OKW Architects
OKW Architects is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 1960, serving real estate developers, senior living operators, hospitality clients, corporations, and institutional organizations across the United States through integrated design services spanning mixed-use, multifamily, retail, hospitality, workplace, and private club projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What OKW Architects does
OKW Architects is a privately held architecture and interior design firm headquartered in Chicago's West Loop, founded by Norm Koglin in 1960 and currently led by CEO Jon Talty, President Andy Koglin, and Partners Katie Lambert, Anders Rustin, and Director of Architecture and Planning Neil Sondgeroth. The firm employs 101–250 staff across architecture, interior design, and planning disciplines, serving enterprise clients including commercial real estate developers (Torburn Partners, Murphy Development Group, Sterling Organization, T2 Capital Management, Structured Development, L3 Capital, Harrison Street), senior living operators (Presbyterian Homes — a 35-year relationship across three campuses), corporate clients (Krispy Kreme, Reyes Beer Division), hospitality operators (Four Seasons, Time Out Market, Eataly, The Post), healthcare systems (NorthShore University HealthSystem), and non-profit/institutional organizations (Jewish Council for Youth Services, The Harbour).
The firm's services span the full project lifecycle — schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, permitting, and construction administration — delivered through an integrated model in which the interiors team collaborates directly with architects rather than operating as a separate silo. Project typologies include mixed-use developments, multifamily residential, retail and food halls (including the largest Eataly in the United States and the Time Out Market), corporate workplaces and headquarters, country and private clubs, senior living communities across the continuum of care, healthcare facilities, education projects, and ground-up non-profit facilities. Recent notable commissions include the $1.2B Sarasota Square mall reimagining in Florida, the $450M+ Golf Mill Mall redevelopment in Niles, Illinois, the 332-unit Vista at Councill Square in Huntsville, Alabama, and the One Winnetka luxury mixed-use development.
OKW's revenue model is professional-services based, with fees structured around project scope, complexity, and delivery phases on a multi-year contract basis — no standardized rate cards are published and pricing is described as "commensurate with experience" relative to the firm's own workforce. The go-to-market is relationship-driven enterprise field sales, with project sourcing occurring through industry reputation, professional networks, repeat-client engagements, and referrals within the Chicago real estate development community and adjacent geographies where the firm now operates (Florida, Alabama, New York, Ohio, California). Marketing channels include the OKW Quarterly newsletter (launched 2025), project blog content, active award submissions (AIA Chicago, Chicago Building Congress, ENR Midwest, Interior Design Magazine), coverage in regional and trade press, and participation in professional associations including the Urban Land Institute and AIA Chicago. The firm has accumulated a consistent regional award portfolio across senior housing, hospitality, social impact, and institutional categories.
OKW Architects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OKW Architects
- Legal name
- OKW Architects
- Website
- https://okwarchitects.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- OKW Architects is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 1960, serving real estate developers, senior living operators, hospitality clients, corporations, and institutional organizations across the United States through integrated design services spanning mixed-use, multifamily, retail, hospitality, workplace, and private club projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OKW Architects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
Keywords
Where OKW Architects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
OKW Architects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: OKW Architects generates revenue through professional fees for architectural design services, interior design services, master planning, and construction administration. Services are billed on a project basis with fees structured around scope, complexity, and project delivery phases including schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, permitting, and construction administration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom professional services pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
OKW Architects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OKW Architects is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm providing professional design services across the full project lifecycle — from schematic design and design development through construction documents, bidding, permitting, and construction administration. The firm also offers master/site planning and interior design for projects spanning mixed-use, multifamily, retail and entertainment, hospitality, workplace/corporate, country and private clubs, institutional, and education sectors, including specialized senior living design and historic preservation work.
Product overview
OKW Architects is an architecture and interior design firm offering comprehensive architectural services across diverse market sectors. The firm provides design services for mixed-use, multifamily residential, retail and entertainment, hospitality, workplace/corporate, country and private clubs, institutional, and education projects. Their interior design team handles commercial, hospitality, retail, institutional, and multifamily residential projects. The firm also specializes in senior living design and historic preservation. The OKW Quarterly is their periodic newsletter publication showcasing firm work and updates. The portfolio demonstrates expertise across market sectors with services spanning architecture, interior design, site planning, and master planning.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural services delivered across all project phases — schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, permitting, and construction administration — for real estate developers, corporations, and institutional clients. Projects span mixed-use, multifamily, retail, hospitality, workplace, country and private clubs, institutional, and education sectors.
- Interior Design Services Integrated interior design practice delivered in collaboration with OKW's architects (rather than as a siloed discipline) for commercial, hospitality, retail, institutional, and multifamily residential interiors. Notable engagements include Krispy Kreme HQ, Reyes Beer Division, Eataly Chicago, Aster Hall at 900 N Michigan, and the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago renovation.
- Master Planning and Site Planning Master and site planning services for large-scale, multi-phase developments including mixed-use campuses, senior living continuums of care, and mall-to-mixed-use redevelopments. Engagements span portfolio planning, campus repositioning, and phased build-out coordination.
- Construction Administration Services Construction administration support following design completion, including bidding assistance, permitting oversight, and construction-phase architect services. Delivered as part of the firm's full project lifecycle engagement model.
- Senior Living Design Services Specialized architectural and interior design for senior living communities across the continuum of care — independent living, assisted living, memory care, and wellness facilities. Proven track record includes a 35-year relationship with Presbyterian Homes spanning three campuses (Lake Forest Place, The Moorings, Evanston) and award-winning projects including The Sheridan at River Forest.
- Historic Preservation Design Services Architectural and design services for historic preservation and renovation projects, including the Music Institute renovation recognized with a Landmark Preservation Award.
Quantifiable outcome
- Award-winning projects recognized by AIA Chicago, Chicago Building Congress, Interior Design Magazine, and other industry organizations
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use OKW Architects
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
OKW Architects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
OKW Architects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Torburn PartnerscoreLong-term client partnership on multiple major redevelopment projects including Sarasota Square mall reimagining ($1.2B mixed-use) and Northwest Crossings campus consolidation in Arlington Heights. Relationship spans multiple projects over several years.
- Murphy Development GroupcoreJoint venture partner on One Winnetka project combining Murphy Development and Harrison Street. OKW serves as architect and planner for this transformative Winnetka development.
- Sterling OrganizationcoreClient for $450M+ Golf Mill Mall redevelopment project in Niles, Illinois. OKW provides planning and architecture for this major mall-to-mixed-use transformation.
- T2 Capital ManagementcoreClient for Vista at Councill Square 332-unit multifamily development in Huntsville, Alabama. OKW serves as architecture and design firm for this multi-phased residential development.
- Kinzie BuildersmajorConstruction partner on multiple OKW-designed projects including 10 North Main in Mount Prospect and Oak Forest mixed-use development. Collaborative relationship on design-build projects.
- Rottet StudiomajorInterior design collaborator on Four Seasons Hotel Chicago renovation. Rottet Studio provided interior design while OKW served as Architect of Record for this comprehensive hotel renovation.
- AvroKOmajorRestaurant operator partner on Aster Hall food hall project at 900 N Michigan. Collaboration with Hogsalt owner Brendan Sodikoff on this innovative food hall concept.
- L3 CapitalmajorClient and development partner on multiple projects including 932 W Randolph Street redevelopment and Time Out Market Chicago. OKW serves as design architect for core and shell.
- Structured DevelopmentmajorClient for NEWCITY mixed-use development on Chicago's Clybourn corridor. Multi-disciplinary project utilizing OKW's architecture, interior design, site planning, and landscape professionals.
- Christian PondercoreClient and visionary for The Post, a first-of-its-kind private social club for professional athletes in New York City. OKW provided architecture and interior design for the NYC clubhouse.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OKW Architects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brininstool + Lynch: Chicago architecture studio with work spanning commercial, cultural, residential, and adaptive reuse projects. Comparable peer given shared Chicago location, similar size, and focus on thoughtful contextual design.
- Legat Architects: Midwest-based architecture firm serving K-12, higher education, commercial, and community clients. Comparable given overlapping institutional and commercial work and Midwest operational base.
- Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB): Chicago architecture firm with a strong multifamily, mixed-use, and urban development portfolio. Comparable peer given shared Chicago HQ, similar scale, and concentration in large-scale residential and mixed-use developments for institutional and developer clients.
- DLR Group: Integrated architecture and engineering firm serving commercial, hospitality, senior living, and institutional clients from multiple US offices. Comparable peer given similar project types and integrated design delivery model.
- Wight & Company: Chicago-area architecture, engineering, and construction firm serving mixed-use, education, healthcare, and commercial developers. Comparable in size, geographic base, and integrated design-build capabilities that mirror OKW's integrated architecture/interiors/landscape model.
- KSS Architecture: Architecture firm with a strong retail, mixed-use, and commercial development practice including significant work on lifestyle centers and adaptive reuse. Highly comparable given overlapping retail/entertainment/mixed-use expertise.
- Antunovich Associates: Long-established Chicago architecture firm with a similarly broad portfolio including residential, commercial, institutional, and adaptive reuse work. Comparable mid-sized peer with a Chicago base and decades of operating history.
- Pappageorge Haymes Partners: Chicago-based architecture firm of comparable size with a similarly diverse portfolio spanning mixed-use, multifamily, retail, hospitality, and senior living. Most directly comparable peer given shared Chicago home base, similar headcount range, and overlapping project types.
Broad incumbents
- Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with a strong Chicago office and broad practice across healthcare, commercial, education, and mixed-use. Represents the larger-tier incumbent competitor that OKW faces when pursuing larger national programs.
- Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm with a major Chicago presence and deep mixed-use, hospitality, retail, and workplace practices. Represents the broad incumbent competitor at the upper end of the commercial real estate design market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OKW Architects social profiles
Digital presenceOKW Architects compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance12 records
OKW Architects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OKW Architects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
OKW Architects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OKW Architects M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OKW Architects
What does OKW Architects do?
OKW Architects is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm providing professional design services across the full project lifecycle — from schematic design and design development through construction documents, bidding, permitting, and construction administration. The firm also offers master/site planning and interior design for projects spanning mixed-use, multifamily, retail and entertainment, hospitality, workplace/corporate, country and private clubs, institutional, and education sectors, including specialized senior living design and historic preservation work.
Is OKW Architects a public or private company?
OKW Architects is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was OKW Architects founded?
OKW Architects was founded in 1960. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is OKW Architects based?
OKW Architects is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does OKW Architects make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are OKW Architects's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brininstool + Lynch, Legat Architects, Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), DLR Group, Wight & Company, KSS Architecture, Antunovich Associates and Pappageorge Haymes Partners. Broad incumbents are Perkins&Will and Gensler.
Does OKW Architects have an API?
No public API is recorded for OKW Architects.
What industry is OKW Architects in?
OKW Architects's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 8700.