Perkins Eastman and EE&K Architects Merge

NEW YORK — Two major architectural and design firms, Perkins Eastman and Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, are merging their practices and consolidating their offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; and China.
 
Both companies report that no layoffs will take place for Perkins’ 500 employees worldwide and EE&K’s approximately 85 members. The two firms will retain their separate names and combine their operations over the next 12 to 18 months.
 
“Over the years, we have been entertained by many larger firms, but now we found the right firm and culture,” says Stanton Eckstut, chairman of EE&K. “Our projects are bigger than our firm size. We needed more capacity and expertise in certain building types for large-scale projects to be more effective.”
 
The merger significantly strengthens both practices, according to the companies, by combining EE&K’s portfolio of historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects and growing client base in China and Vietnam with Perkins Eastman’s depth and expertise with large-scale designs. Both firms are also looking for new hires, according to news reports.