KTGY

What KTGY does

KTGY is a privately held, full-service architecture and design firm founded in 1991 by six partners in Southern California, now operating seven offices across the United States (Irvine HQ, Los Angeles, Oakland, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Washington D.C.) with approximately 400 employees representing 125 universities. The firm delivers four integrated disciplines — architecture, interior design, branded environments, and urban design — across 14 design sectors spanning multifamily, single family, build-to-rent, mixed-use, hospitality, restaurant and bar, affordable housing, senior living, student housing, clubhouse, retail, planning, and workplace.

Its core methodology is a people-focused storytelling design process layered over a dedicated internal Research + Development studio that publishes conceptual work (e.g., 3D-printed modular housing, mass timber towers, office-to-residential adaptive reuse). The firm monetizes exclusively through professional services fees on project-based engagements; pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed, and the go-to-market is enterprise field sales pursued via long-cycle developer and operator relationships rather than volume distribution.

KTGY serves a concentrated set of enterprise clients — notably Fairfield Residential, Toll Brothers, Lennar Corp., Greystar, Regency Centers, Empire Homes, JW Marriott, and White Lodging — with marquee projects including a 340-unit Houston high-rise, a 426-unit Irvine office-to-residential conversion, a 182-home Texas build-to-rent community, and a 71,400-square-foot Whole Foods-anchored retail center. The firm holds sector rankings (#35 Architectural Record Top 300, #19 Interior Design Rising Giants) and consistent industry award recognition (22 NAHB awards in 2024, 12 in 2025). A 2026 CEO transition from long-tenured insider Tricia Esser to outside-industry successor Will Bate is the most significant recent governance event.

Name

KTGY

Legal name

KTGY

Website

https://ktgy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

KTGY is a privately held national architecture and design firm providing architecture, interior design, branded environments, and urban design services to enterprise real estate developers, home builders, and hospitality operators across approximately 400 employees and seven U.S. offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 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 and Design Services: Professional services revenue generated from architectural design, interior design, branded environments, and urban design projects for residential and commercial developments. Projects range from single-family homes to high-rise multifamily, hospitality, retail, and mixed-use developments.
2. Interior Design Services: Specialized interior design services for hospitality, multifamily residential, and restaurant/bar projects, delivering story-driven experiential environments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KTGY is a national architecture and design firm providing custom project-based services in architecture, interior design, branded environments, and urban design for real estate developers, home builders, hospitality operators, retailers, and institutional clients. Services span multifamily residential, single-family, build-to-rent, mixed-use, hospitality, retail, affordable housing, senior living, student housing, and workplace sectors, supported by a dedicated R+D studio and delivered through seven offices across the United States.

Product overview

KTGY is an award-winning national architecture and design firm offering a comprehensive suite of design services organized around four core disciplines: Architecture, Interior Design, Branded Environments, and Urban Design. The firm operates across multiple design sectors including Multifamily Residential, Townhomes & Flats, Single Family Residential, Build to Rent, Mixed Use, Hospitality, Restaurant & Bar, Affordable Housing, Senior Living, Student Housing, Clubhouse, Retail, Planning, and Workplace. KTGY also maintains a Research + Development (R+D) Studio dedicated to innovation and conceptual projects exploring new approaches to sustainable housing, adaptive reuse, and community design. The firm publishes EXPAND Magazine as a thought leadership publication showcasing their real-world developments and conceptual work. With over 400 team members across 7 offices nationwide, KTGY delivers design services from vision through construction, with a people-centric storytelling approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Custom architectural design services that create vivid, inspiring places rooted in how people want to live, imbuing structure with meaning and making concepts reality across residential, commercial, and mixed-use sectors.
• Interior Design Story-driven experiential interior design that transforms bare space into environments engaging the senses, with specialization in hospitality, multifamily residential, and restaurant and bar projects.
• Branded Environments Strategy and design service that uncovers and manifests brand stories in dimensional, thoughtful, and artful experiences that differentiate notable brands from mere businesses.
• Urban Design Visioning, site planning, and master planning services that design purposeful connections between people, open space, and architecture to reimagine the built environment as successful and durable destinations.
• Research + Development (R+D) Studio Innovation studio exploring new approaches to design and the built environment, developing conceptual projects including 3D-printed modular housing, mass timber construction, and adaptive reuse solutions for commercial clients seeking early-stage R&D partnerships.
• EXPAND Magazine Annual thought leadership magazine showcasing real-world developments, R&D concepts, and editorial perspectives exploring how innovation, partnership, and customer experience converge in built environment projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10th collaborative project with Fairfield Residential demonstrates strong client retention and relationship quality
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Fairfield ResidentialcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Long-standing development partnership with Fairfield Residential, a major apartment developer. The collaboration on 1010 Waugh in Houston marked their 10th joint venture, demonstrating a deep, ongoing strategic relationship for high-rise multifamily development in prime urban locations.
• Regency CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Partnership with Regency Centers for The Marketplace, a 71,400-square-foot Whole Foods-anchored retail development in North Redlands, California. The 8.18-acre development received unanimous approval from Redlands City Council in February 2026, with construction expected to begin in late 2026.
• Toll Brothers | Nevada DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Partnership with Toll Brothers, a leading luxury home builder, for two new luxury communities in the Las Vegas area: Glenrock (120 homes in Las Vegas) and Incanta Lago (65 homes in Henderson on Lake Las Vegas). Both are gated communities with model openings in February 2026.
• Lennar Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2026Partnership with Lennar Corp. and TPG Angelo Gordon for the Von Karman Creative Campus conversion in Irvine, CA. The project received city approval for up to 426 homes, converting office space to residential housing.
• Empire HomescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025Partnership with Empire Homes for Veranda Dellbrook, a 182-home single-family build-to-rent community in Hockley, Texas. The project features modular floor plans and modern farmhouse aesthetic, representing a growing segment in the build-to-rent market.
• GreystarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2025Partnership with Greystar, a major build-to-rent operator, for Old Ivy in Charlottesville, VA. KTGY and Greystar commenced construction on this transformative build-for-rent community that is redefining Charlottesville living.
• White LodgingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2025Partnership with White Lodging for Boilerhouse Prime Steakhouse at Purdue University. KTGY designed the restaurant interior, marking a collaboration in collegiate hospitality dining.
• Belgravia GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Belgravia Group for Portico luxury condominiums in North Scottsdale, completed in March 2026. The project blends modernism with desert-inspired interiors.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WATG: Global architecture and design firm renowned for hospitality, resort, and mixed-use destination projects. Comparable in hospitality design depth and large-scale project delivery.
• Steinberg Hart: Architecture and urban design firm with deep multifamily, mixed-use, and master-planning experience across the US West Coast. Comparable to KTGY in residential scale and urban design integration.
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): Global hospitality interior design firm specializing in luxury hotels, resorts, and branded environments. Most comparable to KTGY's interior design and hospitality practice, including JW Marriott and restaurant work.
• AO (Architecture Office): California-based architecture firm with practices in multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, and urban design. Comparable in scale, design-led approach, and West Coast developer client base.
• LPA Design Studios: Integrated architecture firm with significant residential, civic, and education practices across the US. Comparable in multidisciplinary design integration and similar project typologies.
• AvroKO: Design firm integrating architecture, interior design, and brand strategy with a hospitality and restaurant focus. Closely comparable to KTGY's storytelling-driven, branded-environment approach in hospitality.
• MVE Studio: California architecture firm with strong residential, hospitality, and mixed-use portfolios serving developers across the Western US. Closely comparable in residential and hospitality focus.
• Bassenian Lagoni: Premier US residential architecture firm specializing in production housing, multifamily, and community design. Most directly comparable to KTGY in client base (home builders, developers) and project typology (single family and multifamily).
• Dahlin Group Architecture | Planning: California-headquartered architecture and planning firm with strong production housing and multifamily practice serving national home builders. Closely mirrors KTGY's residential focus and developer-driven client base.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Largest US architecture and design firm with practices spanning workplace, hospitality, residential, retail, and urban design. Overlaps with KTGY across multiple sectors as a much larger incumbent with broader service breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ktgygroup/?hl=en
• Xx.com/ktgy_group
• Facebookfacebook.com/ktgygroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ktgy-group-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 KTGY