AECOM Case Study




























1. What is AECOM?
  • The name AECOM stands for Architecture, Engineering, Consulting, Operations and Management. 
  • It provides services in the areas of transportation design, facilities construction, environmental services, energy, water, disaster response and governmental assistance for the public and private sector. (digplanet 2010). 
  • With approximately 52,000 employees and has been ranked 352nd in the fortune 500 list. 
http://www.aecom.com/About


2. History of AECOM


  • 20 years ago founder of AECOM Richard G Newman and a group of employees set out to create a firm which would bring together various industries to create a company that would have the expertise in making the world a better place. 
  • Since the official founding of AECOM in 1990 more than 30 companies have joined AECOM making it now the largest design firm in the world. 
http://www.aecom.com/About/History


3. What AECOM does....



AECOM's operations focus on the following areas of expertise:
Architecture
Building Engineering
Construction Services
Design + Planning
Economics
Energy
Environments
Government
Mining oil + gas
Programming Management
Program, Cost, Consultancy
Transportation
Water

Clients have access to all these professional expertise the company has to offer making sure of a seamless delivery on every project

http://www.aecom.com/About


4. Design + Planning in AECOM



 I have chosen to focus more on the Design and planning section as AECOM is such a large company, as I feel this is the section that appeals to me the most and which is most suitable with my qualifications.  Within the Design and Planning sector of the company it then goes into further division:

Environmental + Ecological Planning
Landscape Architecture
Master Planning + Urban Design
Strategic Planning
Sustainability
Market Sectors

All these departments within design and planning work together in projects or separately depending on the scale of a projects.

Whether working on a multi-acre corporate landscape, a small urban park, or a year-round resort, our landscape architects and urban designers consider the site's physical surroundings and the needs of the client as well as the financial mechanisms, long-term community effects, implementation, maintenance, and management of the project. (AECOM, 2010)
http://www.aecom.com/What+We+Do/Design+and+Planning


5. Work AECOM has done.....

Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester

Piccadilly Garden in Manchester

Following an international competition, AECOM was chosen to design the new Piccadilly Gardens, the centerpiece of a wider regeneration strategy that includes 1960's Piccadilly Plaza and new commercial development.

 They worked in collaboration with other renowned architects. AECOM has created an exciting new image for what is now the largest public open space in central Manchester.

I chose this project they have done because i have already used Piccadilly Gardens as a case study in relation to my CDP site.

Sheaf Square, Sheffield

AECOM won an award for the design of Sheaf Square.
  • AECOM completed the award-winning scheme for Sheaf Square. The contemporary-style public space incorporates exciting water features, art installations and seating areas, along with new road layouts and a public transport interchange.
  • Providing an upbeat welcome to visitors arriving by train, and as part of the regeneration of Sheffield city centre.
  • AECOM led a multidisciplinary team comprising civil, geotechnical and transportation engineers, quantity surveyors, lighting designers, and artists specializing in glass and stainless steel. 
  • The design team also featured a unique partnering arrangement with Sheffield City Council's Urban Design and Environmental Planning team. AECOM prepared designs up to detailed planning level.
I also chose Sheaf Square for a case study for my CDP, it has won many awards such as the Project of the year award in the 2006 National Rail awards.

http://www.aecom.com/What+We+Do/Design+and+Planning/Landscape+Architecture+and+Urban+Design/_carousel/Sheaf+Square


7. Work AECOM have done.....

London 2012 Olympics

The London Olympics is in the stages of being built, AECOM helped design the Masterplan.
  • AECOM drew up the original London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Masterplan. 
  • Their next involvement with the project is that they are now to develop a Legacy Masterplan Framework (LMF) for the Olympic Park. 
  • They are working in collaboration with Olympic Delivery Authority, Greater London Authority, London Development Agency, Design for London, five Olympic Host Boroughs and the local community. 
  • Their task is to develop a framework masterplan accompanied by a series of detailed strategies in relation to social infrastructure, housing, employment, leisure & culture, town planning, transport, water, waste, strategic sustainability, infrastructure, energy and climate change. 
  • Their objective is too retain a high quality environment which can represent the 2012 Olympics and its changing character overtime.
http://www.aecom.com/About/Key+Projects/_carousel/2012+Olympics+-+Legacy+Masterplan+Framework,+London,+U.K.
8. AECOM in the UK

AECOM has lots of offices all over the UK. AECOM tends to join up with local design firms and authorities on large projects.  

Getting hold of AECOM of the London office is difficult, on their website this is all they have shown for the UK.

http://www.aecom.com/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=5ef29a33f15b4210VgnVCM100000089e1bacRCRD


9. AECOM Awards



AECOM is a world-renowned design company with many achievements. Here are just some of the awards they have been given these give a basic insight to what the company is like to work for and to work with.
 
Some of AECOM's Awards as a company:
  • AECOM listed on America's Fortune 500 at #352.
  •  Financial Times names AECOM Best Workplaces.
  •  Environment for employees, clients and business partners.
  • ENR magazine labelled them no.1 design firm out of 500.

  • Newsweek names AECOM one of America’s Greenest Big Companies 2010. Newsweek has included AECOM on its annual list of America’s most environmentally friendly big companies for the second year in a row.

http://www.aecom.com/About/Excellence+and+Awards


10. How AECOM presents themselves to the outside world....










AECOM has completed the design for the NASA N232 Collaborative Support Building, California, U.S.


AECOM’s moto is ‘To enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environments.’ 

Dedicated to this promise, the company is driven by a clear set of Core Values, which define who they are, what they do and how they go about it. This reflects in the work they do, all projects are built to high standards and they take the sustainable  and environmental approach to everything they do. (AECOM, 2010)

AECOM works in partnership and various smaller organizations to ensure that they work along side the smaller firms in the interest for local communities. 

By working along side local companies and the governments they have can help them with design, science and engineering solutions to help hospitals, schools and communities at a local to national level.

http://www.aecom.com/About/Purpose+and+Core+Values


11. AECOM's Sustainable Approach to Working



AECOM have a whole department within their company dedicated to the environmental
planning and sustainability. On every single project they partake in they have skilled
engineers, scientists and specialist in all sectors of the environmental field working to
make sure it is managed at a high level.
Sustainable design and development are at the core of their business mission and the
services they provide to their clients. They also try to encourage sustainable practices to
their employees in their work and home life.

In the Design + Planning Section, under sustainability it is then split further into further
departments they have working under sustainability:


http://www.aecom.com/What+We+Do/Design+and+Planning/Sustainability



12. Why is AECOM so Successful?


 AECOM is producing the master plan for Saadiyat Island, a new 2700-hectare signature urban quarter to be built on a natural island directly adjacent to Abu Dhabi.





I think that AECOM is so successful because they are company that has experts which work together within all areas of the company. Each project which is taken on has the best engineers in the field down to the best environmentalist and they all work closely together to achieve amazing work. They have made a extremely world wide positive name for themselves, there is next to nothing bad press the company has its seems the company is large enough to employ expert people to cover all aspects of every projects which leaves no room for error.


13. AECOM's Social Responsibilites


EWB, Engineers Without Borders of AECOM work closely with communities in underdeveloped countries



AECOM presents itself as a company that cares about the earth and the people in it. They contribute with help towards communities and fundraising with natural disasters such as the 2008 earthquake in China, Haiti, and do various fundraising for wildlife and conservation trusts. Their employees are fully involved in fundraising, from food bank, to earth day, adoption sponsorship and hosts of many fundraising events.


Corporate Social Responsibility Review 2009, outlines projects and approaches the company takes to making the world a better place :  http://csrreview.aecom.com/sr_adopt.aspx


14. Working for AECOM

AECOM has introduced a Graduate Center programme
In order to leverage diversity as a competitive advantage, AECOM’s for policy employees are:
  • Ensure that everyone receives equal treatment in all aspects of employment policies and working practices.
  • Foster an open working environment free from discrimination and harassment.
  • Employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities in which we operate.
  • Raise employee awareness by designing and delivering sustainable diversity initiatives.
  • Act as an employer of choice and influence our industry peers and business partners to adopt similar diversity standards and goals.
AECOM for Students

AECOM offer student training programs that help students understand and gain knowledge for the skills needed in the industry such as managing small scale projects and negotiations. They also help graduates qualify for work within the company in the chosen field of work. They also offer graduate scheme programs.






Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)