What MdeAS Architects does

MdeAS Architects is a New York-based architecture firm founded in 1991 by Leon Moed and Raúl de Armas (originally Moed de Armas Architects), specializing in building repositioning, adaptive reuse, facade renovation, and interior design. The firm serves a concentrated base of institutional commercial real estate developers, REITs, and private property owners—most prominently Vornado Realty Trust, SL Green Realty Corp., Macklowe Properties, RXR, Tishman Speyer, and Feil Organization—with marquee projects including the $3 billion THE PENN DISTRICT transformation (PENN 1 and PENN 2 totaling 4.4 million SF), the One Wall Street Art Deco residential conversion (535,000 SF), the 100 Park Avenue re-skinning (825,000 SF), the 51W52 Black Rock landmark renovation, and the Lyra residential tower. The firm ranked 5th most active architect for alteration projects in NYC between June 2023 and June 2024.

MdeAS operates as a project-based professional services practice earning negotiated architectural design fees, with no standardized public pricing tiers and multi-year engagement structures tied to project scope and complexity. The firm's technical differentiation rests on three decades of accumulated expertise in facade reskinning systems (porcelain and high-reflective metal panel envelopes), landmark-compliant adaptive reuse working with the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, postwar Park Avenue corridor repositioning, and structural addition engineering—exemplified by The Bustle at PENN 2, a 75-ft by 450-ft addition hovering above existing sidewalks on dramatically sloped columns. The firm delivers a unified portfolio across commercial, residential, hospitality and interiors, public and institutional, and master planning service lines, and collaborates with peer firms such as Vocon, Pelli Clarke & Partners, SLCE Architects, and Architecture Plus Information on larger engagements.

The firm is headquartered at 80 Broad Street, Suite 1501, New York, NY 10004, with a headcount band of 11–50 employees. Following the November 2024 death of founding partner Leon Moed, leadership has continued under Managing Partner Dan Shannon (nearly 40 years of experience spanning over 50 million SF of projects) and Principal Mike Zaborski (joined 1998), with formalized strategy, marketing, and HR functions established in 2025. There is no evidence of external investment, private equity backing, or parent company ownership; the firm appears to be owned and controlled by its founding partners and current leadership team. Revenue, ownership structure, and pricing are not publicly disclosed.

Name

MdeAS Architects

Legal name

MdeAS Architects

Website

https://mdeas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MdeAS Architects is a privately held New York architecture firm founded in 1991 that specializes in building repositioning, adaptive reuse, facade renovation, and interior design for major NYC commercial real estate developers, REITs, and institutional clients across the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Commercial architecture services
• Building repositioning design
• Adaptive reuse architecture
• Facade renovation design
• Master planning services

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based professional fees for architectural design services including building repositioning, facade renovation, adaptive reuse, and interior design for commercial and residential clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MdeAS Architects is a New York-based architecture firm providing professional design services across commercial, residential, hospitality & interiors, public & institutional, and master planning project types. The firm specializes in building repositioning, facade renovation, and adaptive reuse, transforming existing commercial buildings through high-performance envelope upgrades, system modernizations, and functional conversions. Services are delivered through project-based engagements with major developers, REITs, and institutional clients, leveraging 35+ years of NYC building stock expertise and Landmarks Preservation Commission familiarity.

Product overview

MdeAS Architects is a New York-based architecture firm offering a unified portfolio of architectural services organized by project type: commercial architecture (office buildings, lobby renovations, facade upgrades), residential architecture (conversions, luxury condos, multi-family), hospitality & interiors (restaurants, amenity spaces), public & institutional architecture, and master planning. The firm specializes in building repositioning and adaptive reuse, transforming existing structures through facade redesigns, system modernizations, and functional conversions. Key notable projects include PENN 1 & PENN 2 in THE PENN DISTRICT, 51W52 (Eero Saarinen's Black Rock), One Wall Street, and various Park Avenue corridor buildings. The firm operates as a service-based practice rather than a product company, delivering architectural services through collaborative design partnerships with clients including Vornado Realty Trust, SL Green Realty Corp., Macklowe Properties, and RXR.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Architecture Services Design and renovation services for commercial office buildings, including lobby redesigns, facade upgrades, and building repositioning projects such as PENN 1, PENN 2, 51W52, and Park Avenue corridor buildings. Serves commercial real estate developers, REITs, and institutional property owners.
• Residential Architecture Services Design services for residential conversions, luxury condominiums, and multi-family residential developments including adaptive reuse of existing buildings and new ground-up construction. Projects include Parc Beaufort (47 luxury condos on Billionaires' Row) and Lyra residential tower.
• Hospitality & Interiors Interior design and hospitality architecture services including restaurants, amenity spaces, lobby design, and high-end residential interiors for projects like Santi restaurant and Lyra residential tower.
• Public & Institutional Architecture Architecture services for institutional clients including universities, healthcare facilities, and public buildings such as Columbia University Irving Medical Center Alumni Auditorium renovation.
• Master Planning Comprehensive urban planning and large-scale development design services including district revitalization projects like THE PENN DISTRICT and Clinton Park in New Rochelle.
• Building Repositioning & Adaptive Reuse Strategic renovation and modernization of existing buildings including facade re-cladding, system overhauls, and conversion of commercial buildings to residential use, focused on sustainability and carbon reduction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% reduction in environmental footprint (annual electricity and carbon emissions)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmTrustREcoreOthers · 1 December 2025National real estate owner-developer with 12+ million SF of properties. Currently engaged for 59 Maiden Lane exterior retrofit project, expected completion 2027.
• Salvadori CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2025Educational partnership introducing K-12 students to architecture through Salvadori Center's Summer STEAM programming. MdeAS volunteers teach construction drawings, materials, and AI in architecture.
• VoconcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner on multiple projects including 51W52 Black Rock renovation, 11 E 26th Street boutique office development. Collaborative interior and architectural design partnership.
• Pelli Clarke & PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner on Lyra residential tower (555 West 38th Street), a 52-story skyscraper in Hudson Yards area.
• SLCE ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect of record partner on Lyra residential tower project.
• Studios ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect of record for 900 19th Street Washington D.C. project.
• Architecture Plus Information (A+I)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaboration with A+I on PENN 2 workplace design, guided by 'designing from the inside out' approach.
• GrowNYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity volunteer partnership supporting environmental initiatives and sustainability education.
• Vornado Realty TrustcoreOthersPrimary developer client for THE PENN DISTRICT transformation, including PENN 1 and PENN 2 repositioning ($3 billion investment). Major ongoing relationship.
• Macklowe PropertiescoreOthersDeveloper client for One Wall Street Art Deco conversion and 510 Madison Avenue commercial building.
• SL Green Realty Corp.coreOthersDeveloper client for 100 Park Avenue re-skinning and 885 Third Avenue Lipstick Building renovation.
• Feil OrganizationcoreOthersDeveloper client for Parc Beaufort luxury condo conversion and 7 Penn Plaza improvements.
• RXRcoreOthersDeveloper client for 237 Park Avenue renovation, Clinton Park residential master plan, and Garden City Center redevelopment.
• Harbor Group InternationalcoreOthersBuilding owner for 51W52 Black Rock renovation project.
• Rockrose DevelopmentcoreOthersDeveloper client for Lyra residential interiors and 11 E 26th Street boutique office renovation.
• Tishman SpeyercoreOthersDeveloper client for 200 Park Avenue MetLife Building renovation and 900 19th Street Washington D.C. project.
• Columbia University Irving Medical CenterminorOthersInstitutional client for Alumni Auditorium and Schaefer Awards Gallery renovation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners: NYC-headquartered architecture firm with a comparable niche in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and repositioning of significant existing buildings (Grand Central Terminal, Ellis Island, Brooklyn Academy of Music). Most direct functional analog to MdeAS's envelope reskinning and landmark-compliant renovation work.
• COOKFOX Architects: NYC architecture firm with deep commercial office and residential conversion portfolio and a mission-driven focus on sustainability, biophilic design, and decarbonization. Overlaps directly with MdeAS's repositioning and adaptive-reuse work and competes for the same institutional developer clients.
• FXCollaborative: NYC commercial architecture firm (formerly FXFowle) with extensive Class A office, mixed-use, and repositioning experience for major institutional owners. Comparable in scale, target client base, and typology mix to MdeAS's commercial work.
• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): Global architecture firm with a strong NYC office practice serving many of the same institutional developers and REITs (Vornado, Brookfield, SL Green) on commercial towers and adaptive reuse. Direct competitor for marquee repositioning commissions.
• Ennead Architects: NYC architecture firm with a comparable institutional and cultural portfolio and a strong adaptive reuse / repositioning practice (e.g., Stanford redevelopment work). Targets similar institutional, civic, and developer clients as MdeAS.
• Handel Architects: NYC architecture firm with a heavy focus on luxury residential towers and large-scale commercial-to-residential conversions, directly overlapping MdeAS's luxury condo conversion work (e.g., Parc Beaufort, Lyra interiors). Targets similar high-end residential developers.
• CetraRuddy Architecture: NYC architecture firm with a comparable luxury residential and adaptive-reuse portfolio including major Manhattan condo conversions and mixed-use repositioning. Targets overlapping institutional and luxury residential developer clients.

Broad incumbents

• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture and engineering firm where MdeAS's late founding partner Leon Moed spent his career. SOM competes for the same trophy repositioning and adaptive-reuse commissions and serves the same institutional and REIT clients, but operates at far larger scale across many typologies.
• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm with deep NYC tenant improvement, workplace, and commercial repositioning practices serving many of the same REITs and corporate owners. Competes primarily on workplace interiors and large-scale fit-out rather than envelope reskinning.
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA): NYC architecture firm with a strong classical-modernist commercial, residential, and adaptive-reuse practice serving many of the same institutional owners and luxury developers. Larger portfolio and global brand but overlapping client base and project typologies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mdeas
• Instagraminstagram.com/mdeas_architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 MdeAS Architects