Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

AS+GG was founded in Chicago in 2006 by Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill, and Robert Forest after they left the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM). Taking their experience on large, mixed-use projects, AS+GG focuses on the design of high-performance, energy-efficient, and sustainable architecture on an international scale. "We're now trying to design a building as a vehicle, or a vessel, that uses less energy and also mines the free energy that's available," as Smith explained in an interview with architectural historian Judith Dupré, "and that's creating a new aesthetic for us."

Adrian Smith's departure from SOM was widely reported. At the time of his departure, Smith had several projects still under construction that were designed while at SOM including: Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE, Broadgate Tower, London, England, the UK and Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago, and with Gordon Gill and Robert Forest: Nanjing Greenland Financial Center, Nanjing, China. Gordon, while at SOM, designed the award-winning Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia. He also designed the Pearl River Tower, Guangzhou, China with Robert also working on the project.

Though the start-up of their firm appears to have had some rough moments (Smith had to pay $250,000 of salaries out of his own pocket to cover one rough spot), they have been commissioned for at least one ground-breaking building. Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture has been chosen over SOM, Norman Foster, Atkins, and Helmut Jahn to design and build the Headquarters of Masdar City, a zero-energy, zero carbon, zero waste city in the United Arab Emirates.

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) has grown substantially since its inception in November 2006 with only 7 employees. At the end of one year, the firm employed 35. As of April 2008 there were over 70 employees at AS+GG., and in December 2008 the staff totals were reported as 185. The firm peaked around 200 employees in 2009 when they had to lay off forty employees on February 28 and an additional 40 on March 6 of that year. The firm has hired other notable designers from top Chicago firms but have continued to have layoffs each year beginning in 2008.

The company competes with Atkins, Foster + Partners, Kohn Pedersen Fox and Skidmore Owings & Merrill.