Buro Happold Enters DC Market

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Buro Happold, a global engineering consultancy firm, has set up shop in the Washington, D.C. area, among five new cities the firm has entered. 

Roger Chang has been named principal and will head up the D.C. office, which is currently at 1775 Greensboro Station Place in Tysons, Va., with plans to operate space in the District as well. Chang, who is currently at DLR Group’s D.C. office,  begins on March 21.

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Buro Happold has worked on D.C. projects for over 20 years, including the Patent Office Building’s Kogod Courtyard canopy and the United States Institute of Peace Headquarters at 2301 Constitution Avenue. 

“Following those successful projects, Buro Happold has continued to expand our presence in the region,” Jeremy Snyder, a partner and Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. office lead for Buro Happold, told Commercial Observer. “We have always enjoyed our clients here and feel that the type of work that is developed in and around D.C. fits our brand very well.”

Buro Happold also considers itself a leader in sustainable and healthy built environments, and therefore sees D.C. as a place where it can have an amazing impact, Snyder said. 

“With our work in sectors such as government, cultural institutions, transportation, science and technology, commercial developments and health care, both the D.C. and the mid-Atlantic markets in general already have seen a great trajectory for growth in a sustainable and meaningful way,” he said.

The firm also added structural engineer Chris Crilly to the D.C. office, after spending the past 14 years at Thornton Tomasetti. 

“Chris brings a ton of local and regional experience in the built environment,” Snyder said. “His technical expertise along with his understanding of the market is really important to our growth from the immediate to the long term.” 

He believes Chang complements Crilly’s structural experience.

“[Chang] brings a rigorous approach to sustainability and MEP [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] engineering and ties them together seamlessly,” Snyder said. “With his understanding of the local and regional market, we will be able to put our growth at the forefront.” 

The company is currently working on a large corporate headquarters in Virginia, a sustainable master plan in Northern Virginia, an office tower outside of Baltimore, a mixed-use development in D.C., and more. 

“We have been very fortunate to be so involved with the region’s growth that we feel that this is the right time to capture that momentum and expand to an office here,” Snyder said, referring to the District.

Buro Happold is also entering San Diego, Seattle, Minneapolis and Raleigh-Durham.

Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.