What Stephen Perry Smith Architects does

Stephen Perry Smith Architects, Inc. (SPSA) is a privately held, full-service architecture firm headquartered at 215 N Water Street, Suite 250, in Milwaukee's Third Ward, with a secondary presence in Franklin, North Carolina. Founded in 1992 by Stephen Perry Smith as a development, design, and construction consulting practice, the firm transitioned into a full-service architectural practice by 2000 and now serves owners, developers, corporations, and institutions across seven market sectors — Commercial, Corporate, Education, Hospitality, Industrial, Mixed-Use, and Multifamily Residential. Service offerings include Architectural Design & Visualization (including 3D visualization and digital renderings), Master Planning, Consulting & Advisory (site analysis, feasibility, zoning), Construction Administration & Project Management, Adaptive Reuse, Renovation & Tenant Improvement, Environmental Graphics/Branding, and Interior Design. The firm holds architectural licensure in Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, and North Carolina, supplemented by NCARB certification that enables licensure in additional states on a project basis, and offers LEED certification services as part of its design scope.

The firm operates as a relationship-driven, sales-led professional services business, generating revenue through project-based architectural fees determined by scope, complexity, and client requirements. Its client base includes Milwaukee Tool (multiple corporate and industrial facilities), Briggs & Stratton (corporate offices and the 706,000 SF Global Distribution Facility), Quad Graphics (389,000 SF distribution center), Ruekert & Mielke (81,000 SF Class A HQ), Fromm Family Foods (Foxtown HQ), MLG Capital (HQ renovation), Connoils, Avant Apartments, and Momentum Early Learning. Cross-sector deliverables range from boutique hospitality renovations and K-12/early-childhood education facilities to mixed-use developments such as the multi-tenant Foxtown program in Mequon and the public MKE Downtown Dog Park. The firm is founder-led and independent, with no disclosed institutional, private equity, or venture backing, and its senior leadership added Jerry Wick as Principal Architect in late 2025.

Commercial activity is concentrated in Southeastern Wisconsin with multi-state reach into Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, and North Carolina, and is supported by direct client engagement, the firm portfolio/website, earned-media awards coverage (Milwaukee Business Journal, Daily Reporter, City of Milwaukee Mayor's Design Awards, CARW), and client testimonials. The firm is recognized among Milwaukee's top architecture practices, including a 2026 Mayor's Design Award, 2025 Daily Reporter Top Projects, 2024 Milwaukee Business Journal Real Estate Awards and Mayor's Design Awards, and 2023 CARW Deal of the Year. It has also been recognized as a 2025 Best Places to Work by the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Name

Stephen Perry Smith Architects

Legal name

Stephen Perry Smith Architects, Inc.

Website

https://spsarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stephen Perry Smith Architects (SPSA) is a privately held, full-service architecture firm headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, delivering architectural design, master planning, construction administration, adaptive reuse, and interior design across commercial, corporate, education, hospitality, industrial, mixed-use, and multifamily residential markets for owners, developers, corporations, and institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Commercial architecture design
• Master planning services
• Construction administration services
• Interior design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: The firm generates revenue through professional architectural services including design, master planning, consulting, construction administration, and interior design. Revenue is earned through project-based fees for architectural services rendered across diverse market segments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Stephen Perry Smith Architects is a full-service architectural firm providing design, master planning, consulting, construction administration, interior design, adaptive reuse, and tenant improvement services across commercial, corporate, educational, hospitality, industrial, mixed-use, and multifamily residential markets. The firm generates revenue through project-based professional fees for architectural services, delivering integrated design solutions from concept through construction for owners, developers, corporations, and institutions.

Product overview

Stephen Perry Smith Architects is a full-service architectural firm that operates as a single, unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The firm provides comprehensive architectural services organized into two interconnected portfolios: eight core service offerings (Architectural Design & Visualization, Master Planning, Consulting & Advisory, Construction Administration & Project Management, Adaptive Reuse, Renovation & Tenant Improvement, Environmental Graphics & Branding, and Interior Design) that are applied across seven market sectors (Commercial, Corporate, Education, Hospitality, Industrial, Mixed-Use, and Multifamily Residential). The firm's services are tailored to each project's unique needs through a collaborative design process, delivering integrated architectural solutions from concept sketches through final inspections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• MKE Downtown Dog Park recognized with 2026 Mayor's Design Award
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Berghammer ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBerghammer Construction is listed as a project partner on the E1 and E2 at Foxtown mixed-use development project. They have an established working relationship with SPSA, mentioned as a pleasure to work with and appreciating the relationship built professionally and personally.
• Pierce EngineerssupportingTechnology or IntegrationListed as a project partner on the E1 and E2 at Foxtown mixed-use development project, providing engineering expertise.
• Quam EngineeringsupportingTechnology or IntegrationListed as a project partner on the E1 and E2 at Foxtown mixed-use development project, providing engineering expertise.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SmithGroup: Large US architecture, engineering, and planning firm covering corporate, education, and mixed-use work. Competes for larger enterprise assignments where clients seek broader integrated services.
• LEO A DALY: Nationally established architecture and engineering firm offering corporate, hospitality, and mixed-use design. Overlaps with SPSA on corporate and hospitality pursuits but operates at broader scale.
• Cuningham Group Architecture: Larger Midwest-founded architecture firm with expanded national footprint serving hospitality, entertainment, and mixed-use sectors. Overlaps with SPSA's hospitality and mixed-use pursuits but at greater scale and geographic scope.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with strong corporate workplace, hospitality, and mixed-use practices. Adjacent incumbent that increasingly competes for large corporate and developer accounts in the Midwest.
• HDR Architecture: Large global AEC firm whose architecture practice serves corporate, healthcare, education, and infrastructure clients. Competes for enterprise projects where integrated engineering-architecture offerings are preferred.

Direct peers

• Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA): Midwest-headquartered architecture and engineering firm serving corporate, healthcare, education, and cultural clients. Comparable segment breadth with mid-size firm profile.
• RINKA: Milwaukee-based architecture and interior design firm with similar boutique scale, serving hospitality, multifamily, and mixed-use developers in the Midwest. Competes for the same regional mixed-use and multifamily RFPs.
• Zimmerman Architectural Studios: Milwaukee-area architectural firm offering similar commercial, educational, and adaptive reuse work. Comparable firm size and overlap on Wisconsin corporate and institutional clients.
• Eppstein Uhen + Associates: Milwaukee-based architecture and engineering firm of comparable size serving corporate, industrial, and developer clients across the Midwest. Direct competition for the same enterprise accounts, including regional manufacturers and developers.
• Kahler Slater: Milwaukee architecture and interior design firm practicing across hospitality, corporate, and mixed-use markets. Most direct peer given shared geography, comparable segment coverage, and similar enterprise client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100063456943427
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stephen-perry-smith-architects-inc-

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Stephen Perry Smith Architects