Thomas Fridstein Takes the Reins
Building on 30 years of experience in the development, design, and construction of significant buildings, urban spaces, and interior environments around the world, Thomas Fridstein, AIA, LEED AP, has a strong grasp of marketplace demands, global trends and what it takes to deliver complex, high-profile projects. For Fridstein, who has worked in interdisciplinary contexts across 25 countries, leading Architecture at AECOM is the next logical step.
"In my 30 years of architectural practice engaged with industry leaders and participating in significant developments, I have witnessed an increasing demand and need for integrated design practices in a truly global marketplace," says Fridstein. "Architecture at AECOM offers the world's most advantaged platform for an integrated global practice."
"The integration of the disciplines within Planning, Design + Development—urban planning, building engineering, masterplanning, landscape design, economics and program management—as well as access to other AECOM capabilities—Transportation, Environment, Energy and Water—offers our clients and the occupants of our buildings access to extraordinary talent and skills that can be delivered anywhere on the globe. I know of no other architectural practice that has this level of resource and global reach."
Fridstein was previously a Managing Principal and Executive Director at global architecture firm Perkins Eastman, Group Head of Special Projects for RMJM, CEO of Hillier Architecture, Senior Director at Tishman Speyer Properties, and Managing Partner and Executive Committee member at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. While in London with SOM he led the office in projects, such as the Broadgate Development, that "transformed London as it became a modern world financial center."
In 1993, early in the transformation of modern China, Fridstein worked on the 421m-high Jin Mao Building in Shanghai, the third tallest building in the world when it was opened. "This project was an enormous technical and management challenge to design and construct," recalls Fridstein.
Other notable projects include the Bertelsmann Tower in New York's Times Square and Tour CBX in Paris. Fridstein's work has received more than 25 awards. He has authored several published articles and lectured at Harvard University, Cornell University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Boston Architecture Society.
Fridstein says that the most immediate challenge facing the architecture practice is the global economic recession coupled with the extraordinary dearth of lending for construction projects. "It will take some time before private sector clients reappear; however the recession will eventually end, and the markets for architectural services will recover." AECOM will use this time to strengthen our capabilities and prepare our resources for the upturn.
"I believe that in the next cycle for architecture, clients will turn away from much of the exuberant and overly expensive projects that were created during the recent boom and will be demanding more thoughtful designs that maximize their objectives and reduce their risk," says Fridstein. "Additionally, we will be seeing even more global activity, as more geographic markets develop and our clients increasingly act globally."
As of this month, Fridstein leads AECOM's 1,800 architects based in the US, Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand and the Middle East. Among his initial goals will be to unify the practice across all of our locations with common methodologies, so we can best work together and apply resources wherever needed. "We will be assessing our strengths and weaknesses, so we can build upon our strengths and take the actions necessary to eliminate weaknesses. We will be developing strong leaders that can maintain our success in the future, and we will actively communicate and participate in our professional and civic communities so the public knows what we are accomplishing," says Fridstein. "Our goal is to create the best global, integrated-design architectural practice."
Jake Herson