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Perkins Eastman

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Perkins Eastman reviews

3.5

61% would recommend to a friend

(307 total reviews)
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Brad Perkins

70% approve of CEO

34% positive business outlook

Perkins Eastman has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 307 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Perkins Eastman employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

307 reviews
2.0
Mar 31, 2014

PE (S9): lackluster...

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

This is one of the largest architecture firms based in New York, and there is job security: the company is seemingly a place where one could work for the remainder of a career. I believe most employees stay for this reason in addition to inertia. There are also many studios at Perkins Eastman and transition from one to another may help your experience. The hours can be very reasonable.

Cons

Low budgets are the driving force of projects as well the driving force for an employee's experience of the office. Employees are not rewarded on merit. Very small bonuses, no in-house printshop (therefore cannot be used unless specifically commissioned), sad, banal office culture and parties/events... There is a general lack of design intent on projects. Managers control projects (under the tight scrutiny of the senior managers who have to enforce strict hours due to low billing, which results in usually less-than-mediocre work); designers are Photoshop-ers. There is a very high turnover rate at S9.

3.0
Oct 13, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Perkins Eastman Architects PC is one of the "Top 10 "architectural firms in New York City, one of the Top 100 design firms in the United States, and one of the top architectural firms in the world. Founded in 1981, the firm has become a leading international architecture, urban design, and interior design firm offering programming, planning, design, strategic planning, and consulting services with a diverse portfolio of projects in the following practice areas: Planning and Urban Design, Office, Retail and Mixed-Use Development, Corporate Interiors, Housing, Hotels and Resorts, Senior Living, Healthcare, Science and Technology, Education, Public and Cultural. The range of design vocabularies employed for these building types illustrates the diversity of the firm's principals and clients. In this way, the firm leverages its continually growing body of research and industry expertise to provide clients with unique solutions that are thoughtful, well designed, and uncompromised. The firm's design focus and design process assumes that the challenge of the project is often discovering how to go beyond the conventional solution, and the firm hires, retains and promotes outstanding designers from the best schools in the United States, Asia, Europe and South America.

Cons

Under the Leadership tab on their website (updated 2012), the firm lists the names of the 8 Founding Principals/ Executive Directors, 66 Principals and 31 Associate Principals (total = 105), some licensed architects/ planners, interior designers and/or LEED-accredited professionals and some not licensed, so there are opportunities to achieve the rank of Principal or Associate Principal without licensure. However, those opportunities for promotion and upward mobility within the firm are heavily weighted on in-house politics, who you know in what capacity and personal preferences and favoritism among Leadership rather than an employee's dedication to the firm, the profession and the quality of an employee's work. You will notice a sprinkling of Senior Associates and Associates in the NYC headquarters, and a larger cadre of Intermediate Architects, Entry-Level Architects and Support staff, but none of those employees receive any recognition whatsoever on the firm's website, while working late and doing a lot of heavy lifting in the office - - day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. In addition, strong technical architects at any level with a track record of significant on-site construction exposure who can organize, manage, draw and deliver a comprehensive set of construction documents based on the real-world needs of general contractors, subcontractors, trade professionals and the unavoidable complications and conflicts of construction operations are few and far between. And, if you like the idea of having a conversation or two a few times a year with Brad Perkins or Mary-Jean Eastman or any of the Founding Partners/ Executive Directors as you go about your daily business, you may find them to be totally inaccessible, reclusive, not at all interested and without an "open door" policy. (So get back to work son; we've got a deadline to be worried about.)

1.0
May 23, 2023

Run as fast as you can

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

decent salary, summer Fridays, opportunities to travel

Cons

Micro-management issues, lack of performance reviews, horrific higher-up overall management, lack of hybrid work environment, potential to be laid off on the spot with no reason given, tense/intimidating office environment, arrogant associates, burn-out applauded, hostile employees, Principals who are unwilling to adapt/change, no provided maternity leave (illegal), awful & extremely expensive benefits

Viewing 7 - 9 of 307 Reviews

Glassdoor has 364 Perkins Eastman reviews submitted anonymously by Perkins Eastman employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Perkins Eastman is right for you.