July 26, 2016

Ankrom Moisan buys firm in San Francisco

Portland-based Ankrom Moisan Architects now has an office in San Francisco after acquiring the architecture firm Forum Design.

Terms of the deal were not released.

Forum Design was founded in 1997. The seven-person firm specializes in smaller infill housing, which AMA expects will become more prevalent in San Francisco and Seattle as land prices continue to rise.

An Ankrom Moisan spokeswoman said her firm tends to design larger mixed-use housing projects. It has done smaller projects, but she said this acquisition will give it more expertise in designing for smaller sites, along with the experience of an established San Francisco firm.

Throckmorton

Schmalz

Forum's co-founder, Warner Schmalz, has over 40 years of experience in architecture and master planning.

He is now a managing principal at AMA and will lead the San Francisco office with AMA principal Travis Throckmorton. There are 12 employees in that office, which is in Forum's old space at 1014 Howard St.

In San Francisco, Forum is working on several residential projects along the Van Ness corridor, renovation of Rincon Towers and a mixed-use complex called 1880 Mission Street. It recently completed 1650 Broadway in Pacific Heights, a 35-unit residential building, along with five projects on or near Market Street.

“Warner (Schmalz) has been here for decades and knows the Bay Area culture and regulations inside out,” said AMA President Dave Heater. “He and his team understand how to successfully design urban housing in the city.”

The San Francisco office will focus on affordable, market-rate, senior and student housing. AMA said there are opportunities to help address homelessness and affordability issues by designing housing for under-used sites in downtown, South of Market and eastern San Francisco.

Throckmorton said the office will emphasize pedestrian-focused design and green construction.

“Ankrom Moisan is recognized for place-specific design expertise that ensures each project is adapted to its surrounding neighborhood within specific markets,” said Throckmorton, who started with AMA in 1997. He relocated from Portland to help lead the San Francisco office.

AMA was founded in 1983, and now has more than 350 employees; 100 of them are in Seattle. Besides mixed-use and multifamily, it works on hospitality, workplace and health care projects.

Its 2015 revenue was $55 million. Projected revenue for 2016 is $60 million.

The firm has worked in California for more than a decade. Recent Bay Area projects include Channel at Mission Bay; Jewish Home of San Francisco; Marea Alta, a modular, affordable housing development in San Leandro; Levare and Misora at Santana Row; and Post Tower in San Jose.

AMA has designed over 20 projects in Portland's Pearl District. In downtown Seattle, AMA designed Rollin Street Flats, Cornish Commons and Cyrene.

AMA said the acquisition gives Forum the resources of a larger firm with a broader West Coast presence.