EYP, WHR Merge to Expand Health Care Services

October 22, 2014 1967 Views Clark/McCarthy Healthcare Partners, Eastern U.S., KP Professional Engineering, manufacturers, Nassau University Medical Center, SCC Construction Management Group, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, UCSF

ALBANY, N.Y. — Albany-based EYP and Houston-based WHR Architects merged to grow the firms’ scope of services in the health care market.

EYP is a leader in education, government and sustainable design, and WHR is the design firm of choice for Houston’s Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world. Both EYP and WHR have experienced a surge in growth over the past year. In 2013, EYP grew by 20 percent and opened six new offices, and WHR grew by 70 percent. The merger will bring together 530 professionals from both firms.

EYP has eight offices in the U.S. and has completed projects in more than 100 countries. Prior to the merger with WHR, EYP expanded its family of practices last year with the addition of The Weidt Group, an energy consulting and software firm with offices throughout the Midwest. WHR is the third acquisition for EYP since the firm sold a minority stake to a private equity firm in 2011 and started a growth strategy, according to the Albany Business Review.

WHR, with additional offices in Dallas and Copenhagen, currently employs approximately 170 staff. WHR is responsible for several of the largest current health care projects in the country, according to Architectural Record’s data on health care construction projects between January 2013 and February 2014.

Tom Birdsey, AIA, president and CEO of EYP, said the merger will strengthen the company’s geographic visibility and service offerings.

“EYP and WHR are united by passion and purpose, fueled by research and focused on furthering our clients’ missions. They trust us to help them make well-informed decisions that will advance their vision and create lasting value,” Birdsey said in a statement. “Understanding the intersection of technology, human experience and the natural environment is key to building a more sustainable world and advancing a new paradigm for our profession. Our merger positions us to better help our clients negotiate this challenging landscape, and our increased national visibility will allow us to further expand our reach and continue to provide valued insight for clients in the health care, higher education and energy industries, among others.”

While the merger will help EYP extend its business to the Southwest, WHR will be able to gain more visibility in the East Coast market.

“As design professionals, we are uniquely positioned to help preserve and advance our culture in ways that enable individuals to prosper, including the transformation of the health care experience,” said David Watkins, FAIA, chairman of WHR, in a statement. “The culture and expertise WHR shares with EYP gives us the ability to help our clients better achieve their missions. I look forward to what this partnership holds for our future growth. As two design thought leaders, our strategic alliance offers public and private sector clients greater access to specialized expertise and expanded resources. The knowledge, tools and services EYP provides will be a crucial asset in helping clients embrace sustainability and collaborative design excellence.”