SOM’s Most Iconic Works (2025 Review)
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill has built a reputation not only for architectural innovation but also for advancing sustainable design through evidence-based practices. The firm was among the first to integrate energy modeling, material lifecycle analysis, and passive environmental strategies into mainstream architectural workflows.
As of 2023, more than 90 of SOM’s completed projects have achieved LEED certification, including Platinum-rated towers, civic buildings, and transportation hubs across five continents.
Rather than treating sustainability as a trend or add-on, SOM applies it as a foundational design parameter—from early planning phases to post-occupancy evaluations. Their work addresses both operational efficiency and embodied carbon, contributing to evolving global standards in green architecture.
In this article, we have the list of SOM’s design philosophy and value, most iconic works and the reason it is related to sustainability.
Design Philosophy & Values
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) approaches architecture as a multidisciplinary process grounded in rigorous technical knowledge, design clarity, and responsiveness to context. Their philosophy is shaped by the integration of architecture, structural engineering, and urban planning to create buildings and cities that are both functional and forward-looking.
1. Integration of Disciplines
One of SOM’s defining characteristics is its collaborative approach. Architects, engineers, interior designers, and planners work as a single team from the earliest stages of a project. This cross-disciplinary method allows for high levels of efficiency, technical innovation, and coherence in design—particularly important in large-scale and complex structures like skyscrapers, transit hubs, and civic institutions.
2. Performance-Driven Design
Rather than designing based on visual trends, SOM emphasizes performance and longevity. Environmental conditions, site constraints, material behavior, and user needs directly influence the design process. The firm uses advanced digital modeling, simulations, and material testing to evaluate how a structure will perform over time in terms of energy efficiency, durability, and occupant comfort.
3. Contextual Awareness
SOM avoids a one-size-fits-all aesthetic. Its projects often respond to the social, cultural, and climatic context of their location. For example, the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai incorporates design elements rooted in traditional Chinese architecture, while still functioning as a modern skyscraper.
4. Structural Expression
Many of SOM’s most recognizable buildings—such as the John Hancock Center in Chicago or the Burj Khalifa in Dubai—are defined by visible structural elements. This reflects the firm’s history of close collaboration between architects and engineers, where the structure is not hidden but celebrated as part of the architectural language.
5. Commitment to Sustainability
SOM was an early adopter of sustainable design practices and continues to research and develop strategies for reducing carbon footprints in both new buildings and retrofits. Their work includes high-performance facades, passive climate strategies, and integrated renewable energy systems. The firm has contributed to guidelines and standards in sustainable urban planning and design.
6. Innovation Through Research
Beyond practice, SOM engages in independent research initiatives. These range from experiments in new construction systems (like modular timber towers) to urban-scale studies on climate adaptation. Their in-house research often informs real-world projects and contributes to the advancement of the profession at large.
Top Iconic Works by SOM
SOM’s most notable projects demonstrate the evolution of modern architecture through technical innovation, structural experimentation, and contextual response. These buildings are studied for their engineering strategies, material systems, and integration of function at various scales. Ranging from early modernist offices to contemporary supertalls, each project reflects key developments in high-rise construction, façade technology, and multidisciplinary design thinking.
1. Burj Khalifa – Dubai, UAE (2010)
Type: Mixed-use skyscraper
Designed as a vertical city, Burj Khalifa redefines the potential of high-rise construction. Its Y-shaped plan optimizes structural stability and interior layout, while its tapering form reduces wind loads. Inspired by Islamic architecture, the design fuses regional identity with cutting-edge technology. As the tallest building in the world, it stands as a global benchmark for engineering and urban ambition.
2. One World Trade Center – New York City, USA (2014)
Type: Commercial office and observation tower
Symbolizing resilience and renewal, One World Trade Center rises from the World Trade Center site with a crystalline form rooted in geometric clarity. Its base is fortified yet visually elegant, transitioning into a faceted glass tower. The building integrates advanced sustainability and security features, reflecting a new paradigm for post-9/11 skyscrapers. Its 1,776-foot height honors American independence.
3. Lever House – New York City, USA (1952)
Type: Corporate office building
Lever House introduced the glass curtain wall to American commercial architecture, setting a new standard for corporate modernism. Its clean slab-on-podium composition departs from masonry traditions, embracing transparency, lightness, and repetition. The building’s public plaza and sleek modern lines established a new relationship between architecture and the street, shaping the mid-century urban skyline of New York.
4. John Hancock Center (875 N Michigan Ave) – Chicago, USA (1970)
Type: Mixed-use tower
A pioneer of structural expressionism, the Hancock Center uses its iconic X-bracing as both structure and aesthetic. This diagonal framing reduces the need for internal columns, maximizing usable floor space. Designed by engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan, the tower integrates residential, commercial, and public functions vertically. Its bold form became a defining feature of Chicago’s skyline and skyscraper engineering globally.
5. S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel – Colorado Springs, USA (1962)
Type: Religious and ceremonial space
This expressive structure features 17 repeated tetrahedral frames clad in aluminum, evoking aircraft aesthetics and aerospace innovation. Its soaring form captures spiritual ascent while reflecting the academy’s focus on modernity and progress. The chapel accommodates multiple faiths in separate sanctuaries—unusual for its time—and has become a landmark of American modernist architecture and symbolic military identity.
6. Jin Mao Tower – Shanghai, China (1999)
Type: Mixed-use skyscraper
Jin Mao Tower blends traditional Chinese architectural forms with modern technology. Its tiered, pagoda-inspired massing references historical symbolism while addressing wind and seismic forces through its composite structure. The building’s steel-and-glass skin expresses verticality and order. As one of Shanghai’s earliest supertalls, it established a new standard for East Asian high-rise architecture and global urban design.
SOM and Sustainability
SOM is frequently associated with sustainability not because of branding, but due to its long-standing integration of environmental performance into architectural and engineering processes. The firm doesn’t treat sustainability as an added layer—it is embedded from the earliest design phases and driven by measurable outcomes.
1. Performance-Based Design
SOM uses a data-driven approach to analyze energy use, daylight, thermal comfort, water consumption, and material performance. Their in-house environmental engineers and digital design specialists use simulation tools to test building systems before construction begins. This results in designs optimized for real-world conditions, reducing both operational energy and long-term environmental impact.
2. Early Adoption of Green Building Standards
SOM was among the early adopters of LEED and other green building certification systems. Many of their buildings exceed the minimum standards set by these frameworks, including projects that are LEED Platinum and net-zero ready. They’ve also contributed to sustainability codes and design guidelines at city and national levels.
3. Integration of Passive Strategies
Rather than relying solely on mechanical systems, SOM’s designs often incorporate passive techniques such as solar orientation, thermal massing, natural ventilation, and responsive façades. For example, in hot climates, SOM has developed double-skin facades or deep overhangs to control solar gain, reducing the need for artificial cooling.
4. Urban-Scale Sustainability
Beyond individual buildings, SOM is actively involved in sustainable masterplanning. Their urban designs prioritize walkability, public transport, ecological preservation, and climate resilience. Notable projects include entire eco-districts or urban redevelopment plans where energy, water, and waste systems are integrated at the district scale.
5. Research and Prototyping
SOM invests in material and systems research—often beyond client demands. One example is their collaboration on the “Carbon-Free City” prototype and the development of “Timber Towers”, which explores the feasibility of high-rise mass timber construction. These projects are not just theoretical—they influence policy, industry standards, and future building practices.
6. Embodied Carbon and Lifecycle Thinking
More recently, SOM has expanded its sustainability efforts to include embodied carbon—the emissions associated with materials and construction. The firm has published detailed carbon assessments for its projects and is exploring low-carbon concrete, recycled steel, and circular construction models. Lifecycle analysis informs early decision-making in both renovation and new-build contexts.
Resources: aaup | Architectural Digest | ArchDaily | Dezeen | World Architecture News