LMN Architects

Partners: Jud Marquardt, John Nesholm, Mark Reddington, Rob Widmeyer, Chris Eseman, Walt Niehoff, George Shaw

Specialty: Convention and exhibition, sports and recreation, performing arts, urban design, retail, office buildings, education, mixed-use

Year founded: 1979

2002 revenues: $16 million

Projected 2003 revenues: $17 million

Largest current projects: Vancouver, B.C., Convention Center expansion; Cincinnati Convention Center expansion and partial renovation; Highline Community College higher education center; Washington State University biotechnology/life sciences building

Image courtesy of LMN Architects Vancouver, B.C., Convention Center expansion

In an environment where more firms are chasing fewer jobs, LMN’s breadth has served it well, says partner Rob Widmeyer.

“Competition is stiff,” he says, noting that he sees an increasing number of firms reaching outside their niche to find work. “Clients have a larger number of people to pick from.”

LMN’s national profile has helped it weather the economic downturn over the past few years, during which the Northwest has been harder hit than many other areas of the country.

“We’ve always had a national practice in convention centers, education and performing arts,” Widmeyer says. “And we’ll continue to expand.”

The firm has major convention center projects on tap in Cincinnati and Vancouver, B.C. Other big projects include a theater renovation in Sacramento, Calif., and new school buildings for Washington State University in Pullman and Highline Community College in Des Moines. Smaller municipalities are now hopping on the convention center and performance hall bandwagon as well, Widmeyer says. Olympia, Everett, Bremerton, Clark County and Mount Vernon have all turned to LMN to design such facilities, albeit on a smaller scale than the firm’s recent McCaw Hall or Washington State Convention and Trade Center projects in Seattle.

Looking ahead, Widmeyer says he expects the firm to add to its 100-member staff as the economy improves. Areas that are heating up include mixed-use projects and environmentally sustainable building, with the latter driven by public clients. Widmeyer says more public work is being managed now by private developers.