River Valley Architects

What River Valley Architects does

River Valley Architects (RVA) is a privately held architectural and engineering design firm founded in 2008 and headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with regional offices in River Falls, Wisconsin and Aurora, Colorado. The firm delivers complete architectural and engineering design services across all project phases — schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration — supplemented by master site and facility planning, site selection analysis, space planning and space needs programming, and property condition assessments. It serves mid-market and enterprise clients across 14 vertical markets including healthcare, K-12 and higher education, financial services, commercial and retail, entertainment and hospitality, multi-family residential, industrial, dental, religious, and senior living. Notable project work spans a 350,000 SF Packaging Corporation of America industrial facility, a 120,000 SF Chippewa Valley Technical College transportation education center, multiple healthcare projects including a 98,000 SF critical access hospital, and long-running programs for financial institutions such as Westconsin Credit Union and Royal Credit Union.

The firm's technology stack is built on industry-standard design and documentation tools — AutoCAD Architecture, Revit, SketchUp, and Adobe Creative Suite — with no disclosed proprietary platform or AI/ML capability. RVA is led by Jamey Bowe (Principal Architect / President), Erin Murray (Director of Healthcare / Vice President), and Julie Weiss (Chief Financial Officer / Partner), with a team of approximately 35 staff including architects, structural engineers, interior designers, project managers, technicians, and administrative personnel. Ownership is partnership-style and privately held with no external venture or private equity investment indicated.

RVA's business model is professional services fee-based, structured as a percentage of construction cost or negotiated fixed fee per project, with multi-year contract billing cadence. Revenue is project-based and varies by scope, complexity, and square footage. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise client engagement, long-standing general contractor partnerships (Hoeft Builders, Market & Johnson, Miron Construction), and co-development alliances (BWBR Architects, Summit Dental Consulting). The firm has earned multiple regional design awards between 2024 and 2026, including AIA Wisconsin Special Recognition, ABC Gold and Silver Awards, and consecutive 'Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll' recognition for Best Architecture Firm and Best Interior Design Service.

Name

River Valley Architects

Legal name

River Valley Architects, Inc.

Website

https://rivervalleyarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

River Valley Architects is a privately held architectural and engineering design firm founded in 2008, headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with offices in River Falls, WI and Aurora, CO. It serves mid-market and enterprise clients across 14 vertical markets including healthcare, education, financial, hospitality, and industrial sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK), Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA), Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting (BPAHAIAN)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Engineering design
• Site planning
• Facility programming
• Property condition assessments

Headquarters

HQ city

Eau Claire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional fees for architectural design services encompassing schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration. Revenue is project-based and varies by scope, complexity, and square footage of projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

River Valley Architects (RVA) is an architectural and engineering design firm providing complete design services from schematic design through construction administration. The firm offers master site and facility planning, site selection analysis, space planning and space needs programming, and property condition assessments, delivered across 14 vertical markets including healthcare, education, financial, hospitality, industrial, multi-family, religious, and commercial/retail.

Product overview

River Valley Architects is an architectural and engineering design firm offering a unified platform of services centered on complete architectural and engineering design. The company's core offerings include Master Site and Facility Planning, Site Selection Analysis, Space Planning & Space Needs Programming, and Property Condition Assessments. These services are delivered across specialized vertical markets including Senior Living, Healthcare, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Commercial & Retail, Multi-Family Residential, Industrial & Manufacturing, and Entertainment & Hospitality. The firm operates from three locations (Eau Claire, WI; River Falls, WI; and Aurora, CO) and serves clients throughout the Midwest region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Complete Architectural & Engineering Design Services Comprehensive architectural and engineering design services covering all phases of building projects from schematic design through design development, construction documents, and construction administration. Delivered to commercial, institutional, healthcare, education, and residential clients.
• Master Site and Facility Planning Strategic planning service that helps organizations prepare for future expansion by identifying facility needs and developing comprehensive site and facility roadmaps starting from end-state goals.
• Site Selection Analysis Comprehensive analysis of potential project sites evaluating size, location, zoning, utilities, and other factors to identify the optimal location fit for an organization's needs.
• Space Planning & Space Needs Programming Analysis and programming service that determines how space will be used, who will utilize it, and how operational goals align with spatial requirements; distinguishes wants from needs to develop an optimal plan of action.
• Property Condition Assessments Evaluation of existing properties that walks through structures and systems to identify completed improvements and areas that may need future attention.
• Healthcare Facility Design Architectural design services for healthcare facilities including hospitals, clinics, medical offices, dental offices, rehabilitation centers, and senior living communities.
• Senior Living Design Architectural services for senior living facilities including assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, RCAC developments, and senior apartments.
• K-12 Education Design Architectural services for elementary and secondary schools including new construction, additions, and remodeling projects designed to support modern learning.
• Higher Education Design Architectural services for colleges and universities including classroom buildings, residence halls, dining facilities, technical training centers, and athletic complexes.
• Commercial & Retail Design Architectural services for commercial buildings, retail spaces, grocery stores, banks, and office buildings.
• Multi-Family Residential Design Architectural services for apartment buildings, condominiums, mixed-use developments, and senior living residential communities.
• Industrial & Manufacturing Design Architectural services for industrial facilities including manufacturing plants, distribution centers, warehouses, and production complexes.
• Entertainment & Hospitality Design Architectural services for hotels, restaurants, breweries, event centers, and entertainment venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple projects delivered on time and within budget through multi-phased approach (e.g., Packaging Corporation of America 350,000 SF facility)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hoeft Builders Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing strategic partnership with general contractor Hoeft Builders Inc. RVA provides architectural design services while Hoeft handles construction. Multiple joint projects including Residence Inn, Oral Surgery Associates, Best Western Plus, Royal Credit Union branches, and other commercial developments throughout Wisconsin.
• BWBR ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeamed with BWBR Architects of Madison, Wisconsin to design the 120,000 SF Transportation Education Center for Chippewa Valley Technical College. BWBR served as lead design partner with RVA contributing to the project.
• Market & JohnsoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partnership with general contractor Market & Johnson on The Brewing Projekt conversion of blighted building into 30,000 SF brewery, tasting room, and event center in Eau Claire's Cannery District. The project won a 2020 Community Economic Development Award.
• Summit Dental ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Summit Dental Consulting for the design of Oakwood Dental clinic in Hudson, WI. Summit provided dental industry consulting expertise while RVA provided architectural design services.
• Miron ConstructioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelected Miron Construction as general contractor for the 98,000 SF Rainy Lake Medical Center project. RVA is providing architectural design services for this critical access hospital anticipated to break ground in Spring 2025.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BWBR Architects: Madison, WI-based architecture firm of comparable size (~100 staff) with overlapping verticals in healthcare, higher education, and senior living; RVA even partnered with BWBR on the Chippewa Valley Technical College Transportation Education Center, signaling direct peer overlap in Wisconsin's institutional design market.
• Legat Architects: Mid-size architecture firm with offices across the Midwest (Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin) serving K-12, higher education, and community markets — overlapping verticals and similar client base in the upper Midwest.
• LHB Inc. Minneapolis-based architecture and engineering firm of similar size with overlapping healthcare, education, industrial, and senior living practice areas; multi-disciplinary structure (architecture + engineering) closely parallels RVA's integrated offering.
• HGA Architects and Engineers: Minneapolis-based multi-discipline design firm with deep healthcare and senior living expertise; competing for the same regional healthcare commissions as RVA, with broader scale and similar Midwest focus.
• Eppstein Uhen Architects: Milwaukee, WI-based architecture firm of similar scale serving commercial, healthcare, education, and senior living markets across the Midwest; comparable professional services structure and vertical mix, competing for the same Wisconsin institutional clients.
• Engberg Anderson Architects: Milwaukee-based architecture firm of comparable scale serving healthcare, education, senior living, and community markets — overlapping Midwest footprint and practice areas with RVA.
• Plunkett Raysich Architects: Mid-size Wisconsin architecture firm headquartered in Wauwatosa with similar multi-vertical practice including senior living, healthcare, hospitality, and commercial — direct competition for Wisconsin-based institutional clients.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with significant healthcare and education practices; competes with RVA for larger healthcare and higher education commissions across the Midwest and represents the upper end of RVA's competitive set.
• HDR Inc. Large global architecture/engineering firm with substantial healthcare and education practices; competes for major institutional commissions that RVA also targets, representing a significantly larger incumbent.

Regional players

• JLG Architects: Upper Midwest (North Dakota-based) architecture firm with comparable size and multi-vertical practice including K-12, higher education, sports, and community markets; geographic peer in the northern Plains states.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rivervalleyarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rivervalleyarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 River Valley Architects