Ratio merging with Denver-based architectural firm

Indianapolis-based Ratio Architects Inc., the city’s largest architectural firm, announced Tuesday that it was merging with Denver-based Humphries Poli Architects, which is known for its library and educational projects.

The merged company will continue to be based in Indianapolis and operate under the name Ratio, except in Denver, where it will be called Ratio-HPA. The merger was effective this week.

The deal allows Ratio to grow its footprint around the United States. The firm already has operations outside of Indianapolis in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Chicago and Champaign, Illinois.

Founded in 1982, Ratio is the largest architecture firm in the Indianapolis area, based on local billings of $25.9 million in 2018. The firm has 75 local employees and 168 at all of its offices. Billings were $40 million company-wide in 2018.

Some of its more notable projects include Conseco Fieldhouse, the Indiana State Museum and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Dinosphere. Recent projects include the Zotec Partners headquarters in Carmel and the upcoming Signia Hilton planned for Pan Am Plaza.

Last year, Humphries Poli was recognized as the Mountain West Region Firm of the Year and named firm of the year in Denver and Colorado by the American Institute of Architects. The firm had $6.6 million in billings last year and 25 employees.

“We’re looking forward to building off our respective histories of success and combining to compete even more effectively in the Western Mountain Region and at the national level,” said Bill Browne, Ratio founding principal and president, in a written statement.

Ratio previously merged Cherry Huffman Architects in Raleigh in 2011.

Ratio said it plans to capitalize on Humphires Poli’s expertise in educational projects to strengthen its own higher-ed practice. The Denver firm, founded in 1994, has been involved in more than 100 library and educational design projects.

The firm’s founding principals, Dennis Humphries and Joe Poli, will remain “key partners” at the combined firm, Ratio said.

“Our mergers have resulted in greater design excellence than we had hoped since outperforming our growth plans over 10 years ago,” Browne said. “The merger in Denver will allow our international design practice headquartered in Indianapolis to provide more deeply integrated expertise and services for client success locally, across the U.S. and around the globe.”