We remain in the top three of the ‘Best Partner’ rankings in World Architecture 100 (WA100), the annual survey of global architecture practices by the influential UK publication, ‘Building Design’ (BD).

The survey is considered as an important indicator of the health of the global construction industry. This year, the top 100 practices are confident about the year ahead, despite concerns over issues such as Brexit and the trade war between China and the U.S. “What’s good for the architects is good for WSP,” says global Property & Buildings director, Tom Smith. “Their optimism translates into great opportunities, which we are more than equipped to make the most of as we move on with our global strategic plan for the next three years, which includes investment in innovation, technical excellence and Future Ready, all designed to further enhance our service and differentiate us from our peers.”

“Architects,” as David Cooper, global head of building systems, points out, “are key to our success, not just as clients but also as advocates and strategic partners where we share client relationships and specific areas of expertise and interest. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in future of the urban realm and specifically transportation infrastructure and associated development (TOD). Through WSP’s unique strength in both Property & Buildings and Transport & Infrastructure we are strongly placed to collaborate with leading Architects in support of cities as they develop their transport infrastructure. Our work with Gensler on the upgrade of Penn Station in Baltimore together with surrounding commercial development, and the airport projects we’re doing with HOK – LaGuardia, and Foster + Partners – Marseille Airport, are great examples of this.”

Global head of building structures, Kevin Winward, adds that the emphasis WSP places on relationships is also a major contributor to our leading position in the WA100 rankings. “With architects employing more people than ever this year all over the world, our global network of offices is a massive advantage. While it’s very important for the likes of Tom, David, myself and the Global Leadership team to build WSP’s reputation with the architects’ managing partners, true success derives from our people locally who work day-to-day with architects at city level delivering great projects together.  This then of course generates a flow-on benefit for the client who is developing or building the project, due to the collaborative and creative Architect/Engineer interaction that strives for excellence in terms of both design and delivery.”

“To be ranked in the top three, year after year, by the world’s top architects is a tremendous achievement,” Tom Smith concludes. “While the architects themselves are ranked in WA100 according to the size of their practice, we, their partners, are rated for quality of service. This is a great reflection of our qualities, our focus on innovation and our client-first mentality and we will continue our efforts to ensure we build on this success, always doing what is best for all our clients so that we will remain at the top of the rankings as their consultant of choice.”