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When two architecture firms merge, the conversation tends to follow a predictable script. We talk about scale, about succession, about market share — the mechanics of a bigger business. The question is, do those metrics actually tell us anything about the architecture? More often than not, they miss the far more interesting prospect hiding beneath the deal: what might this partnership make possible that neither firm could achieve alone?
It’s a question worth asking now more than ever. The profession is in the midst of rapid change — new technologies are reshaping how we design, clients are asking for things they never used to, and the expertise required to deliver a single project keeps widening. Faced with all this, more and more firms are rethinking what growth should really look like, and whether the way they expand might itself be in service of better design.
At their best, mergers do more than add up two balance sheets. They can sharpen a firm’s creative capacity, deepen its pool of knowledge and equip it to take on the kind of complex, ambitious challenges that were previously out of reach. The merger, in other words, need not be a story about getting bigger. It can be a story about getting better.
David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center by Ennead & Perkins Eastman; photo courtesy of CannonDesign
CannonDesign has become a leading example of that approach. Through a recent series of acquisitions, including its partnership with Ennead Architects, the firm has made a clear case for growth as a means of deepening design capability rather than simply expanding scale. The Ennead deal, in particular, points to a model built on mutual benefit, preserving a distinct design identity while broadening what both firms can achieve together.
Architizer’s Editor in Chief, Paul Keskeys, sat down with Brad Lukanic, CEO of CannonDesign, and David Polzin, CannonDesign’s Executive Director of Design, to discuss the thinking behind the firm’s growth strategy, the opportunities created by its acquisition of Ennead and how carefully structured mergers can have a positive impact on the profession as a whole.
Paul Keskeys: Mergers and acquisitions are becoming more prevalent across the architecture industry. Why do you think this model is gaining momentum now, and what pressures or opportunities are driving that change?
Brad Lukanic: There has been a clear rise in activity over the past five years, and 2026 seems to be shaping up as one of the busier years for M&A activity over that stretch. Amidst all the activity, we are also seeing a strategic shift, from owner transition as a driver for the M&A activity to more of an owner investment strategy.
That means our conversations with other firms are more focused on the rapid rate of change in our industry today – technology, AI, global forces – and the inherent pressures that come with that. Firms and their leadership are looking to join forces to make a greater impact first and achieve owner transition as a byproduct. The industry has essentially hit this stride where it’s focused on achieving more together. It is an exciting time, and we are proud to be actively part of it.
California Institute of Technology Resnick Sustainability Center by CannonDesign; photo courtesy of CannonDesign
David Polzin: There is also an incredible diversity of options in structure when looking to join forces in our current market. There are strategic partnerships, ESOPs, private equity routes, private practices and publicly traded pathways – each with its own merits.
CannonDesign is deliberate in finding colleagues and partners who share our values and embrace a design-first mindset within our employee-ownership model. Ennead Architects is an ideal partner. They have an incredible design culture; they believe design as a field still has untapped potential. They make an immediate and positive impact on our future.”
PK: Can you elaborate on the rapid rate of change and pressures driving these shifts?
BL: Markets and industries are colliding in ways to break down boundaries that used to feel fixed. That’s pushing architects to offer far more diverse expertise across markets, strategy, technology, AI and beyond. Firms need to grow to build that expertise, and sometimes the most direct path is to join forces with the right people.
There’s also the sheer pace of technological change. Keeping up with AI, quantum computing, and digital products requires an enormous investment, and it’s accelerating. It often makes more sense to share those investments and build something together than to try to sustain it independently.
Edelman Fossil Park and Museum of Rowan University by Ennead; photo courtesy of CannonDesign
PK: Why did this feel like the right moment for CannonDesign and Ennead to come together, and what makes this a strategic alignment rather than simply a growth move?
BL: I have known partners at Ennead for more than a decade. We’ve long recognized our firms are deeply aligned across our values, portfolios, creative cultures and design philosophies, and given all the change in our industry and our collective ambitions to achieve more, this just felt like the right moment.
DP: We have been clear-eyed since day one that this is not a business move for growth’s sake. There is overlap in our portfolios, particularly in our education and healthcare design work. There are design-adjacent services we’ve invested in at CannonDesign that Ennead can now offer its clients. Ennead creates new opportunities for us, like embassies and consulates, and a deeper portfolio of civic and cultural work. This is a force multiplier for both of us that is calibrated and strategic.
PK: Both firms bring strong and distinct design identities. How do you protect what makes each practice recognizable while unlocking the advantages of operating as a combined entity?
BL: Moving forward, Ennead will be a distinct part of CannonDesign, practicing as Ennead, a CannonDesign company. It will continue its work as a distinct design practice with teams in New York, Los Angeles and Shanghai. Its unique identity, design culture and leadership remain, and we are committed to preserving those things that make Ennead such a unique, dynamic design firm.
One of the things I deeply admire about CannonDesign is our ability to constantly infuse resources, talent and ideas from all over without ever losing our design firm focus. We are comprised of regions, brands and teams, each with their unique cultures, that never wavers from being a unified firm focused on the greater good and impact of design. We now fold Ennead into that remarkable tapestry of talent and ingenuity, and I fully believe it will lead to the best for our collective firms.
Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal by CannonDesign; photo courtesy of CannonDesign.
PK: What kinds of projects — or kinds of impact — become possible now that weren’t feasible before this partnership?
DP: We believe our firms have remarkably similar attitudes about the value of design thinking and design practice, but we have had surprisingly little overlap in the marketplace. So, bringing a shared language for the role of architecture in civic life to an expanded landscape of clients and communities is a powerful thing.
Our collective talents and capabilities position us to shape the full arc of how places are imagined, built, activated, and experienced. We can collaborate with more clients on all sorts of high-stakes challenges and bring our expanding collection of creatives and experts to be targeted and precise in addressing issues of community, but also expansive and visionary in solving larger societal needs.
PK: From a client’s perspective, where will the benefits of this partnership be felt most clearly?
BL: CannonDesign is on a mission to fundamentally shift how architecture firms serve clients. Traditionally, an architecture firm engages with organizations for about three years — that’s a design and construction continuum.
However, we’re building expansive consulting, technology and software capabilities that allow us to serve clients over the full lifecycle of their real estate investment, and in other ways too. It’s moving us from that three-year model to more of a 30-year focus. Ennead amplifies our progress on that mission.
Shanghai Astronomy Museum by Ennead; photo courtesy of CannonDesign.
PK: Since the acquisition of Ennead, CannonDesign announced another acquisition of Cityfi, a consulting firm focused on the future of cities. Are there more moves ahead?
BL: Citfyi is amazing, and we are proud to have them as part of our team now. They represent the eighth acquisition CannonDesign has made over the past two years across design and consulting services.
I previously referenced this mission we’re on to fundamentally shift how architecture firms serve clients. That takes more than a mindset shift; it is not a static mission. To realize our greatest potential, we need to continue to grow, to invest, to scale and to empower people in new ways from within.
To fundamentally recharge design, you have to keep moving forward. We are focused on progress, we are willing to lead the industry and we are committed to never standing still.
Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.
