SmithGroup
SmithGroup is a privately held, interdisciplinary architecture, engineering, and planning firm headquartered in Detroit with 11+ U.S. offices, serving higher-education institutions, healthcare systems, municipalities, and corporate clients with integrated design services spanning architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, civil and coastal engineering, and waterfront design.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1961
- HeadquartersDetroit, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SmithGroup does
SmithGroup Companies, Inc. is a privately held, interdisciplinary architecture, engineering, and planning firm headquartered at 500 Griswold Street in Detroit, Michigan, with additional offices in Ann Arbor, Chicago, Cleveland, Madison, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. Founded with its landscape architecture practice in Ann Arbor in 1961 and operating as a unified firm under the SmithGroup name, the company serves higher-education institutions, healthcare systems, municipal and state agencies, park systems, and corporate clients with an integrated service portfolio spanning architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, civil engineering, coastal engineering, workplace strategy, and waterfront design.
Revenue is generated exclusively through professional-services fees on a project-by-project basis, typically priced as a percentage of construction cost or via hourly consulting rates under direct engagement, competitive proposals, or invited submissions. Distribution is enterprise-direct, with no software product, no disclosed channel partners, and no public pricing. The firm's differentiation rests on its ability to deliver work across multiple design disciplines under one roof, a domain specialty in waterfront and coastal resilience design, and a credentialed bench evidenced by AIA, ASLA, ASCE, ACEC, NRPA, SCUP, and Metropolis awards, including designation as the nation's largest university architecture firm for 2024 and a top-five laboratory architecture firm for 2024.
The customer base is institutional and public-sector concentrated, with named engagements including Virginia Tech, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, Trinity Health, the State of Illinois Capital Development Board, Metroparks Toledo, the City of Detroit, Lake Trust Credit Union, and TechSmith. Recent notable project work includes a joint venture with HOK on a $600 million health facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, and a partnership with DPR Construction on a 113,702-square-foot Silicon Valley office incorporating mass timber and a 38 percent carbon-emissions reduction. The firm is independently owned with no disclosed parent or external investor.
SmithGroup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SmithGroup
- Legal name
- SmithGroup Companies, Inc.
- Website
- https://smithgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1961
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- SmithGroup is a privately held, interdisciplinary architecture, engineering, and planning firm headquartered in Detroit with 11+ U.S. offices, serving higher-education institutions, healthcare systems, municipalities, and corporate clients with integrated design services spanning architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, civil and coastal engineering, and waterfront design.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where SmithGroup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Detroit
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
SmithGroup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services Fees: SmithGroup generates revenue through fees for architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, urban planning, and interior design services. Revenue is project-based with fees typically calculated as a percentage of construction costs or hourly rates for planning and consulting engagements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
SmithGroup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SmithGroup is an international architecture, engineering, and planning firm that delivers integrated design services across multiple disciplines including architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, civil engineering, coastal engineering, interior design, and workplace strategy. The firm serves clients in healthcare, higher education, workplace, civic, parks, and waterfront markets, with fees typically calculated as a percentage of construction costs or as hourly consulting rates for engagements.
Product overview
SmithGroup is a professional architecture and design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of integrated design services rather than a unified software product or platform. The firm's service offerings include urban planning, civil engineering, coastal engineering, landscape architecture, architecture, interior design, workplace strategy, waterfront design, and parks & open spaces design. These services work collaboratively across multiple market sectors including healthcare, higher education, workplace/corporate, civic/public, and waterfront/coastal environments. SmithGroup does not offer a software product in the traditional sense but provides professional services expertise delivered through interdisciplinary project teams.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture Full-service architectural design services across multiple market sectors including healthcare, higher education, workplace, civic, and parks for institutional, government, and corporate clients.
- Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture services including parks, open spaces, waterfront design, and sustainable environmental design solutions for public agencies and institutions.
- Civil Engineering Civil engineering services focusing on sustainable design solutions, infrastructure integration, utility and infrastructure challenges, and environmental preservation across all market areas.
- Coastal Engineering Specialized coastal engineering services for shoreline protection, wave mitigation, and waterfront resilience projects, particularly in Great Lakes environments.
- Urban Planning Comprehensive urban planning services including community engagement, policy development, master planning, and implementation frameworks for various scales of projects.
- Interior Design Interior design services focused on workplace strategy, corporate interiors, and human-centered design solutions for institutional and corporate clients.
- Workplace Strategy Workplace consulting and change management services helping organizations transition to agile work environments and new workplace models.
- Waterfront Design Waterfront planning and design services including riverfront parks, marina design, lakefront access, and coastal resilience solutions for public agencies and municipalities.
- Parks & Open Spaces Design Parks and open space planning and design services including urban parks, community parks, trails, and recreational facility design.
Companies that use SmithGroup
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SmithGroup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SmithGroup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable.
- DPR ConstructionnotableDPR Construction engaged SmithGroup as the designer for their 113,702-square-foot Silicon Valley office and prefabrication facility in Santa Clara, California. SmithGroup designed the facility to remove barriers between administrative and craft employees, incorporating mass timber construction and low-carbon concrete mixes that reduced carbon emissions by 38 percent.
- HOKnotableSmithGroup collaborated with HOK on a $600 million health facility project at Fort Bliss, Texas, representing a partnership between two major architecture firms on a significant healthcare project.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SmithGroup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stantec: Global design and consulting firm with broad architecture, engineering, and planning capabilities. Competes with SmithGroup on water, community development, and institutional projects but is far larger and more diversified across infrastructure.
- AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting and design giant with full architecture, engineering, and planning capabilities. Competes with SmithGroup on large civic, waterfront, and healthcare projects, and is a typical JV or prime contractor on programs where SmithGroup is a sub-consultant.
- Jacobs: Global professional services firm with major architecture, engineering, and planning capabilities across water, environment, and infrastructure. Adjacent competitor for waterfront, resilience, and large public-sector design work.
Direct peers
- HDR: Employee-owned architecture, engineering, and planning firm with strong healthcare and higher-education practices that compete head-to-head with SmithGroup for institutional capital projects and lab design work.
- CannonDesign: Integrated architecture, engineering, and planning firm with overlapping healthcare, higher education, and workplace practices. Comparable scale, similar interdisciplinary model, and directly comparable client base.
- Perkins&Will: Major interdisciplinary architecture and design firm with strong practices in healthcare, higher education, and science/lab design that directly compete with SmithGroup for the same institutional clients and award categories.
- HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a comparable interdisciplinary practice spanning healthcare, higher education, workplace, and civic work. HOK and SmithGroup have even collaborated on the $600M Fort Bliss healthcare project, underscoring direct overlap in scope, clients, and delivery model.
- HKS: National architecture and planning firm with a leading healthcare practice and growing higher-education portfolio, directly comparable to SmithGroup's primary verticals and design-led, award-accumulating positioning.
- Gensler: Largest U.S.-headquartered design and architecture firm with deep workplace, healthcare, and higher-education practices. Overlaps with SmithGroup in workplace strategy, interior design, and corporate headquarters commissions.
Emerging players
- Sasaki: Interdisciplinary design firm with a comparable practice in landscape architecture, urban planning, and waterfront/campus planning, frequently competing with SmithGroup on university master plans and waterfront commissions at a similar scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SmithGroup social profiles
Digital presenceSmithGroup compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
SmithGroup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SmithGroup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
SmithGroup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SmithGroup M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SmithGroup
What does SmithGroup do?
SmithGroup is an international architecture, engineering, and planning firm that delivers integrated design services across multiple disciplines including architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, civil engineering, coastal engineering, interior design, and workplace strategy. The firm serves clients in healthcare, higher education, workplace, civic, parks, and waterfront markets, with fees typically calculated as a percentage of construction costs or as hourly consulting rates for engagements.
Is SmithGroup a public or private company?
SmithGroup is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was SmithGroup founded?
SmithGroup was founded in 1961. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is SmithGroup based?
SmithGroup is headquartered in Detroit, United States, in the North America region.
How does SmithGroup make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services Fees.
Who are SmithGroup's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stantec, AECOM and Jacobs. Direct peers are HDR, CannonDesign, Perkins&Will, HOK, HKS and Gensler. Sasaki is listed as an emerging player.
Does SmithGroup have an API?
No public API is recorded for SmithGroup.