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Once again showing more hustle and bustle than the top 100 Interior Design Giants, the second 100 Giantsearned $425,634,285 for our 2008 reporting period, up 25 percent from the previous year—the top group’s increase was only 15 percent. Both beat their own earnings projections by more than 10 percent, but interior design continues to account for a larger share of earnings for the second group (73 percent) than for the top group (59 percent). In fact, 35 of the second Giants report that all their income derives from interior design. (Only 17 of the top Giants claim that distinction, with architecture, engineering, facilities management, and industrial design playing a larger part.) The most earned by a single second Giant was $7,325,000, up 25 percent; the least was $1,700,000, up 13 percent. As always, corporate office work was the most active sector for both sets of Giants, but hospitality, which commands the highest average fees per hour, has been growing steadily over the past five years for the second 100 Giants, consistently coming in just behind offices and now accounting for 29 percent of earnings. Conversely, hospitality has been something of a roller
number
— and gaining
Idea/Span designed Turner Broadcasting System in Atlanta.
coaster for the top 100 Giants, now generating only 17 percent of earnings. After hospitality, offices commanded the highest hourly fees, followed by the ever fascinating “other” category, which com prisesgovernment, retail, education, culture and entertainment, residential, health care and as sisted living, and transportation. The value of the second 100 Giants’ fixtures, furnishings, and construction was $10,215,788,968, up 19 percent, compared with the top 100’s tally, which rose only 15 percent. Total space designed was 192,179,056 square feet, up 8 percent versus 3 percent for the top 100. However, before we be come too entranced by the get-up-and-go of the second 100, we should note that their earnings per square foot installed are only three quarters that of the top 100 Giants, the projects’ dollar value Continued on page 172.
jonathan hillyer
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