Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

We are proud to have unveiled two new projects this week during Cityscape Global in Riyadh: Retal Heights with Retal Urban Development and Ajdan Towers with اجدان | Ajdan Real Estate Development Company. Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, both projects reflect the Kingdom’s rapid growth in real estate and its rising influence in sustainable, urban development. Retal Heights—presented at Cityscape through a striking two-meter-tall timber model—is envisioned as a new landmark on Riyadh’s skyline, informed by the city’s climate, culture and identity. The development is designed as twin beacons: one dedicated to a luxury hotel and branded residences and the other to private apartments of varying sizes. A shared podium will form the heart of the community with a multifunctional event space and a lush water garden.  Ajdan Towers, also envisioned as a dual-tower development, will deliver a dynamic mixed-use destination that combines commercial space, retail, and branded residences. In addition to several members of our Middle East team in attendance, SOM’s Brian Kleiver, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP and Alexander Drachenberg joined our clients onsite for contract signings, underscoring the depth of our collaboration and commitment. Learn more about this edition of Cityscape below. MORE → bit.ly/4oUtWNr Images: Retal renders © SOM Event photographs courtesy of Alexander Drachenberg and Yasser Mohammad

Our London studio is growing, and we’re #hiring aviation-focused designers to help shape the next generation of innovation. You’ll join a dynamic collaborative group working across concept, planning, and delivery on projects with real impact. From Kansas City to Kempegowda International Airports, we develop bespoke solutions grounded in operational requirements while enhancing the passenger experience—and creating an authentic sense of place. Learn more about the opportunities in our growing sector below. MORE → bit.ly/4rnRJaa Images: 1. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport - Terminal 2, Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM 2. Kempegowda International Airport - Terminal 2, © Studio Recall 3. O'Hare International Airport Concourse D, © City of Chicago 4. Kansas City International Airport - Harry S. Truman Terminal, Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM 5. N'djili International Airport Terminal, © SOM

“Finding purpose within an urban environment improves your sense of place, your ability to call a place home,” said Associate Principal and Asia-Pacific Sustainability Lead Stefano Tronci on Interior Design’s “Once Upon a Project” podcast. “It’s so important to create that level of placemaking, not by just putting a beautiful landmark somewhere, but rather, through life intersected through all of the different architecture, buildings, communities, and activities that happen in that.” Speaking with host AJ Paron of SANDOW Design Group, Tronci explained how we prioritize high-performance design while enhancing quality of life. Citing the Sany IROOTECH Headquarters, a set of towers, and the Panyu Chimelong Urban Design, a master plan in Guangzhou (below), he discussed how we designed for both the region and the climate—integrating nature throughout the developments to create an inviting and healthy setting for living and working. Listen to the full podcast below. MORE → bit.ly/49Hot7Z Images: SWA Group

Healthcare is evolving and so is the way we design the spaces that support it. To meet rising demand for high-performing, patient-centered environments, we’re expanding our Healthcare practice with several new hires and promotions—and we’re pleased to introduce these exceptional leaders here. Meredith Neistadt, AIA, LEED AP BD C, PMP, has been named Practice Leader, co-leading strategy while continuing to drive major initiatives like the NYC Public Health Laboratory and the Roper Hospital Campus relocation. George R. Tingwald, MD, AIA, returning to SOM as Director of Healthcare Design, brings unmatched experience at the intersection of medicine and architecture, with decades of impact at Stanford and on healthcare design standards across the U.S. And Jeff Neaves joins as Associate Principal and Senior Project Manager, bringing a track record of leading complex medical and research facilities from early planning through delivery. Over the past decade, SOM has delivered more than 15 million square feet of healthcare space—with another 4 million currently in progress. With expanded leadership across New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, we’re continuing to evolve our Healthcare practice and support impactful work across the U.S. and beyond. Meet the team below. MORE → bit.ly/4oOuuEr

Congratulations to Sustainability Director Shona O'Dea on being named a 2025 Sustainability TrailblazHER™ Award finalist! Part of TrailblazHER™ at TU Dublin's inaugural Excellence Awards, this program celebrates women who are redefining leadership, driving innovation, and shaping a more equitable, sustainable future across Ireland. The awards honored more than 50 inspiring finalists leading change across academia, industry, and community impact. A leader of SOM’s Sustainable Engineering Studio, O’Dea advises clients on sustainable goal-setting. Working with design teams, she uses building simulation to quantify energy savings and understand the interactions of building design with the mechanical systems and the environment. Her work advancing sustainable design and measurable climate impact embodies the TrailblazHER™ mission, and we’re proud to see her recognized among an extraordinary group of leaders. Learn about her work in our Sustainability Engineering Studio below. MORE → bit.ly/3LLkQUl

As one of the few design firms validated by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), SOM has established clear, measurable, and science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions across both our business operations and the projects we design—and we are committed to reporting annually on that progress. This transparent approach ensures accountability and continuous improvement across our global operations. “Through measurable commitments and transparent reporting, we are holding ourselves to the same high standards we advocate for in our projects around the world," said Sustainability Lead Herman Calleja. These targets reflect our commitment not only to decarbonize our practice, but also to influence broader transformation within the built environment through design excellence and innovation. Read on as we present SOM’s firmwide greenhouse gas emissions, offering a clear picture of our current impact and the trajectory of our decarbonization efforts. MORE → bit.ly/480INPc Video: © Energy Vault Holdings Inc

Few environments demand more from design than an airport, where flawless operation, efficiency, and a sense of place must align to ease the passenger journey—and we’ve applied that thinking to our aviation projects worldwide. In Chicago, that vision is taking shape through our design for Concourse D—featured in Civil Engineering Magazine (ASCE)—marking the airport’s largest expansion. The 590,000-square-foot concourse adds 19 gates and introduces a highly efficient structure inspired by orchard trees that once populated the site. Designed by SOM with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects (JGMA), and Arup, it forms part of O’Hare’s Terminal Area Plan to improve one of the world’s busiest hubs. “From passenger flow to the structure and enclosure, the biggest challenge was efficiency—in terms of material, space, and embodied carbon,” said SOM Design Partner Scott Duncan. “At every stage, we looked for opportunities to do more with less: reducing the amount of steel, glazing, and other materials while optimizing the interior footprint and volume.” And at Kansas City International Airport (MCI), SOM’s design redefines what a contemporary terminal can be—intuitive, inclusive, and rooted in a sense of civic pride. Planned and engineered with design-builder Clark Construction Group | The Weitz Company | Clarkson Construction Company, the 1.1-million-square-foot facility replaces the original 1972 terminals while expanding capacity and improving the passenger experience, earning it five national honors from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), including Project of the Year. Learn about the projects below. O’HARE → bit.ly/4hRKTVO MCI → bit.ly/3XrSvF6 Images: © City of Chicago and Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM Concourse D: A collaboration with the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) - O'Hare & Midway International Airports

Nearly four decades after designing the LG Corporation Headquarters in Seoul, we returned to this legacy project alongside Junglim Architecture for a 21st-century renovation of the building’s plaza and base—a revitalization effort that won International Interior Design Association’s Best of Asia Pacific Design Award in the public space and commercial lobby category. Originally completed in 1986, the LG Corporation Headquarters was the first large-scale, modern workplace in South Korea and a forerunner for future office developments in Seoul. Returning to such a legacy project presented a unique challenge: how to honor the original design while reimagining the architecture to meet today’s needs. With the scope limited to the building’s base and plaza, the design focused on creating a spacious, functional environment that enhances employee experience, while also stewarding the project’s legacy as a landmark for the surrounding Yeouido community. At the heart, the design introduces a striking new opening and sculptural staircase that links the first and lower floors together, offering inviting spaces for gathering. The campus refresh also includes new paving, plantings, fountains, and rock gardens outside the main entrance, transforming the plaza into a vibrant and welcoming public space. See the winners below. MORE → bit.ly/4nKso77 Photos: © Namsun Lee

Bill Baker led SOM’s structural engineering practice for more than 20 years—including the iconic supertall tower Burj Khalifa—and tomorrow, you can join him for a free lecture in person in New York or via Zoom. The event, “Structural Research in the Creation of New Architectures,” explores how sustained, open-ended research in structural design can generate new architectural possibilities. In addition to the Burj Khalifa, Baker’s oeuvre includes significant long-span roof and specialty structures, such as the Broadgate Exchange House in London, the Entrance Pavilion for General Motors’ Headquarters in Detroit, and the Manulife Calgary Pedestrian Bridge. An Honorary Professor at Cambridge and MIT, Baker will open the event on November 11 with a presentation on how “blue sky” research by designers can drive new technologies and architecture. Following his lecture, Baker joins Sigrid Adriaenssens, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Princeton University; Thorsten Helbig, founding partner of structural and façade engineering firm knippershelbig; and moderator Elizabeth O'Donnell, Distinguished Professor Adjunct at the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, for a discussion on the evolving relationship among engineering, material experimentation, and architectural form. Register below. MORE → bit.ly/3XiFvSb 📷: © Nick Merrick | Hedrich Blessing and Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM

Ahead of COP30 Brazil in Belém next week, we’re spotlighting SOM’s Sustainable Engineering Studio (SES)—a team of global experts shaping a future where architecture contributes to ecological regeneration and resilience. SES is our interdisciplinary engineering practice operating as an agile in-house consultancy, helping clients navigate the complexities of achieving meaningful carbon reductions. It’s where research meets action—bringing together innovations in whole life carbon accounting, resilience design, sustainable urban planning, and more. Learn more below about the Sustainable Engineering Studio and explore recent highlights, including Sustainability Director Mina Hasman’s upcoming participation at #COP30. SES → bit.ly/4hHxZcS COP30 → bit.ly/3JCSTxu Image: © SOM | Miysis