Ci Design
Ci Design is a privately held, founder-owned U.S. architectural design firm with 100+ employees across six offices, delivering integrated architecture, planning, interiors, and lab/manufacturing planning services across four vertical practices: Science & Technology, Mixed-Use & Residential, Mission Critical, and Industrial Manufacturing for developers, corporations, and government agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBaltimore, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ci Design does
Ci Design, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned architectural design firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2009 by John H. Larsen (President & CEO) and Christopher M. Ladd (Vice President & COO), the firm has grown to over 100 employees operating from six U.S. offices across the Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore, DC Metro/Arlington), Northeast (Boston), Southeast (Raleigh, Greenville), and Southwest (Dallas). The firm serves regional, national, and international clients across four core vertical practices — Science & Technology, Mixed-Use & Residential, Mission Critical, and Industrial Manufacturing — supported by nine in-house service lines spanning architecture, planning, interiors, procurement (via ci-procurement.com), lab and manufacturing planning, experiential graphics and branding, and landscape design.
The firm's revenue model is professional services, project-based, with fees tied to project scope, complexity, and deliverables rather than disclosed tiered pricing. Notable enterprise engagements include the $200 million, 2-million-square-foot North Hills Main District Expansion for Kane Realty Corporation, a 200,000 sq ft Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory (LEED Silver pursuit), the 168,000 sq ft Riverwalk Labs life sciences conversion for Redgate/Optimum/AEW, and manufacturing facilities for Aspen Aerogels and Factorial Energy. Specialized expertise spans cGMP pharmaceutical manufacturing, USP-compliant compounding pharmacy design (strengthened by the 2023 acquisition of Compounding Workflow), HUD-financed affordable housing (e.g., Sandy Ridge Station & Villas), and data center design for the Mission Critical practice anchored in Dallas.
Go-to-market is sales-led and principal-driven, targeting real estate developers, corporations, government agencies, and institutions through direct relationship management, RFP responses, and industry reputation. The firm markets through LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, a company blog, email newsletter, and industry awards. Recognition includes inaugural Boston Business Journal Innovator of the Year (2025), four consecutive Fast50 placements, ENR Top 500 Design Firms debut (2024), Building Design + Construction Top 100 ranking, ICSC Gold Award, and CMAA-NE Project Achievement Award. No parent company, private equity, or venture capital ownership is disclosed; the firm has grown organically and through its single 2023 acquisition.
Ci Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ci Design
- Legal name
- Ci Design, Inc.
- Website
- https://ci-designinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ci Design is a privately held, founder-owned U.S. architectural design firm with 100+ employees across six offices, delivering integrated architecture, planning, interiors, and lab/manufacturing planning services across four vertical practices: Science & Technology, Mixed-Use & Residential, Mission Critical, and Industrial Manufacturing for developers, corporations, and government agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ci Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)
Keywords
Where Ci Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Baltimore
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Ci Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Professional services revenue generated from architecture, planning, interior design, landscape design, and specialized consulting for science & technology facilities, mixed-use developments, mission critical environments, and industrial manufacturing projects. Revenue is project-based with fees tied to project scope, complexity, and deliverables.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Ci Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ci Design is an architectural design firm delivering integrated multidisciplinary services across four practices: Science & Technology, Mixed-Use & Residential, Mission Critical, and Industrial Manufacturing. Within each practice the firm provides architecture, planning, interior design, procurement, lab and manufacturing planning, experiential graphics and branding, and landscape design services to real estate developers, corporations, government agencies, and institutions on regional, national, and international projects.
Product overview
Ci Design is an award-winning architectural design firm offering a comprehensive suite of services organized around four core practices: Science & Technology, Mixed-Use & Residential, Mission Critical, and Industrial Manufacturing. Within each practice, the firm delivers integrated services spanning architecture, planning, interiors, procurement, lab and manufacturing planning, experiential graphics and branding, and landscape design. The company operates six offices across the US (Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, DC Metro, Greenville, and Raleigh) with over 100 team members. Ci Design's services are delivered as a unified offering rather than discrete software products, combining multiple disciplines into complete project solutions for regional, national, and international clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Science & Technology Practice Architectural design services for science and technology facilities including laboratories, research and development spaces, cGMP manufacturing, and biotechnology facilities, with specialized expertise in USP compliance, cleanroom design, and equipment planning for biotech, pharmaceutical, and research organizations.
- Mixed-Use & Residential Practice Architectural design services for mixed-use communities, multifamily residential projects, retail developments, town center planning, and affordable housing projects with expertise in urban revitalization, HUD compliance, and placemaking.
- Mission Critical Practice Architectural services for data centers and mission critical facilities requiring specialized infrastructure, high reliability, cooling systems, power redundancy, and operational continuity for high-availability computing environments.
- Industrial Manufacturing Practice Architectural and planning services for industrial manufacturing facilities including pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, solid-state battery plants, biomaterials production, warehouse and distribution centers, and production facilities with focus on operational efficiency, workflow optimization, and regulatory compliance.
- Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services spanning schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration for enterprise clients across all four practice areas.
- Planning Services Master planning, site planning, and urban design services for commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments.
- Interior Design Services Interior design services for commercial interiors including space planning, finish selection, furniture specification, and interior architectural detailing.
- Procurement Services Furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) procurement services for commercial and residential projects, operated as a dedicated service via ci-procurement.com.
- Lab & Manufacturing Planning Specialized laboratory planning services for biology labs, chemistry labs, tissue culture, vivarium, cleanroom, and cGMP pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, including compounding pharmacy consulting and USP compliance design.
- Experiential Graphics & Branding Environmental graphic design, signage, and branding services that create visual identity systems for commercial and residential developments.
- Landscape Design Landscape architecture services including site planning, grading, planting design, and sustainable landscape strategies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivered North Hills Main District Expansion: $200 million, 2-million-square-foot mixed-use complex
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ci Design
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ci Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ci Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Greatland Realty PartnerscoreCi partnered with Greatland Realty Partners and Consigli Construction for the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory project. Greatland is developing the Marlborough Campus where the 200,000 sq ft crime laboratory is being built, representing a significant public-private partnership for a major government facility.
- Consigli Construction Co.coreCi collaborated with Consigli Construction as the general contractor for the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory project, combining architectural expertise with construction execution for the delivery of the 4-story, 200,000 sq ft forensic facility.
- RedgatecoreBoston real estate developer Redgate, in joint venture with Optimum Asset Management and AEW, hired Ci for the Riverwalk Labs project - a 168,000 sq ft life sciences and manufacturing facility conversion in Bedford, MA.
- Optimum Asset Management S.A.coreJoint venture partner with Redgate and AEW for the Riverwalk Labs life sciences facility project in Bedford, Massachusetts.
- AEWcoreJoint venture partner with Redgate and Optimum Asset Management for the Riverwalk Labs life sciences facility project in Bedford, Massachusetts.
- J. Calnan & Associates, Inc.coreJ. Calnan & Associates was the construction partner alongside Ci for the Riverwalk Labs conversion project in Bedford, Massachusetts.
- Bowdoin ConstructioncoreBowdoin Construction teamed with Ci to provide design-build services for Boston Analytical's laboratory and office expansion project, completing 6,700 sq ft of lab and 7,900 sq ft of office space in two phases.
- J C Porter ConstructionminorCi collaborated with J C Porter Construction for The Prime Rib restaurant renovation in Baltimore, providing architectural and interior design services for the historic renovation project.
- Bryan Prince / Compounding WorkflowcoreCi acquired Compounding Workflow and welcomed Bryan Prince as Associate and Senior Lab Planner & Compounding Specialist. The acquisition expanded Ci's lab planning expertise, particularly in compounding pharmacy consulting and USP compliance design.
- Connors Contract FurnitureminorCi worked closely with Connors Contract Furniture for the Genocea office interior project, collaborating on furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) selection to complement the client's workflow.
- Ci ProcurementcoreCi operates a separate procurement website (ci-procurement.com) as part of its integrated service offering, providing procurement services as part of its nine in-house services.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ci Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- HOK: HOK is a large global architecture practice with recognized science & technology, healthcare, and mission critical practices — a multi-vertical competitor for Ci's larger enterprise mandates.
- Gensler: Gensler is the largest global architecture firm with deep retail, workplace, and mixed-use expertise — competing with Ci for developer-led commercial and residential mandates at substantially larger scale.
- Stantec Architecture: Stantec is a global design and engineering firm with mixed-use, industrial, and science & technology practices — competing with Ci across multiple verticals at much larger scale.
- HDR Architecture: HDR is a large global architecture/engineering firm with strong Mission Critical and Science & Technology practices — a much larger incumbent competing for the same enterprise clients as Ci.
Direct peers
- ZGF Architects: ZGF is an architecture firm with nationally recognized Science & Technology and Mission Critical practices, directly comparable to Ci's S&T and data center offerings.
- EwingCole: EwingCole is a Philadelphia-based architecture and engineering firm with strong Science & Technology, healthcare, and higher education practices, similar in size and vertical mix to Ci Design.
- SmithGroup: SmithGroup is a mid-size integrated design firm with deep Science & Technology, healthcare, and workplace practices — directly comparable to Ci's S&T and lab planning capabilities and similar multi-office US footprint.
- CannonDesign: CannonDesign is an integrated design firm with deep science, healthcare, and education practices — a like-for-like competitor for Ci's cGMP and lab planning engagements with similar US footprint and culture.
- Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a global architecture practice with industry-leading science & technology, healthcare, and higher education labs — competing head-to-head with Ci for biotech, pharma, and academic research facility design mandates.
- Dewhurst George (DGA): DGA is a Baltimore-based architecture firm with practices in retail, mixed-use, and multifamily — a regional peer competing directly with Ci's Mid-Atlantic commercial and residential work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ci Design social profiles
Digital presenceCi Design compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Ci Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ci Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Ci Design subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ci Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ci Design 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 Ci Design
What does Ci Design do?
Ci Design is an architectural design firm delivering integrated multidisciplinary services across four practices: Science & Technology, Mixed-Use & Residential, Mission Critical, and Industrial Manufacturing. Within each practice the firm provides architecture, planning, interior design, procurement, lab and manufacturing planning, experiential graphics and branding, and landscape design services to real estate developers, corporations, government agencies, and institutions on regional, national, and international projects.
Is Ci Design a public or private company?
Ci Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ci Design founded?
Ci Design was founded in 2009. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ci Design based?
Ci Design is headquartered in Baltimore, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ci Design make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are Ci Design's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are HOK, Gensler, Stantec Architecture and HDR Architecture. Direct peers are ZGF Architects, EwingCole, SmithGroup, CannonDesign, Perkins&Will and Dewhurst George (DGA).
Does Ci Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ci Design.
What industry is Ci Design in?
Ci Design's product category is Architectural Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131.