What March Studio does

March Studio is a Santa Monica-based architectural practice founded in 1998 by Principal Architect Todd Erlandson, operating with a team of 1-10 professionals and providing branded architecture, interior design, environmental graphics, and consulting services to schools, nonprofits, healthcare providers, and other mission-driven organizations. The firm specializes in community-centered, place-based, and vernacular design, with documented expertise in sustainable and health-focused building standards (LEED Gold, WELL Gold) and in culturally sensitive design for underserved populations. Project portfolio spans early-childhood education facilities (Untitled No. 1, PILA Canyon Nest, Easterseals Southern California), healthcare facilities (Cao Bang Family Medical Center in Northern Vietnam), community development (Open Grounds in Green River, Utah), and immersive design-build educational studios (Deep Springs College, SURF Farm with Woodbury University, University of Redlands, and Otis College).

The business operates as a project-based professional services firm with no publicly disclosed pricing; engagements are custom-quoted based on scope and complexity, sourced primarily through direct outreach (website, phone, email), referrals from a deep nonprofit and university partnership network (GSMDM, PILA Global, Nest Global, Epicenter, Woodbury, Otis), and thought leadership at industry conferences and via the firm's blog and newsletter. Geographic reach is selective rather than systematic — concentrated in California with targeted international and rural projects in Vietnam, Mexico, and Utah. Capital structure remains founder-controlled with no institutional equity; the only documented capital event is PPP loan funding in 2020 and 2021, which the firm states enabled its strategic emphasis on nonprofit and community-focused work rather than a scaling event. Todd Erlandson's 2024 FAIA distinction and the firm's recognition portfolio (Sustainable Quality Awards Grand Prize 2022, Westside Urban Forum Design Merit Award 2019) serve as the primary credential moat, while repeat partnerships anchor revenue visibility in an otherwise project-volatile, nonprofit-funded revenue base.

Name

March Studio

Legal name

March Studio

Website

https://marchstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

March Studio is a Santa Monica-based architectural practice founded in 1998 that designs branded, community-centered facilities for schools, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations across the U.S. and select international locations, with expertise in sustainable, culturally sensitive, and vernacular design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full-service architectural design for schools, nonprofits, healthcare facilities, and mission-driven organizations. Services include programming, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration.
2. Consulting and Advisory Services: Strategic planning consulting for nonprofit organizations and social entrepreneurs, helping clients develop visual packages and design concepts to pursue funding and realize their projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

March Studio is an award-winning architectural practice that provides branded architecture for schools, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations. The firm delivers full-service architectural design including programming, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration, with specialization in community-centered, sustainable (LEED/WELL certified), and culturally sensitive design for education, healthcare, and community development projects.

Product overview

March Studio is an award-winning architectural practice offering a portfolio of mission-driven projects rather than a unified software product. The firm specializes in branded architecture for schools, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations. Core offerings include sustainable preschools (Untitled No. 1, PILA Canyon Nest), healthcare facilities (Cao Bang Family Medical Center, Easterseals Southern California), community spaces (Open Grounds Project), and educational programs (Deep Springs College Design-Build Studio). Each project is tailored to community impact, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity, rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design including programming, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration for schools, nonprofits, healthcare facilities, and mission-driven organizations.
• Consulting and Advisory Services Strategic planning consulting for nonprofit organizations and social entrepreneurs, helping clients develop visual packages and design concepts to pursue funding and realize their projects.
• Design-Build Studio Programs Immersive design-build educational programs for university architecture students exploring vernacular architecture through hands-on construction using local materials and earth-based finishes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of patients served monthly at Cao Bang Family Medical Center
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Good Samaritan Medical Dental Ministry (GSMDM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002March Studio has partnered with GSMDM since 2002 to design the Cao Bang Family Medical Center in Northern Vietnam. The partnership focuses on creating a welcoming, culturally sensitive medical facility that prioritizes dignity and trust for ethnic minority communities historically wary of medical institutions. The clinic opened in August after over 20 years of collaboration.
• PILA GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarch Studio collaborated with PILA Global and their Nest program to renovate outdoor spaces for preschools serving refugee children near the Mexico-US border. PILA opens preschools worldwide to provide safe access to education and shelter for children seeking asylum. March Studio designed flexible outdoor learning environments using found materials and natural planting.
• EpicenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarch Studio partnered with Epicenter, a community development organization in Green River, Utah, to design a concept for Open Grounds - a community-curated space on 40 acres of unused land including drive-in theater, rodeo grounds, BMX track, and fairgrounds.
• Nest GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarch Studio partnered with Nest Global on Canyon Nest and Nest Mobile projects in Tijuana, Mexico providing healing-centered education and childcare for children and families seeking refuge at the southern border. Presented together at the 14th Annual Early Childhood STEM Conference.
• Woodbury University School of ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarch Studio's Todd Erlandson and Jeanine Centuori (Woodbury Professor) led architecture students in designing and constructing five programmatic buildings for the Sustainable University of Redlands Farm (SURF), including chicken coop, entry pavilion, propagation station, and outdoor classroom.
• University of RedlandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for the SURF Farm project where students from Woodbury University and University of Redlands collaborated to build sustainable infrastructure for the educational and agricultural site dedicated to sustainable practices, food justice, and community wellness.
• Otis College of Art and Design (Creative Action program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative Action program at Otis College collaborated on the SURF Farm project, developing graphic identity including signage, color palettes, and visual storytelling tools to unite the new buildings and reflect SURF's core values.
• TerremotominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architects who collaborated with March Studio on Untitled No. 1, a nature-based preschool in Santa Monica. The project embraced principles of child-centered and environment as third teacher through thoughtful landscape interventions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MASS Design Group: Architecture and design nonprofit specializing in buildings for marginalized communities, healthcare, and education. Highly comparable to March Studio's mission-driven, community-centered practice and similar international project scope.
• MOS Architects: Small, research-driven architectural studio with experimental and education-focused work. Comparable in scale, academic ties, and willingness to engage community and educational partners on bespoke projects.
• Lake|Flato Architects: Mission-oriented architecture firm recognized for sustainability, civic, and education projects. Comparable in focus on community impact, sustainable design (LEED credentials), and award-winning education and institutional work.
• John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK): Small Los Angeles-based architectural practice with a strong design reputation and academic connections. Comparable in scale and California location, with similar civic and community-oriented project orientation.
• Mithun: Design firm with integrated architecture, interior, and landscape practices focused on education, healthcare, and community projects. Comparable in mission-driven, sustainability-led approach and cross-sector nonprofit and institutional clients.
• Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects: Small-to-mid-sized studio with a strong design identity and education/institutional portfolio. Comparable in small-firm scale and academic-leaning, design-forward project mix.

Broad incumbents

• Olson Kundig: Established design practice known for highly crafted, materially-driven architecture across residential, civic, and cultural projects. Comparable in craft-driven, custom-design ethos but broader and more commercial in client mix.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with deep education and healthcare practices and strong sustainability credentials (LEED). Overlaps March Studio in mission-aligned institutional work but operates at significantly larger scale.
• HKS Architects: Major architecture firm with strong healthcare and education verticals. Overlaps March Studio's healthcare (Cao Bang) and education client base but operates globally at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Terremoto: Landscape architecture practice that directly collaborated with March Studio on Untitled No. 1. Comparable in mission-driven, nature-based, and child-centered design orientation and small-practice scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 March Studio