Some big architecture business news this week. It's been announced that the Kansas City-based firm Ellerbe Becket, has been acquired by the massive California company AECOM Technology Corp. Becket, you might recall, has come to more prominence recently for seemingly being Populous' only rival in the stadium building game, most recently getting handed the high-profile commission to design the New Jersey Nets Arena at Atlantic Yards after Frank Gehry got booted. The sale will apparently be good for both sides, with Becket, who will be keeping its name, having a much larger financial backing behind it, and AECOM buying a presence in the Midwest. Here's a bit:

"One of the big-picture issues now is the global marketplace," [managing principal Steve Duethman] said. "We have to figure out the best way to serve that marketplace and be a player in it. Joining AECOM allows us to do that."

For instance, Duethman said, in the sports and health care design fields, which are among the Kansas City office's strengths, the merger will allow Ellerbe Becket to expand into geographic markets that it previously didn't have the financial resources to enter.