MSR Design (Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd.)

What MSR Design (Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd.) does

MSR Design (Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd.) is a Minnesota-based architecture and interior design firm providing full-service design for libraries, government facilities, affordable and market-rate housing, cultural institutions, higher education, and corporate clients across the United States. The firm, founded in 1981 and headquartered at 510 Marquette Avenue South in Minneapolis with additional offices in Salt Lake City and Palm Springs, employs 101-250 people and delivers work through traditional architectural service contracts covering feasibility, programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration. Revenue is generated through professional design fees secured via direct client relationships, RFP responses, design competitions, and referrals, with no public pricing disclosure.

The firm's core technical differentiation centers on sustainable design expertise, including LEED certification (multiple Gold and Platinum projects), Living Building Challenge Petal Certification (first in Minnesota at its own 510 Marquette Studio), and net-zero-ready design (Tashjian Bee & Pollinator Discovery Center). It pairs this with deep specialized practices in adaptive reuse of historic structures (Mill City Museum, Madison Municipal Building, 101 Dupont Place), evidence-based public library design (Missoula, Madison, Louisville, Tulsa, Fayetteville), and high-performance affordable housing (Aeon the Rose, Lydia Apartments, Northwest Pipeline Building). The firm is 62% women-owned, controlled, managed, and led, holds WBENC Women's Business Enterprise certification (2021), and was the first Minnesota architecture firm to attain the Just 2.0 social justice label (2021).

MSR Design's customer base is concentrated in the public and institutional sector, with named clients including the City of Minneapolis, City of Madison, Louisville Free Public Library, Missoula Public Library, Housing Authority of Salt Lake City, Aeon, URBN, Hempel Properties, and Davidson College. The firm has earned the IFLA/Systematic Public Library of the Year Award (2022, first US library), multiple AIA Architecture Awards, AIA/ALA Library Building Awards, and AIA COTE Top Ten Awards. GTM is enterprise field sales through direct institutional engagement; no technology platform, AI products, or app-based revenue streams are offered.

Name

MSR Design (Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd.)

Legal name

Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd.

Website

https://msrdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MSR Design is a Minnesota-based architecture and interior design firm specializing in sustainable public, civic, and cultural projects across the United States, with offices in Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Palm Springs, serving government, library systems, housing developers, and institutional clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design
• Sustainable architecture
• Public library design
• Adaptive reuse design

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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. Architecture and Design Services: Full-service architecture and interior design firm providing design services for libraries, government facilities, housing, cultural spaces, educational environments, and workplace projects. Revenue generated through professional design fees on project engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

MSR Design is a full-service architecture and interior design firm providing programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration services. The firm specializes in libraries, government and civic facilities, affordable and mixed-income housing, cultural institutions (museums, nature centers), educational environments, corporate workplaces, and adaptive reuse of historic structures, with deep expertise in sustainable design and high-performance green building certifications.

Product overview

MSR Design is Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd., a Minnesota architecture and interior design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services. The firm provides architectural design, interior design, and sustainability consulting services across multiple project categories including libraries, government facilities, housing, cultural spaces, educational environments, nature centers, and workplaces. Their notable projects include library designs (such as Madison Public Library, Louisville Free Public Library branches, and Missoula Public Library), government facilities (City of Minneapolis Public Service Building, Madison Municipal Building), residential projects (Four Seasons Private Residences), corporate campuses (URBN Corporate Campus), and cultural institutions (Minnesota Children's Museum, Mill City Museum). Many projects incorporate sustainability certifications including LEED, Living Building Challenge, and WELL Building Standard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture and Interior Design Services Comprehensive architecture and interior design services delivered to institutional clients including public libraries, government agencies, higher education institutions, cultural organizations, housing developers, and corporate clients. Engagements span feasibility, programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration.
• Sustainable Design and High-Performance Building Consulting Sustainable design consulting and integration services achieving rigorous green building certifications including LEED (Platinum, Gold), Living Building Challenge Petal Certification, Just 2.0 label, and AIA Framework for Design Excellence alignment. Includes proprietary materials library with Red List free entry criteria and published Sustainable Materials Action Packet.
• Public Library Design and Master Planning Specialized architecture services for public library systems including new flagship and regional libraries, branch renovations and expansions, interior design, makerspaces, and system-wide master planning. Delivered to library directors, library foundations, and municipal library authorities; includes award-winning work such as Missoula Public Library (IFLA/Systematic Public Library of the Year 2022) and Louisville Free Public Library branches.
• Government and Civic Facility Design Architecture services for government and civic clients, including workplace facilities, public service buildings, and adaptive reuse of historic government structures. Includes LEED Platinum certified projects (Madison Municipal Building) and nationally awarded work (City of Minneapolis Public Service Building, 2023 AIA Architecture Award).
• Affordable and Mixed-Income Housing Design Architecture services for nonprofit housing developers, housing authorities, and mission-driven developers delivering affordable, mixed-income, and supportive housing. Includes historic adaptive reuse expertise and compliance with Enterprise Green Communities and Living Building Challenge standards on constrained budgets; projects include Aeon The Rose (ULI Jack Kemp Award) and Housing Authority of Salt Lake City Northwest Pipeline Building redevelopment.
• Corporate Campus and Workplace Design Architecture and interior design services for corporate and commercial clients seeking workplace design, multi-phased campus development, and adaptive reuse of historic commercial structures. Notable work includes URBN Corporate Campus in Philadelphia's historic Navy Yard (ULI Global Award for Excellence).
• Cultural Institution and Museum Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Louisville Free Public Library Northeast Regional Library circulation increased 25% in first month of operation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Clean Lakes AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2018Partnership with Clean Lakes Alliance, Madison Community Foundation, and City of Madison Parks for Reimagining Warner Beach design competition. MSR Design Living Edge proposal won first place.
• Henning LarsencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaboration with Henning Larsen on City of Minneapolis Public Service Building project. MSR Design served as Architect of Record; Henning Larsen served as Design Architect.
• A&E DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Montana firm that worked with MSR Design on Missoula Public Library Downtown Flagship Library. Partnership to deliver award-winning library project.
• JRA ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLouisville firm that partnered with MSR Design on Louisville Free Public Library system projects including Northeast, Southwest, and South Central Regional Libraries.
• Allison + PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssociate architect on Fayetteville Public Library expansion project.
• EAPCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of Record for Grand Forks Children's Museum project where MSR Design serves as Design Architect.
• Xylem ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer with Housing Authority of Salt Lake City on Northwest Pipeline Building redevelopment project for mixed-income housing development.
• Housing Authority of Salt Lake CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and development partner for Northwest Pipeline Building redevelopment project. MSR Design providing architecture services for 97,800 SF mixed-income housing conversion.
• Beacon Interfaith Housing CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit housing organization partnered with MSR Design on Lydia Apartments expansion and Aster Commons project providing 40 new dwelling units and 40 renovated units.
• MetroPlains DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner on multiple housing projects including Atrium Lofts (Wausau) and Trolley Quarter Flats. MSR Design provided design services for historic adaptive reuse into mixed-income housing.
• Hope CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer with Aeon on Aeon The Rose project - 90 affordable apartments plus 43 market rate units in Minneapolis.
• DuPont de Nemours, Inc.minorOthersOriginal owner of the Dupont Building (headquarters) that was transformed into luxury apartments and office space by Buccini Pollin Group with MSR Design.
• Minneapolis Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnered with MSR Design on unCommon Construction houses project providing construction trades training for students.
• unCommon ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit training organization providing construction trades education. MSR Design provides pro bono prototype design for houses built by students in the program.
• Change, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for GAP School Page Street Houses project providing single-family homes built by students in construction training program.
• USGBC MinnesotaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSGBC Minnesota helping strategize and manage LEED certification process for unCommon Construction Minneapolis Houses project.
• Center for Energy and Environment (CEE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner helping manage LEED certification process and blower door testing for unCommon Construction project.
• Better FuturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit product resale organization receiving 9.49 tons of donated items with $150,000 resale value from Mill District Loft renovation project.
• International Living Future Institute (ILFI)coreOthersILFI administers Living Building Challenge petal certification and Just 2.0 label programs that MSR Design has achieved for projects and firm operations.
• Women's Business Development Center-Midwest (WBDC-Midwest)coreOthersRegional certifying partner of WBENC that certified MSR Design as a Women's Business Enterprise.
• Hempel PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper client for Four Seasons Private Residences project in Minneapolis - 114,000 SF high-end condominiums on top six floors of Gateway Tower.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• KieranTimberlake: Research-driven architecture firm known for sustainability innovation, performance-based design, and award-winning civic and cultural projects. Comparable in size and ethos to MSR's design-research orientation.
• MASS Design Group: Nonprofit architecture firm centered on social justice, equity, and evidence-based design with a strong public-sector footprint. Highly comparable to MSR on equity-, sustainability-, and mission-driven differentiation.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with a deep public-sector, healthcare, and education practice and a leadership position in LEED and sustainable design. Overlaps with MSR's library, civic, and sustainability credentials at significantly larger scale.
• ZGF Architects: Pacific Northwest-based architecture firm with a leadership position in sustainable, research-driven design and significant civic, healthcare, and library work. Larger but highly comparable in sustainability-led approach.

Direct peers

• Moody Nolan: Largest African American-owned architecture firm in the US with strong diversity-and-equity positioning, large public-sector footprint, and cultural/civic work. Mirror-image peer to MSR on diversity-led differentiation and project typology.
• Lake|Flato Architects: Texas-based sustainable architecture firm comparable in size and ethos, with awards leadership in civic, cultural, and library design. Closest peer to MSR on sustainability-driven public-architecture positioning.
• BWBR (Buetow & Associates): St. Paul-based architecture firm with deep healthcare, civic, and education portfolios and a comparable Minnesota professional-services scale. Direct regional peer for institutional work.
• Cuningham Group Architecture: Minneapolis-headquartered architecture and design firm of comparable size, with overlapping public-sector, cultural, and hospitality portfolios. Closest geographic and project-type peer to MSR.
• HGA (Hammel, Green and Abrahamson): Minnesota-headquartered architecture and engineering firm with comparable cultural, civic, healthcare, and library work. Direct competitor for talent and projects in MSR's home market.
• LHB (Larson Helle Borsch): Mid-size architecture and engineering firm based in Duluth/Minneapolis with a strong public-sector, library, and civic portfolio. Comparable size, geography, and client mix to MSR.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/msr-206971930425
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1192707
• Instagraminstagram.com/design.msrltd
• Xx.com/msrltd

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 MSR Design (Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd.)