William Duff Architects (WDA) Named a Best Place to Work for the 3rd Time in 4 Years

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May 09, 2023, 15:40 ET

The San Francisco-based architecture and design firm's accomplishment is notable for the industry

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- William Duff Architects (WDA) makes history with its placement on the prestigious San Francisco Business Times' (SFBT) Best Places to Work 2023 list. The sole architecture firm on the 2022 and 2020 lists, WDA is also the only architecture firm to place consecutively in the last five years. The list is based on anonymous employee surveys administered by SFBT. This year, WDA is joined by three other architecture and design firms.

For its new, 7,2000-square foot office in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, WDA transformed a manufacturing facility into an architecture workshop through an adaptive reuse which embodies the firm's modern aesthetic and sustainable ethos. Project team: WDA, Evolv (general contractor); Holmes Structures; Interface Engineering; Rockridge Geotechnical; and Sixteen Five Hundred (lighting). Photo by Matthew Millman

At WDA, a San Francisco-based architecture and design firm which earned its third placement in four years on the San Francisco Business Times' Best Places to Work list, the employee experience extends outside the office; for its annual Spring Outing, WDA hosted a wood working class for staff at Wood Thumb. Photo courtesy of William Duff Architects (WDA)

"We're grateful our team has once again recognized our collective efforts to always strive for a better version of WDA," says Phoebe Lam, WDA director of operations. Lam is a firm owner, along with founder William S. Duff, Jr, AIA, Jim Westover, AIA, Residential practice leader, and Jonathan Tsurui, Hospitality practice leader. WDA's leadership team also includes David K. Plotkin, AIA, former Commercial practice leader, who now heads the newly created Community practice, and Sarah Mergy, director of business development and marketing.

WDA's employee benefits package highlights include: a formal mentorship program, profit sharing, bonuses, annual education stipend, hybrid working, summer hours and yoga. Lam also notes that projects are staffed to mitigate the long-hours often associated with the profession, and staff authorship of firm initiatives is encouraged — an example is Arch Camp, a free course for high school students, with priority registration for historically underrepresented groups (HUGs), on becoming an architect.

"A firm with a lot of skill, class and creativity in its DNA received well-deserved recognition," states Fran Coiro, a former Commercial practice client.

Stacy Williams, the Executive Director of the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIASF), describes WDA's achievements as pivotal and emphasizes that all four firms are members of AIASF. Williams also notes that while their colleagues in the construction industry have consistently made the Best Places to Work lists, she hopes to see more architecture and design firms in the region place in the future, as this will only serve to strengthen the industry.

William Duff Architects (WDA) delivers thoughtful, innovative architecture throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Founded in 1998 and located in San Francisco, WDA finds inspiration in the talented people who live and work there, and the region's embrace of sustainability. The firm's commitment to a culture that fosters curiosity, collaboration, and innovation drives its success across its Residential, Hospitality, Community and Commercial practices. wdarch.com @wdarch_inc

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SOURCE William Duff Architects (WDA)