Ross Tarrant Architects

What Ross Tarrant Architects does

RossTarrant Architects is a Lexington, Kentucky–based, employee-owned professional-services firm founded in 1970 that delivers architecture, landscape architecture, master planning, interior design, programming, and facility-survey services to public-sector educational clients. Approximately 51–100 staff execute a project-based revenue model in which fees are negotiated per engagement against construction cost, square footage, scope, and certification requirements (LEED, WELL). Practice areas are vertically organized into P-12 Education, Higher Education, and Sports & Recreation, with primary concentration in Kentucky and the broader Southeast.

The firm's technical differentiation is concentrated in sustainable and healthy-building design rather than in software or platform technology. Documented capabilities include geothermal and hybrid chilled-beam HVAC systems, solar light tubes, low-VOC finish specifications, and WELL v2–aligned indoor environmental quality strategies, evidenced by the world's first WELL v2 Gold educational-laboratory certification (Ogden College Hall, 73 points), seven LEED Gold projects, one LEED Silver, three ENERGY STAR schools, and two Zero Energy Ready facilities. Differentiating methodology assets include color psychology in learning-environment design and an ALEP-led learning-environment planning practice that is unique within Kentucky.

Commercially, RossTarrant operates an enterprise field-sales motion secured through public RFP/RFQ processes, direct board-level relationships with school-district and university leadership, and recurring engagements with flagship clients including Western Kentucky University, the University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State, Marshall University, Transylvania, Berea, Frontier Nursing University, and the Fayette County, Bowling Green, Clark County, Martin County, Whitley County, Jessamine County, Estill County, and Danville Independent school districts. Distribution relies on thought-leadership content, industry publication features, awards, social media, and project-dedication events rather than resellers or marketplaces. Following its July 2025 affiliation with MOREgroup, the firm is positioned to extend its educational-design reach across the Southeast while retaining its Lexington headquarters and brand identity.

Name

Ross Tarrant Architects

Legal name

RossTarrant Architects

Website

https://rosstarrant.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

RossTarrant Architects is a Lexington, Kentucky–based firm founded in 1970 that provides educational architecture, master planning, interior design, and facility-survey services to K-12 districts, colleges, and universities across Kentucky and the Southeast, with recognized expertise in LEED and WELL-certified sustainable design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Educational architecture
• Sustainable design
• K-12 facility design
• Higher education architecture
• LEED certified buildings

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

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. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based architecture and design services for educational institutions including P-12 schools, higher education facilities, and sports/recreation buildings. Revenue is earned through contracted design fees based on project scope and complexity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RossTarrant Architects is an architecture firm specializing in educational facility design for P-12 schools, colleges, and universities. The firm delivers sustainable, LEED- and WELL-certified building designs including new construction, renovations, master planning, and athletic facilities across Kentucky and the Southeast United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• P-12 Education Architectural Design
• Higher Education Architectural Design
• Sports & Recreation Facility Design
• Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Building Design
• Learning Environment Planning

Named customers20 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MOREgroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2025RossTarrant Architects joined MOREgroup in July 2025. The firms are united by a shared belief that education has the power to change the world. The partnership is intended to expand RossTarrant's impact in educational design across the Southeast region.
• Mackey Mitchell ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate architect on multiple WKU and EKU projects including Downing Student Union Renovation & Expansion (LEED Silver) and South Hall (LEED Gold) at Eastern Kentucky University. Collaborative partnership on large-scale university projects.
• Robert AM Stern ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate architect on Gatton College of Business & Economics Renovation & Expansion at University of Kentucky (LEED Gold). High-profile collaboration on major university building project.
• HNTBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with HNTB in modernizing and re-imagining Historic Memorial Coliseum for the University of Kentucky ($82 million modernization project).
• Tipton AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate architect alongside Aramark on Case Dining Hall project at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky.
• KY Division of Engineering & Contract AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner on multiple community and technical college projects including Hal Rogers Advanced Technology Center (Big Sandy CTC), Advanced Technology Center (OCTC), and Newtown Classroom & Student Services Building (BCTC).
• AramarkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDining services partner on multiple campus dining projects including UK Campus-Wide Dining transformation and Case Dining Hall at EKU. Collaborative design partnership on food service facility projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CannonDesign: National architecture, engineering, and planning firm with major higher-education and K-12 practices. Competes for similar campus projects and emphasizes WELL/LEED-certified design.
• TMP Architecture: Michigan-based firm specializing in K-12 and higher-education architecture, similar size and project typology. Competes for similar educational facility design commissions.
• LPA Design Studios: Integrated design firm with strong K-12 and higher-education portfolio emphasizing sustainability and integrated design. Comparable in scale and educational-architecture focus.
• Fanning Howey: National architecture firm specializing exclusively in educational facilities (K-12 and higher education), with strong LEED/sustainability practice. Closest direct competitor in market focus and client base.
• Moody Nolan: Largest African-American-owned design firm in the US with deep K-12 and higher-education practice, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Comparable size and educational-architecture specialization.
• Huckabee Architects: Texas-based architecture firm focused on K-12 education with growing higher-education practice. Competes for similar school district RFPs and emphasizes community-centered learning environments.
• DLR Group: Integrated design firm with a substantial K-12 and higher-education practice nationwide. Competes for similar educational campus commissions at larger scale.
• WLC Architects: Pacific Northwest firm focused on K-12 educational architecture with similar regional specialization pattern. Competes in adjacent markets with similar educational client base.
• Legat Architects: Midwest-based architecture firm with strong K-12 and higher-education practices, similar size range and project portfolio to RossTarrant.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Large global architecture firm with extensive higher-education and K-12 portfolio. Serves overlapping institutional clients but at much larger scale and broader typology mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RossTarrantArchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rosstarrant-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/rosstarrantarchitects
• Xx.com/rosstarrant

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Ross Tarrant Architects