrend
hesees.“Tenantsarelookingto
diversifyuses.”
Hebelievesthatdevelopers
arekeentoavoidputtingtheir
eggsintoonebasketforsound
commercialreasons.“Landvalues
aresosignifcantthatprojects
sometimesdon’tstackupwithout
amassivetenantsoyounowneed
ablendtomakefeasibilitystack.”
Griffithsaddsthatwhereoffice
developmentistakingplacein
thefarEast,itisthecampus-style
developmentsthatwerepopular
intheUKduringthe1970sand
80s. “Manyofthecompaniesare
enormousmultinationalsand
theyarebuildinglarge
campus-typedevelopmentsacross
mostofthelargecitiesinChina.”
Butwitharapidlyageing
population,healthcarelooks
settobethelong-termgrowth
areainconstruction.TheGlobal
Construction2030report,
recentlypublished,forecaststhat
Chinawillneedtensofthousands
ofnewandupgradedhospitalsand
clinicstocaterforthecountry’s
explodingelderly population
overthenext15years,which
helpstoexplainwhytheChinese
governmenthasrecentlyopened
upitshealthcaresectortoforeign
investmentthroughpublicprivate
partnerships.
DougWignall,presidentofUS
practiceHDR,saysthathisfirm
iswellplacedtobenefitfrom
greaterdemandforanewwaveof
retirementlivingcommunities,
thankstoitsexpertiseinthefields
ofbothhealthcareandhospitality.
Andhepredictsthatthe
applicationofnewtechnologwill
transformthenatureofhealthcare
facilitiesbeingbuilt.“Thereisa
strongdecentralisationofprojects.
facilitiesarebasedmorein
communitiesandneighbourhoods
ratherthanforcitiesandregions.
Theyaresmallerinscalebuthave
tobeplannedaspartoftheoverall
urbanframework.”
tHe FUtUre’s mIXeD
ParsonsBrinckerhof thisyear
reflectsthediferentwaysthetwo
companieshavemerged.
Hepraisedthedecision
byCanadianconsultancy
Geniver,whenitboughtWSP
threeyearsago,nottojunkthe
internationallybetterknown
Britishbrand. “Theyhadgood
sensetochangethenameofthe
groupandtheyhaven’tlooked
back.”nowtheyhaverepeated
thetrickbyretainingtheParsons
Brinckerhofname.
Bycontrast,recent
empire-buildingbyAECOM
andArcadishasseenthe
disappearanceofvenerableand
well-respectedbrandslikeDavis
LangdonandECHarris.Inthe
caseofAECOM’sUKoperations,
recentmonthshaveseenthe
departureofanumberofkey
personnel.
Williamssays:“Whenyoubuy
aconsultant,youarenotbuying
assets,afactoryorland,youare
buyingpeopleandpeopleare
mobile.youprotectthat:otherise
youarebuyingfreshair.”
t