ZGF Architects has been named the 2025 ENR MidAtlantic Design Firm of the Year and will be recognized in the May print issue of ENR East, which will also include the ENR East Top Design Firm rankings.

The ENR East ranking of engineers and architects includes firms doing business in Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. Rankings are based on total regional revenue of design services of participating companies, also including breakous by state revenue and various design specialties and disciplines, as applicable.

The new ranking follows the 2025 consolidation of ENR regional editions into five new regions to reflects an ongoing commitment to deliver the most relevant and timely coverage to readers, in alignment with the evolving landscape of the construction industry. Regional surveys will follow these new boundaries going forward. You can read more about the regional consolidation here.

The Design Firm of the Year demonstrates success in the region from a growth and revenue standpoint as well as innovation, creativity and a commitment to giving back to its community. Previous MidAtlantic winners include, Salas O’Brien, RK&K, Alpha Corp., Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc. (HRG), Clark Nexsen, WSP, ECS Mid-Atlantic, KCI Technologies Inc., Whitman Requardt and Associates, Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson and Pennoni Associates.  

This year, ZGF will unveil the world’s largest living future zero carbon multi-family building located in Washington, DC. The firm that started in Oregon 70 years ago but now has seven offices across North America also contributes to its communities. In November, it celebrated the “Week of Good” where employees participated in a host of activities—from live auctions to ZOOM Jeopardy–to raise money (matched by the firm) for local charities. 

The firm’s Mid-Atlantic charitable contributions topped $100,000, benefitting groups such as Coalition for Smarter Growth, Community of Hope, Liberty’s Promise and So Others Might Eat.

ZGF also hosted the Big Green Commute, a week-long event that encouraged local design firms to compete to see who can commute the most sustainably. At the end of the event, each firm was encouraged to donate to the charities listed above. 

The firm’s 1+ program allows employees to provide pro-bono services for community projects, including recent design services for DC Central Kitchen’s new headquarters and training kitchen. ZGF also led efforts at the National Building Museum ans through collaboration with Catholic University’s capstone studio each Spring and partnership with the National Organization of Minority Architects Foundation Fellowships. 

Some of he firm’s most notable projects in the MidAtlantic include: 

Amazon / JBG Smith, Metropolitan Park Arlington, Va.

Phase one of Amazon’s HQ2 established 2.1 million sq ft of office, retail, and public park space across 6.2 acres and is the largest LEED Platinum v4 building constructed in the world. An underused green was transformed into a two-acre park for the neighborhood. Protected bike lanes and intersections will be the first in Arlington County. Local retailers, cafes, and a daycare occupy 50,000 sq ft along the towers’ ground level, introducing new services to South Arlington while enriching the pedestrian experience.

Two glass towers are sculpted with deep setbacks to enable light and air to filter through the site while relating to the scale and rhythm of the surrounding neighborhood. The project will have 100% renewable energy use by 2030. The buildings will be powered by 100% off-site renewable energy, and on-site strategies minimize energy and water use. 

Redbrick LMD / The Douglass Washington, DC

Phase One of the Bridge District, named The Douglass, will serve as the cornerstone of the future DC development. The mixed-use building will bring 750,000 sq ft of market-rate and affordable housing and 42,000 sq ft of community-serving retail to DC’s Ward 8. Located on previously undeveloped land at the foot of the Frederick Douglass Bridge, The Bridge District will connect the established Capitol Riverfront neighborhood with the communities south and east of the Anacostia River. The Bridge District’s holistic design emphasis sustainability and decarbonization. With a focus on reducing both operational and embodied carbon, the Douglass is on track to become the largest ILFI zero-carbon multifamily residential building in the world and the first in the DC region.

ZGF says its continued revenue growth during the last several years is due to “a positive market response to the design excellence, collaboration, and innovation it focuses on delivering to each project, no matter how big or small.”

Last year, ZGF ranked No. 33 on the ENR MidAtlantic Design Firm of the Year survey with $49.81 million in revenue. The previous year, the firm ranked No. 45 with $37.50 million in revenue. 

To find out where ZGF ranks in this year’s ENR East Top Design Firm survey, and to learn more about the firm, check out the May issue of ENR East.

Justin Rice is Editor for ENR East.