ENR Top 500 Design Firms 2026: Why the AI Boom Is Buoying Design Revenue and Where Every Contractor Should Team With Architects and Engineers Now

ENR just released the 2026 Top 500 Design Firms ranking, showing that the AI boom (data centers, AI campuses, advanced manufacturing) is buoying design revenue across the industry. This deep-dive unpacks the top 10 movers, where AI campus and data center backlogs are concentrating, what GCs should do to team with design firms early, the margin structure shift, and the Smart Business Automator design firm partnership directory every forward-looking contractor needs open before the next RFP hits.