McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

What McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture does

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture is a privately held regional architecture, planning, interior design, and advisory firm headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, founded in 1955. The firm delivers professional services across 11 studios spanning South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, organized around specialized practice areas including Healthcare, Higher Education, K-12 Education, Industrial, Civic+Cultural, Commercial, Multifamily Living, Critical Systems, Secure Spaces, Energy+Utilities, and Aerospace+Defense. Core service offerings encompass architecture, interior design, master planning, feasibility studies, facility assessment, construction contract administration, sustainable design, adaptive reuse and historic preservation, and advisory services delivered through an MPS Advisors division.

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements, with fees typically structured as a percentage of construction cost or hourly rates under multi-year contracts. Distribution is direct and relationship-driven, with principals and senior personnel acting as thought leaders and primary relationship managers across practice areas. The go-to-market relies on repeat enterprise clients in target verticals, supported by thought-leadership content including three sector-specific podcasts (Ideas Shaping Healthcare, The Future of Education, The Future of K-12) and an Ideas blog. Notable clients include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, L3Harris, Dominion Energy, Nexans, Prisma Health, MUSC, AnMed Health, United Community Bank, and major universities including Furman, Clemson, Wofford, and the University of South Carolina.

The firm has scaled through a programmatic M&A strategy: merger with Watson Tate Savory Architects (October 2021), acquisitions of Virgo Gambill Architects (December 2022), Jumper Carter Sease Architects (June 2025), Fuqua & Partners Architects (July 2025), and MCA Architecture (March 2026), each adding geographic presence, sector capabilities, and leadership depth. Operating under the affiliate MPS Architects, P.C., the firm holds sustainability credentials including AIA 2030 Commitment signatory status, and has delivered South Carolina's first WELL Certified Building and multiple LEED-certified projects. Leadership comprises CEO Chad Cousins, CFO Mark Gettig, Chief People Officer Ren McKean, Chief Marketing Officer Katherine Stone, and 50 Principals across the enterprise.

Name

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

Legal name

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

Website

https://mcmillanpazdansmith.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture is a privately held regional architecture, planning, interior design, and advisory firm serving enterprise clients in healthcare, education, industrial, aerospace/defense, civic, and commercial sectors across 11 studios in the Southeastern United States, with services delivered through a relationship-based, project-based professional services model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design services
• Master planning services
• Adaptive reuse architecture
• Sustainable building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Core architectural services for new construction and renovation projects across multiple practice areas including healthcare, higher education, K-12, civic, commercial, and industrial sectors
2. Interior Design Services: Interior design services with over 100 years of combined experience partnering with organizations across the Southeast
3. Advisory Services: Feasibility studies, programming, master planning, and facility assessments through MPS Advisors
4. Sustainable Design Consulting: Sustainable design and building performance services helping clients reduce energy consumption and pursue LEED, WELL, Green Globes, Energy Star certifications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture is a regional architecture firm that designs, plans, and delivers built environments for enterprise clients across healthcare, higher education, K-12, industrial, civic, commercial, multifamily, energy, and aerospace/defense sectors. The firm provides integrated services spanning full architectural design, interior design, master planning, feasibility and programming, facility assessment, construction contract administration, sustainable/LEED/WELL consulting, and adaptive reuse/historic preservation through 11 Southeast studios and an advisory subsidiary, MPS Advisors.

Product overview

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture is a regional architecture, planning, and interior design firm headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. The firm operates as a single integrated service offering across 11 studios throughout the Southeast, organized around specialized practice areas including Healthcare, Higher Education, K-12 Education, Industrial, Civic + Cultural, Commercial, Multifamily Living, Critical Systems, Secure Spaces, and Energy + Utilities. The portfolio includes services such as architecture, interior design, master planning, feasibility studies, facility assessment, construction contract administration, sustainable design, adaptive reuse, and advisory services. The firm also produces thought leadership content through three podcast series covering healthcare, higher education, and K-12 education topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MPS Advisors: Advisory services division providing healthcare strategy and facility planning
• IdeaXChange

Products and services

• Architecture Services
• Interior Design Services
• Master Planning
• Feasibility and Programming
• Facility Assessment
• Construction Contract Administration
• Sustainable Design and Building Performance
• Adaptive Reuse and Historic Preservation
• Advisory Services (MPS Advisors)

Quantifiable outcome

• Judson Mill transformation: $160 million, 10-year project transforming 800,000-square-foot abandoned textile mill into mixed-use district
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Harmony Housing Affordable DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Partner in Southernside West affordable senior housing community project in Greenville, SC. 54-unit development for residents aged 55+ earning 30-80% of area median income.
• Greenville Housing FundminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Partner in Southernside West affordable senior housing community project. Financing includes loans from CommunityWorks and Huntington Bank, 9% Freddie Mac Forward loan arranged through JLL.
• MCA ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2026MCA Architecture, a Greenville-based industrial design firm founded in 1976, was acquired by McMillan Pazdan Smith. MCA brings over 40 million square feet of industrial development experience, 25+ employees, and leadership including founder Marshall F. Clarke. The acquisition strengthens MPS's industrial practice serving aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, and energy clients.
• Virgo Gambill ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2022Augusta-based Virgo Gambill Architects was acquired by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture to expand presence in the Augusta market.
• Watson Tate Savory ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2021Watson Tate Savory Architects merged with McMillan Pazdan Smith on October 31, 2021 to enhance Southeast U.S. presence and expand operations in Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC. The merger leveraged combined design expertise, project management strength, and regional reputation to benefit public and private clients, particularly in educational environments.
• Tri-County Technical College / Dr. Galen DeHaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Galen DeHay, President of Tri-County Technical College, co-hosts The Future of Education podcast with McMillan Pazdan Smith, bringing higher education leadership perspectives to the firm's thought leadership platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HKS: Architecture and design firm nationally known for healthcare, higher education, sports, and government work. Competes with MPS for academic medical center, civic, and higher-ed projects in the Southeast.
• EwingCole: Mid-Atlantic architecture and engineering firm specializing in healthcare, higher education, and science & technology. Directly competes with MPS for healthcare and academic clients in overlapping East Coast markets.
• NBBJ: Architecture and design firm with nationally recognized healthcare and higher education practices. Directly competes with MPS for academic medical center, hospital system, and university campus projects in the Southeast.
• Moody Nolan: Largest African-American-owned architecture firm in the U.S., with deep K-12 and higher education practices and offices across the Midwest, East Coast, and Southeast. Directly competes for K-12 and university projects in overlapping regions.
• BRPH: Southeast-based architecture and engineering firm serving aerospace, defense, manufacturing, and commercial clients with offices in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Direct competitor in MPS's Aerospace + Defense and Industrial practices.
• LS3P: Southeast U.S. architecture and design firm headquartered in Charleston, SC, with offices across the Carolinas and Florida serving healthcare, higher education, civic, and commercial clients. Closest direct competitor to MPS in scale, geography, and practice mix.

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Large global architecture practice with healthcare, science, education, and aviation/aerospace expertise. Competes for higher-ed, healthcare, and aerospace/defense clients in the Southeast and is a benchmark for design scale and process sophistication.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with deep healthcare, higher education, science, and civic practices. Competes with MPS on healthcare and university mandates across the Southeast and represents a broader incumbent that MPS benchmarks against for marquee projects.
• SmithGroup: Integrated architecture and engineering firm with strong healthcare, higher education, and workplace practices. Competes with MPS for institutional and healthcare clients across the Eastern U.S. and offers broader A/E capabilities.

Regional players

• tvsdesign: Atlanta-based architecture and design firm serving sports, aviation, civic, commercial, and higher education markets across the Southeast. Overlaps with MPS in Georgia-based civic, higher-ed, and commercial mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGGuU8FaDBP3B83YtxO3dw5rJnSo71NO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcmillan-pazdan-smith
• Xx.com/mpsarchitecture
• Facebookfacebook.com/mcmillanpazdansmith

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A5 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture