The June 20 edition of ENR MidAtlantic will feature the top-ranked design firms based on 2015 revenue. With 83 participating firms reporting a total of $4.04 billion of work performed and billed, in the region — which includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C. and West Virginia — it’s clear that many architects and engineers had a banner year. But only one firm can be named the MidAtlantic’s Design Firm of the Year.

And that firm is Whitman, Requardt and Associates, LLP.

Headquartered in Baltimore, WRA celebrated its 100-year anniversary last year. But the firm has done anything but rest on its laurels. When the century-old retaining wallin Baltimore’s Charles Village neighborhood collapsed on CSX Transportation railroad tracks two years ago, making national news, WRA was onsite within 45 minutes to assist with the cleanup and start planning the restoration. Last year WRA played a crucial role in the speedy reconstruction of the retaining wall.

The firm is truly a multidisciplinary, with 50 percent of its business coming in transportation, including major ports. Another 20 percent of its work is in mechanical, electrical, structural and civil engineering. And about 25 percent of WRA's work deals with water waste systems such as pipelines, pump stations and wastewater treatment plants. The engineer also has a specialized group called the “Protective Design/Security Group” that works with government agencies to make sure that their facilities and infrastructure can withstand natural and manmade disasters.

Another standout project is the Ballenger-McKinney Wastewater Treatment Plant in Fredrick County, Md. After Frederick County required additional wastewater treatment capacity to meet projected flows of 25 MGD, the firm prepared a facility plan which outlined a phased approach to providing additional capacity. They also upgraded the plant to achieve Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) levels of treatment.

Readers can learn more about WRA in the next issue of ENR MidAtlantic.