Stantec to acquire architecture firm ADD Inc.

Boston — ADD Inc, a 210-person architecture, interior design, planning, and branding firm based in Boston and Miami, signed a letter of intent to merge with North American design firm Stantec. The deal, which helps Stantec strengthen its capabilities in the Buildings business line in the Eastern United States, is expected to close in September.

“One of the strongest opportunities for growth in North America is its urban centers,” says Stantec president and CEO Bob Gomes. “ADD Inc’s background in urban markets with projects in commercial development, workplace design, mixed-use housing, hospitality, retail, and academic institutions gives us a platform to continue growing in these areas across the country.”

ADD Inc focuses on architecture, interior design, planning, and branding services. The firm serves multifamily housing, hospitality, retail, higher education, and corporate office developer and end user clients. Some of the company’s most notable projects include the Massachusetts College of Art’s “Tree House” residence, whose exterior features an organic mosaic of over 5,000 composite aluminum panels. The building is hailed as one of Boston’s most innovative new high rises and named one of four finalists in the Americas by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Best Tall Building Competition.

The firm also recently completed One Channel Center, a nearly 500,000-square-foot office building for State Street Bank in Boston’s emerging Innovation District, and Gale South Beach, a boutique hotel in Miami that balances tropical Art Deco design with modern amenities, including a roof-top bar and pool, a restaurant and cocktail lounge, and a nightclub. The firm is currently working on Solitair Residences, Miami’s new 48-story luxury apartment building located at the entrance to Brickell Citi-Centre in the Brickell Financial District.

“We have always put collaboration, innovation, and client service at the center of our design philosophy and practice. Joining with such a diverse, multidisciplinary company as Stantec affords us the opportunity to further our design vision while growing and better serving our clients,” says Fred Kramer, president of ADD Inc. “Stantec’s strengths complement our vision and will give our team the opportunity for continued growth through projects with different types of clients, including those in the public sector and research and development institutions.”

Stantec has existing offices in both ADD Inc locations, with over 90 employees in each of its downtown Boston and Coral Gables, Fla., offices. ADD Inc brings Stantec’s total count of U.S. staff to about 6,400 employees.