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Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is a partnership founded in 1936 to provide complete professional services in the fields of architectural design, planning, engineering and interior design. Since then, SOM has undertaken a variety of projects in the United States and in more than 40 countries throughout the world. The firm's unique combination of highly qualified personnel and comprehensive services has resulted in many important innovations in design and technology.
SOM's offices provide architecture and engineering services for regionally-based projects while also offering expertise and resources to national and international clients. Major SOM offices are located in eight U.S. cities and London, England.
In recognition of the achievements of the firm as a group of professionals working together as a team, the American Institute of Architects awarded its first architectural firm award for excellence in design to SOM. An unyielding commitment to excellence has consistently produced visionary architectural design, planning, and technical performance and has been rewarded with over 300 design awards for architectural quality and technical innovation.
The firm's diversified large and small scale projects include offices; banks; civic and cultural; commercial, industrial, and educational buildings; hotels and convention facilities; hospitals; airports; train stations; subways; recreational, religious, and residential facilities; and stadia and exhibition centers. Interior design is an integral part of our practice, as is a broad range of urban planning projects, including redevelopment and reuse plans, impact assessments and transportation planning analyses.
While each major office of SOM operates as an independent entity, the benefits of a large, efficient, and experienced core of personnel and resources are available to all our clients.
Firmwide Capabilities
SOM is a multi-disciplinary architecture, planning, and engineering firm. Our extensive experience in the programming, planning, design, and engineering phases of projects contributes to their success. While working closely with each client, SOM integrates the following disciplines in varying combinations to produced the appropriate design solutions:
Architecture Urban and Environmental Planning Environmental Analysis Site Planning Landscape Architecture Civil Engineering Structural Engineering Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Plumbing/Fire Safety Engineering Interior Architecture Space Planning Facilities Programming Equipment Planning Field Observation Computer Capability Graphics Estimating Specifications
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Professional Approach
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's philosophy of design practice can best be stated as a shared commitment to excellence by a multidisciplianry team of professionals. This philosophy functions on many levels within the firm:
* in the structure of the project team, which is focused to achieve the unique promise and specific requirements of each project;
* within SOM's several disciplines, where each individual uses the talents and skills of his colleagues as resources for creative and technical work which is truly outstanding in the profession;
* and in the management of the firm, where Partners and Associate Partners of varied disciplines collaborate to ensure that the firm meets the broadest needs of our clients and makes a contribution to the profession as a whole.
The parallel commitment of each individual to a particular project, and to the sense of participation within the interdisciplinary structure of the firm, makes possible an environment in which all participants have the flexibility and depth to provide the best professional response to each design and technical challenge. It also results, in our experience, in well-organized, cost-effective projects which are delivered on time and within budget, with superior project and building coordination, to the benefit of our clients.
SOM pioneered the concept of team practice, in which a team is assigned to each project at its inception and is maintained throughout the project. Each team is composed of Design, Management and Technical professionals. The design professionals include architectural designers, planners, interior architects and graphic designers, whose primary focus within the firm is creative design activitiy. Under the leadership of the Design Partner, each design concept is tailored to the project's specific character, taking inspiration from the program, site, and nature of the project. SOM designers maintain a strong role throughout technical phases of work, in the design of all aspects of the project.
Management professionals are at the center of the project team. SOM Project Partners and Project Managers attempt to understand the broadest range of our clients' concerns so that we can respond thoughtfully and intelligently to them in structuring SOM's work.
SOM's technical professionals are creative and innovative architects and engineers who contribute to each project from design through construction. On many SOM projects, new technical systems have been developed which have defined the "state of the art" within the building industry. A major focus of activity is the integration of building systems. SOM's technical staff is highly aware of the importance of costeffective building coordination and the demands of market costs, and have experience in a broad range of document preparation techniques related to varied construction methods. Our technical documents are widely recognized by contractors and developers as being especially complete, detailed and accurate. We believe that this is essential to the successful realization of the design concept as a fully functioning building.
There are many architectural firms today that concentrate either on design or on the production of working drawings and specifications for buildings designed by others. It is our belief that either of these two extremes result in a serious compromise in the quality of the product. Truly successful projects must have a continuity of architectual design and technical excellence throughout the project, from the conceptual phase to the completion of the structure and its occupancy phases and beyond. It is this thorough commitment to every phase of design and technical documentation that has established SOM as one of the world's leading architectual/engineering firms.
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Special Strengths and Characteristics
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's variety of qualifications includes:
* an acknowledged role of leadership in the design profession. SOM's imagination and innovation in designing attractive and award-winning architecture is as varied as the needs and uses of each client.
* completely integrated in-house skills in architecture, planning, structural engineering and systems engineering which allow a total coordination of building components for the best functional, economic and aesthetic results.
* expertise in the development of architectural technology through several decades of changing client and construction requirements. In many instances, SOM and the constrution industry have created technical solutions which have become construction standards.
* extensive experience in the design of high-, mid-, and lowrise buildings as illustrated by the approximately 40 million square feet of office space currently in design and construction phases nationally.
* worldwide experience in design and engineering solutions in response to specific cultural, climatological and geographic demands.
* substantial experience in the analysis and coordination of building systems for both internal and external environments as related to energy conservation and system efficiency.
* access to the most sophisticated computer hardware and software currently available. SOM has been a pioneer in the use of computer aided design techniques to augment every phase of its architectural / engineering practice. Applications include architectual design, structural and mechanical engineering, planning, contract document preparation, interior design and graphics, scheduling, energy analysis, and internal management functions.
* background in the economics of construction systems and in the evaluation of construction alternatives based on our work in both public and private construction.
* a comprehensive and unique insurance program. SOM has a thorough liability insurance portfolio.
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Major Awards in Architecture and Planning
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
First Architectural Firm Award, American Institute of Architects, 1962
Alcoa Building San Francisco, California
Architectual Award of Excellence, American Institute of Steel Construction, 1969
Best Design in Highrise Construction, American Iron and Steel Institute, 1969
Bank of America World Headquarters San Francisco, California
American Institute of Steel Construction Architectural Award of Excellence, 1970
Best Design in Highrise Construction, American Iron and Steel Institute, 1971
Honor Award, American Institute of Architects San Francisco Chapter, 1974
California First Bank San Francisco, California
Honor Award, California Council, American Institute of Architects, 1978
California Tomorrow Plan
Award of Recognition, Northern Section, California Chapter, American Institute of Planners, 1973
Cargoes Store Remodeling San Francisco, California
Honor Award, California Council American Institute of Architects, 1953
Carmel Valley Manor Carmel Valley, California
Award of Recognition, Northern Section, California Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1973
Case Western Reserve University George Gund Hall, Franklin Thomas Backus School of Law Cleveland, Ohio
Honor Award, Design Awards Program of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, 1972
Central Heating & Cooling Plant Sacramento, California
Honor Award, Central Valley, California Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1969
Century Plaza Hotel Tower Los Angeles, California
Beautification Award, Los Angeles West Chamber of Commerce, 1986
Crocker Center and Galleria San Francisco, California
Honor Award, California Council, American Institute of Architects, 1986
Award of Excellence, American Institute of Steel Construction, 1985
Crown Zellerbach Headquarters San Francisco, California
Office of the Year Award of Merit, Administrative Management Magazine, 1959
Award of Merit, American Institute of Architects, 1961
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall San Francisco, California
Honor Award, California Council, American Institute of Architects, 1986
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Urban Design Award, Urban Design Institute, 1978
Honor Award, Sacramento Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1979
Award of Merit, Northern Section, California Chapter, American Institute of Planners, 1975
Award of Merit, Northern Section, California Chapter, American Institute of Planners, 1973
Special Mention, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), 1974
Design Award, Progressive Architecture Magazine, 1974
Merit Award, Awards for Residential Design Program, Federal Housing Administration, 1964
Office of the Year Honorable Mention, Administrative Management Magazine, 1963
Honor Award, American Institute of Architects, 1969
Bartlett Award for Handicapped Access, AIA, 1969
Merit Award, California Council, American Institute of Architects, 1987
Honor Award, San Francisco Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1987
Design Award, Progressive Architecture Magazine, 1983
Award of Excellence, American Institute of Steel Construction. 1987
James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Award, 1987
Post-Tensioned Prestressed Concrete Award
Citation of Merit, American Institute of Architects, 1955
Architectural Award of Excellence, American Institute of Steel Construction, 1960
Honor Award, American Institute of Architects, 1972
Bartlett Award for Handicapped Access, AIA, 1972
Honor Award, American Institute of Architects, 1985
