What Daroff Design does

Daroff Design Inc. is a woman-owned (WBE) interior design and architecture firm founded in 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, operating through two related entities — Daroff Design Inc. and DDI Architects, PC. The firm provides integrated design services spanning interior design, architecture, facility programming, master planning, signage and wayfinding, and ADA standards compliance, delivered through proprietary digital modeling techniques for facility programming. Its architects are licensed to practice in 34 US states, with demonstrated international design capabilities spanning China, Europe, and the Caribbean.

The firm serves enterprise clients across five primary vertical markets: Hospitality Leaders (hotels, resorts, and spas), Aviation Solutions (airport terminals and concourses), Workplace Design (corporate headquarters and office environments), Educational Facilities (higher education campuses), and Dining Experiences (restaurants and food service venues). Notable engagements include the JFK JetBlue Terminal 5 ($550M, 635,000 sq ft), Philadelphia International Airport Terminal D/E ($350M), Comcast Technology Center (1 million sq ft), Universal Studios Cabana Bay Beach Resort, MGM National Harbor, St. Regis Atlanta, Marriott Shijiazhuang, and the Rainforest Café international roll-out across 18 locations. The firm also operates in healthcare, entertainment, and multi-family residential sectors.

The business model is professional services-based, with project-specific proposals and contracts, no publicly disclosed pricing, and revenue derived from fees tied to architecture and interior design engagements. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise sales through reputation, portfolio showcasing, industry awards, and long-standing client relationships rather than marketing-driven demand generation. The firm maintains a leadership team led by founder Karen Daroff (President) and James Rappoport (VP and Architect of Record), with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding.

Name

Daroff Design

Legal name

Daroff Design Inc.

Website

https://daroffdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Daroff Design is a 50-year-old, woman-owned Philadelphia-based interior design and architecture firm delivering integrated design services across hospitality, aviation, workplace, education, and dining sectors, licensed to practice in 34 US states with international design capabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Professional architectural services provided directly to developers, owner/users, and third-party architects. Services include Architect of Record responsibilities, master planning, and licensed practice across 34 US states.
2. Interior Design Services: Full spectrum interior design services including programming, feasibility studies, 2-D and 3-D visualizations, detailed fit-out specifications, furniture budgeting, and implementation consultation.
3. Programming Services: Facility programming using proprietary digital modeling techniques for hospitality, workplace, transportation, entertainment, restaurant, multi-family, academic, and retail projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Daroff Design Inc. (DDI) is an architecture and interior design firm that delivers full-spectrum professional design services—from facility programming and feasibility studies through detailed fit-out specifications and implementation consultation—across hospitality, workplace, aviation, entertainment, education, healthcare, multi-family residential, and dining sectors. The firm serves as Architect of Record and interior design consultant for enterprise clients, with architects licensed in 34 US states and international capabilities.

Product overview

Daroff Design Inc. (DDI) is an architecture and interior design firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services organized into core design disciplines and specialized vertical markets. The core services include Interior Design (full spectrum from programming through implementation), Architecture (licensed in 34 US states with international capabilities), Facility Programming (using proprietary digital modeling techniques), Master Planning, Signage and Wayfinding, and ADA Standards Compliance. These core services are applied across five specialized vertical market divisions: Aviation Solutions (airport terminal design), Hospitality Leaders (hotels, resorts, and spas), Workplace Design (corporate environments), Educational Facilities (higher education campuses), and Dining Experiences (restaurants and food service venues). The firm's portfolio demonstrates expertise across diverse project types including themed entertainment, healthcare facilities, multi-family residential, public spaces, and branded environments. Founded in 1973, the firm operates from Philadelphia with a track record spanning over 50 years in business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Philadelphia International Airport Terminal B redesign generated three times the revenue of previous retail configuration
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Philadelphia Division of AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDI collaborated with the Philadelphia Division of Aviation as Principal and Design Lead for the $127 million Terminal F expansion and renovation project, working with consulting architects, engineers, designers, and coordinating public art features.
• KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDI collaborated with KPF as one of the Design Principals for Philadelphia International Airport Terminal A West (800,000 sq ft international terminal), providing interior design, ticketing desks, and graphics, signage and wayfinding scope.
• OTG ExperiencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDI was selected by OTG to head their design team in transforming Terminal B at Philadelphia International Airport ($30M, 60,000 sq ft). Collaboration extended to more than 6 other OTG locations nationwide including Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
• Foster Architects and GenslercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDI was part of the design team for the new 1 million square foot Comcast Technology Center, working alongside Foster Architects and Gensler, responsible for planning and designing 72,000 square feet across the 27th and 28th floors.
• Partners Group, American Real Estate Partners (AREP), Oliver Tyrone Pulver Corporation (OTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading global private markets firm Partners Group and co-developers AREP and OTP selected DDI as interior design architect for Seven Tower Bridge, including elevator lobby, corridor, and OTP's corporate offices.
• L.R. Kimball ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDDI teamed with L.R. Kimball Architects for Sheetz Corporation's new approximately 100,000 square foot office building in Claysburg, PA.
• Ballinger ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDI collaborated with Ballinger Architects for Temple School of Medicine (485,000 sq ft academic assembly and classroom building), handling programming, space planning, interior design, millwork design, and construction documentation.
• Ellenzweig AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDI teamed with Ellenzweig Associates (Boston-based architectural firm specializing in large scale healthcare facilities) to provide interior design services for CHOP's 430,000 sq ft pediatric research center.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Gettys: Hospitality-focused interior design and branding firm serving hotels, resorts, and restaurants. Highly comparable to DDI's Hospitality Leaders and Dining Experiences verticals, competing for the same luxury and lifestyle hotel pursuits.
• Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA): US architecture, engineering, and interior design firm with strong healthcare, workplace, and arts/culture practices. Closely comparable to DDI in scale and multi-sector integrated delivery, including healthcare (CHOP vs. HGA's healthcare clients) and education.
• M Moser Associates: Global workplace design and architecture firm focused on corporate interiors, workplace strategy, and amenity planning. Direct overlap with DDI's Workplace Design vertical; both serve Fortune 500 occupiers and compete for workplace transformation engagements.
• Leo A Daly: Mid-large US architecture and interior design firm with aviation, hospitality, workplace, and healthcare practices. Closely comparable to DDI in service mix and multi-state delivery model, though larger in headcount; competes for the same enterprise and institutional clients.
• Wilson Associates: Hospitality-focused interior design firm with strong luxury and resort portfolio. Directly comparable to DDI's Hospitality Leaders vertical, competing for the same hotel, resort, and branded environment pursuits; similar scale and specialization mix.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with extensive practices in aviation, hospitality, workplace, and healthcare. DDI has even partnered with Gensler on the Comcast Technology Center. Both firms compete for the same enterprise design pursuits, but Gensler operates at vastly larger scale with global delivery.
• HOK: Global architecture, design, and engineering firm with marquee aviation, healthcare, and workplace practices. Directly competes with DDI for airport terminal, healthcare facility, and corporate workplace pursuits; HOK's aviation portfolio (e.g., terminals globally) parallels DDI's work at PHL and JFK.
• HKS Architects: Architecture and design firm with deep aviation, healthcare, and hospitality practices. Competes with DDI on airport terminals and large hospitality/healthcare builds; like DDI, HKS integrates interior design under one roof but at much larger scale.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design firm with healthcare, education, workplace, and aviation practices. Competes with DDI across multiple verticals; like DDI, integrates research-driven design but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Others

• OTG Experience (partner/client overlap): Airport hospitality operator that selected DDI as design lead across multiple terminals. While not a direct competitor, OTG is the closest ecosystem partner and a useful proxy for the kind of integrated hospitality-airvision specialist that competes for or with DDI's airport dining/retail scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DaroffDesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/DaroffDesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Daroff Design