What Curtis + Ginsberg Architects does

Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP (C+GA) is a New York City-based architecture and planning firm founded in 1990 by R. Darby Curtis and Mark Ginsberg. The firm delivers full-service architectural design, urban planning, sustainability consulting, historic preservation, and educational/institutional facility design, with a defined specialization in affordable, supportive, and sustainable multifamily housing across the NYC metropolitan area. Its technical portfolio centers on Passive House design (25+ certified projects), LEED certification (11 projects), Enterprise Green Communities (65+ buildings), and energy-efficient systems including geothermal heating, VRF, ERVs, and solar PV. The practice claims 25,000+ housing units completed under leadership of its founding partners and reports $250M+ in construction value currently under development.

C+GA operates as a professional services partnership on a project-based fee model, compensated through multi-year contracts scoped per project. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales: the firm engages institutional and nonprofit clients — affordable housing developers (L+M, HELP USA, Camber, Services for the UnderServed), public housing authorities (NYCHA), educational institutions (TEP Charter School, FOUND Study), and select for-profit developers — via RFP responses, industry relationships, and competitive processes. Distribution is regional, concentrated in NYC with extensions into New York State and New Jersey. The firm markets through industry awards (100+ across 1990–2026), professional organization involvement (AIA, SARA, USGBC, Urban Design Forum), earned media, and a quarterly newsletter.

The firm is structured as a privately held LLP with five partners (Curtis, Ginsberg, Flynn, Melody, Kisilevitz) and approximately 45 staff. Leadership has been deliberately expanded through partnership and associate promotions across 2021–2026. C+GA is certified as a women-owned business enterprise and is independently owned, with no disclosed parent, PE/VC investors, or M&A activity. Recent strategic moves include a high-profile collaboration with Herzog & de Meuron on Hudson Mosaic, entry into NYCEDC's Mass Timber Studio, and ongoing leadership development through internal promotions.

Name

Curtis + Ginsberg Architects

Legal name

Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP

Website

https://cplusga.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Curtis + Ginsberg Architects is a 45-person New York architecture firm founded in 1990 that specializes in sustainable, affordable, and supportive multifamily housing, delivering Passive House, LEED, and Enterprise Green Communities design for nonprofit developers, public housing authorities, and institutional clients across the NYC metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Whole-Home Renovation (High-End Finishes & Custom Build) (HSAPAEAI), Engineering design services (line design, substation design, civil/structural) (EUADAKAG)

Keywords

• Sustainable architecture
• Affordable housing design
• Passive house design
• Supportive housing design
• Historic preservation architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services for design and construction administration of residential, institutional, and commercial projects. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design, permitting, and construction oversight services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP is an award-winning New York-based architecture and planning firm providing full-service architectural design for multifamily housing, mixed-use developments, supportive housing, and affordable housing projects. The firm specializes in sustainable and resilient design with deep expertise in Passive House standards, LEED certification, trauma-informed design for vulnerable populations, and historic preservation across the New York metropolitan area.

Product overview

Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP is an award-winning New York-based architecture and planning firm offering integrated architectural services across multiple specializations. The firm operates as a single unified practice rather than a platform-with-modules structure, providing architecture, urban design, and sustainability consulting services through collaborative project teams. Their portfolio spans affordable and supportive housing (including Passive House and LEED-certified buildings), educational and institutional facilities, historic preservation, and large-scale urban planning. Key projects include HELP ONE (sustainable supportive housing), Melrose North (Passive House multifamily), Marcus Garvey Extension (geothermal affordable housing), and Harlem River Houses (historic public housing renovation). The firm is recognized for its expertise in Passive House design (25+ certified projects), LEED certification (11 projects), and Enterprise Green Communities programs (65+ buildings).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design for multifamily housing, mixed-use developments, supportive housing, and affordable housing projects across New York City and beyond, serving nonprofit developers, government agencies, and institutional clients.
• Urban Design & Planning Master planning, urban design, and site analysis services for neighborhoods, campuses, and large-scale developments, serving institutional and government clients.
• Sustainability & Resiliency Design Passive House design, LEED certification consulting, energy-efficient building systems (geothermal, VRF, solar PV), and climate resiliency planning for multifamily buildings, serving affordable housing developers and institutional clients.
• Historic Preservation Restoration, adaptive reuse, and modernization of landmarked and historic structures including public housing and institutional buildings, serving public housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
• Educational & Institutional Facilities Design Design of charter schools, early childhood centers, college facilities, cultural institutions, and student housing for educational clients and institutional operators.
• Supportive Housing Design Specialized architectural services for supportive housing serving vulnerable populations including formerly homeless individuals and families, survivors of domestic violence, and those with mental health or substance abuse issues, integrating trauma-informed design with sustainable building practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000+ housing units completed under leadership of founding partner
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Design Trust for Public SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Partner Darby Curtis serves on the Board of Directors of Design Trust for Public Space, and the firm was recognized with a 2026 Public Space Leadership Award for Melrose North.
• Herzog & de MeuroncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025C+GA is collaborating with Herzog & de Meuron on Hudson Mosaic, a groundbreaking project combining affordable housing and a NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Center in Hudson Square, with resiliency, sustainability, and design excellence.
• Camber Property GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025C+GA is collaborating with Camber Property Group on Hudson Mosaic, a groundbreaking affordable housing and recreation center project in Hudson Square with Herzog & de Meuron.
• Services for the UnderServedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025C+GA collaborates with Services for the UnderServed (SUS) on multiple projects including Hudson Mosaic and Melrose North, providing supportive housing services and community programs.
• Essence DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025C+GA is working with Essence Development on Hudson Mosaic project in Hudson Square, combining affordable housing with NYC Parks recreation center.
• Bright PowersupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2025Engineering consultant for 77 William Street project in Newburgh, NY, providing energy analysis for the all-electric, energy-efficient supportive housing development.
• Dagher EngineeringsupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2025Engineering partner for 77 William Street project providing MEP engineering services for the affordable supportive housing development.
• Steven Winter AssociatessupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2025Sustainability consultant for Kissena House project in Flushing, Queens, supporting Passive House design and certification requirements.
• AMA Group/Skyline EngineeringsupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2025Engineering partner for multiple NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence projects including Kissena House and Seneca West 110th Street, providing structural and MEP engineering.
• MaGrann AssociatessupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2025Energy consulting partner for Seneca West 110th Street project, supporting Phius CORE certification requirements for the all-electric affordable homeownership development.
• NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) Mass Timber StudiosupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2024C+GA was announced as a member of NYCEDC's Mass Timber Studio climate innovation program, studying the use of mass timber and its integration in NYC building projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• COOKFOX Architects: NYC-based architecture firm with strong sustainability credentials (Passive House experience) and multifamily housing expertise. Overlaps with C+GA on high-performance residential and mission-driven development.
• WXY Studio: NYC architecture and urban design practice with comparable focus on community-focused design, public space, and civic projects. Similar size and engagement in affordable housing and institutional work.
• Handel Architects: NYC architecture firm with a substantial affordable and supportive housing practice serving many of the same nonprofit developers (e.g., L+M Development Partners) and institutional clients. Similar scale and mission overlap.
• Dattner Architects: NYC architecture firm with deep expertise in affordable housing, supportive housing, and civic/institutional projects. Closely comparable in scale, client base, and mission-driven focus on underserved communities.
• Marvel Architects: NYC-based firm with overlapping affordable, supportive, and multifamily housing portfolio. Similar size and client base among nonprofit developers and educational institutions.
• Magnusson Architecture and Planning: NYC-based architecture firm of similar size with comparable focus on affordable housing, supportive housing, and community facilities. Directly competes for nonprofit developer and HPD-funded projects in the same NYC market.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins Eastman: Large national architecture firm with a major NYC affordable housing practice and deep institutional capabilities. Competes for the same public and institutional RFPs but at significantly larger scale and broader service offering.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with NYC affordable housing and healthcare/institutional work. A broader incumbent competing for large public-sector RFPs, particularly NYCHA and HPD projects.
• FXCollaborative: Large NYC architecture firm with a sustainability-focused practice and substantial multifamily and institutional work. Competes for similar clients but operates at greater scale and broader typology coverage.

Emerging players

• W Architecture: NYC firm with a strong affordable and supportive housing focus serving nonprofit and mission-driven developers. Comparable scale and overlap with C+GA's primary client base among mission-driven housing developers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cplusgallp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cplusga
• Instagraminstagram.com/curtisginsbergarchitects
• Xx.com/cplusga
• Facebookfacebook.com/cplusga

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Curtis + Ginsberg Architects