Lamar Johnson Collaborative

What Lamar Johnson Collaborative does

Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) is a privately held architecture, engineering, and design firm operating as the integrated design arm of the Clayco Collective. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, the firm was rebranded in 2020 from Clayco Design and Engineering (CDE) to Lamar Johnson Collaborative and currently operates from seven U.S. offices spanning the Midwest, West Coast, Mountain West, and Southeast. LJC delivers architecture, building services engineering (MEP), process engineering, structural engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning services across six primary market verticals: Commercial & Corporate, Industrial (distribution, food & beverage, advanced manufacturing), Institutional (community, healthcare, higher education), Life Sciences, Mission Critical, and Residential & Hospitality.

The firm's business model centers on project-based professional services fees, with no publicly disclosed pricing structure. LJC differentiates itself through "Integrated by Design" — a delivery model that embeds architecture, engineering, and interiors within the broader Clayco platform spanning real estate development (CRG), construction (Clayco), concrete construction (Concrete Strategies), and façade systems (Ventana). This enables seamless design-build execution, evidenced by marquee projects such as the 1.16M SF Indiana University Health South Support Building, the 225,000 SF Boston Consulting Group regional headquarters, the 80,700 SF PsiQuantum Phase 1 quantum computing facility, and the multi-phase Penn State East Halls Master Plan. Marquee client relationships span Northwestern Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Savannah College of Art and Design, KPC Development, RIU Hotels, and the City of Fort Wayne.

LJC pursues high-bar sustainability credentials (LEED Gold, WELL, PHIUS Design Certified) on signature projects and has accumulated extensive industry recognition through AIA, ASLA, ULI, IIDA, and ENR awards. The firm is led by CEO Zackery House and President Elizabeth Zucker, supported by specialized market leaders across Aviation, Compute, Life Sciences, Industrial Process Engineering, Hospitality, and Residential verticals. As a privately held subsidiary within the privately held Clayco family of companies, LJC does not disclose revenue, and capital structure is opaque. The firm is positioned as a mid-market integrated design firm with national reach but without the scale or international footprint of top-tier global A&E firms.

Name

Lamar Johnson Collaborative

Legal name

The Lamar Johnson Collaborative

Website

https://theljc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lamar Johnson Collaborative is a U.S. architecture, engineering, and integrated design firm serving enterprise, institutional, and government clients across commercial, industrial, healthcare, education, and mission-critical sectors. It operates as the design arm of the Clayco Collective, delivering projects via an integrated design-build model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Engineering Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Structural engineering services
• Interior design services
• Landscape architecture services
• Urban planning design

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) is an integrated architecture, engineering, interior design, and urban planning firm delivering full-lifecycle design services across architecture, building services engineering, process engineering, structural engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning. The firm serves commercial, industrial, institutional, life sciences, mission-critical, and residential/hospitality clients, and delivers design-build solutions through sister companies within the Clayco Collective (Clayco, CRG, Concrete Strategies, Ventana).

Product overview

Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) is an architecture, engineering, and interior design firm that operates as a unified practice offering integrated services. The firm's core offerings include Architecture, Building Services Engineering, Process Engineering, Structural Engineering, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning & Design. LJC collaborates with sister companies Clayco (construction), CRG (development), Concrete Strategies (concrete construction), and Ventana (curtain wall/facade systems) to deliver comprehensive design-build solutions. The firm serves diverse markets including Commercial & Corporate, Entertainment, Industrial (Distribution, Food & Beverage, Advanced Manufacturing), Institutional (Community, Healthcare, Higher Education), Life Sciences, Mission Critical, and Residential & Hospitality. Projects range from individual buildings to large-scale master plans spanning multiple phases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design creating environments that connect people and build communities across commercial, institutional, industrial, residential, and hospitality sectors.
• Building Services Engineering Intelligent, integrated MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems design that prioritizes energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and long-term reliability across healthcare, commercial, and institutional environments.
• Process Engineering Deep expertise across Advanced Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Food & Beverage, and Chemical Processing industries delivering scalable, compliant process systems from concept through commissioning.
• Structural Engineering Dynamic engineering team dedicated to collaboration, creative thinking, sustainability, and design efficiency, delivering safe, code-compliant solutions to complex problems.
• Interior Design Creating interior environments that connect people and build communities with expertise in workplace, hospitality, healthcare, and residential interiors.
• Landscape Architecture Connecting creative and artistic expression with complex ecological systems, including parks, streetscapes, and sustainable landscape designs.
• Urban Planning & Design Expertise in land use, transportation, infrastructure, feasibility analysis, and communication for comprehensive urban development planning.
• Design-Build Services Integrated design-build delivery process combining LJC's design expertise with Clayco's construction capabilities for streamlined project execution.

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• PsiQuantumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025LJC serves as lead designer for PsiQuantum's quantum computing campus at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. PsiQuantum is building America's largest quantum computing project, with LJC providing comprehensive architectural and engineering services for the Phase 1 development building.
• ClaycocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate, architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firm. LJC leverages Clayco's construction expertise and integrated delivery capabilities for seamless project execution across all market sectors. Clayco is the parent company of LJC.
• CRG (CRG Real Estate)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRG is a real estate development company focused on delivering the best real estate development solutions. CRG leverages Clayco and LJC for planning, design and construction expertise through full-integration. CRG and LJC work together on various development projects.
• Concrete StrategiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcrete Strategies is a turnkey, design-build concrete contractor providing architectural site cast concrete, structural concrete, flatwork, site utilities and all types of self-performing concrete construction for commercial projects.
• VentanamajorTechnology or IntegrationVentana designs, supplies, and installs high-performing curtain wall façade systems, working closely with design teams to ensure competitively priced, water and air-tight façades with optimal thermal control.
• Related MidwestmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated Midwest is the lead developer for the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) project at Quantum Shore in Chicago. LJC serves as lead designer for the PsiQuantum campus development on this site.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HOK: Global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm with practices in commercial, healthcare, education, aviation, and mission-critical — overlaps directly with LJC's vertical mix and integrated delivery model.
• EwingCole: Mid-sized integrated architecture, engineering, and interior design firm with strong healthcare, higher education, and science & technology practices — comparable scale and integrated delivery model to LJC.
• Gensler: Largest global architecture, design, and planning firm with integrated practices across commercial, hospitality, healthcare, education, and industrial — directly comparable to LJC's multidisciplinary, multi-sector integrated design model.
• SmithGroup: Integrated architecture, engineering, and planning firm with comparable scale and similar vertical mix in higher education, healthcare, workplace, and science & technology — strong analog to LJC's integrated practice.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design firm with strong healthcare, education, and commercial practices plus integrated interior design — closely matches LJC's enterprise-segment mix and integrated design-build positioning.
• DLR Group: Employee-owned integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, interior design, and planning — directly comparable to LJC across verticals including commercial, education, healthcare, and industrial.
• HKS Architects: National architecture and design firm with strong healthcare, education, hospitality, and sports practices — comparable in enterprise client profile and integrated delivery.

Peers

• CannonDesign: Integrated architecture, engineering, and design firm with comparable scale and similar institutional/healthcare/commercial mix; closely mirrors LJC's integrated design practice and enterprise-client profile.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Large global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm; broader portfolio than LJC but overlapping in industrial process engineering, mission-critical, and built-environment design.
• Jacobs Solutions: Global professional services firm with architecture and engineering practices serving industrial, advanced manufacturing, and infrastructure clients — adjacent comparable for LJC's industrial process engineering work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ljc-design-and-engineering
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_ljc

Compliance8 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 Lamar Johnson Collaborative