110. Incorporating Architects

When you’re looking to rebuild a war-torn country or build a missile silo in case another war starts, there is a short list of architecture-engineering firms you would call upon. AECOM is at the top of that list. The mega-firm formerly known as DMJM, with its tentacles extending into almost every corner of the value chain, is the go-to conglomerate for large-scale projects worldwide. But how and why did it get there? Aaron Cayer, a professor at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, has investigated this question thoroughly, and the result is Incorporating Architects: How American Architecture Became a Practice of Empire. Join Unfrozen for the deep dive.