STIR Architecture

What STIR Architecture does

STIR Architecture (formerly Altoon Partners) is a privately held, full-service architecture firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with a regional European hub in Amsterdam. The firm specializes in large-scale, complex projects across seven service lines: Mixed-Use Architecture, Shopping Center Design, Adaptive Reuse + Preservation, Urban Design + Master Planning, Interior Architecture, Education + Programming, and Transit + TOD. STIR serves enterprise clients including commercial REITs, sovereign and institutional developers, transit authorities, and universities, with documented engagements across more than 30 cities and 4 continents, including landmark projects such as Downtown Summerlin (Las Vegas, 1.67M SF), Del Amo Fashion Center (Torrance, 2.2M SF), Hoog Catharijne (Utrecht), Central World Plaza (Bangkok), and Ayala Center Cebu (Philippines).

The firm's underlying technology stack is architecture-as-craft rather than platform: delivery is driven by senior partners (Gary K. Dempster, FAIA; William L. Sebring, AIA; James C. Auld, AIA), supported by an in-house IT platform for global project coordination, but no proprietary software, SaaS, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Over its ~40-year history STIR has completed more than $12 billion in constructed projects across 46 countries and has won over 100 design and development awards from bodies including ICSC, ULI, AIA chapters, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

STIR generates revenue through project-based professional services fees — architecture, master planning, interior architecture, and executive architect roles — quoted per engagement rather than via disclosed unit pricing. The go-to-market is enterprise direct sales: the firm is sourced via developer relationships, referrals, ICSC event presence, and competitive shortlisting on large REIT and institutional developer RFPs. Customer mix is concentrated in enterprise real estate developers (Howard Hughes Corp, Simon Property Group, AyalaLand, Shea Properties, Central Pattana, Klepierre, AIG Lincoln, Rouse Company) with select public-sector and institutional clients (UCSB, City of Toronto). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; headcount is reported in the 11–50 range.

Name

STIR Architecture

Legal name

STIR Architecture

Website

https://stirarchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STIR Architecture is a privately held, full-service architecture firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Los Angeles, with a European hub in Amsterdam, specializing in large-scale mixed-use, retail, transit-oriented, and adaptive-reuse projects for enterprise developers, REITs, transit authorities, and institutions across 46 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Mixed-Use Commercial Construction (IMAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Multi-Family Residential Construction (Apartments, Condos, Townhomes) (IMAFABAB), Residential Interior Fit-Out (Multi-Family & High-End) (IMAFANAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban planning
• Mixed-use development
• Transit-oriented design
• Adaptive reuse architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: STIR Architecture generates revenue through professional architecture and design fees for large-scale mixed-use, retail, shopping center, transit-oriented development, adaptive reuse, and educational/institutional projects. Revenue is project-based, scoped per engagement, and serves clients across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

STIR Architecture is a global architecture and planning firm that designs large-scale mixed-use, retail, transit-oriented, and adaptive reuse projects for enterprise clients including developers, institutions, and public agencies. The firm provides master planning, architectural design, and urban design services across 46 countries, with a portfolio exceeding $12 billion in constructed value.

Product overview

STIR Architecture (formerly Altoon Partners) is a full-service architectural firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of architectural and design services. The firm operates across six core service lines: Mixed-Use Architecture Services, Shopping Center Design, Adaptive Reuse + Preservation, Urban Design + Master Planning, Interior Architecture, Education + Programming, and Transit + TOD. Rather than a software platform, the firm delivers professional architectural services across retail, residential, commercial, civic, and transit projects globally, with no modular software products or SaaS offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Comprehensive architectural design services for large-scale commercial, mixed-use, retail, and institutional buildings, delivered to enterprise clients such as developers, corporations, and public agencies.
• Urban Planning & Master Planning Strategic urban and master planning services for transit-oriented developments, mixed-use districts, and large-scale public-private redevelopment projects serving government agencies, developers, and institutional clients.
• Adaptive Reuse Design Specialized architectural services that repurpose and redevelop existing structures for new programs, targeting commercial real estate owners, developers, and municipalities seeking sustainable redevelopment solutions.

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KlepierrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTIR Architecture has been working with Klepierre since 2003 on the redevelopment of Hoog Catharijne in Utrecht, The Netherlands — one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in northern Europe. Services included master planning, concept design, schematic design, design development, design review of documentation, and construction administration. The program includes 35,000 m2 of new retail, 100 housing units, 200 hotel rooms, and 1,200 additional parking spaces within the existing 350,000 m2 mixed-use project.
• The Howard Hughes CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Howard Hughes Corporation engaged STIR Architecture (formerly Altoon Partners) as Design and Executive Architect for Downtown Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nevada — a 1.67M SF mixed-use development that is part of the larger Summerlin master-planned community.
• Simon Property GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimon Property Group engaged STIR Architecture for the extensive multi-year, multi-phase renovation of Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California. The 2.2 million square foot center was reinvented with a fresh, sophisticated design while keeping operations open during construction.
• AyalaLandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAyalaLand engaged STIR Architecture for the two-phase renovation and expansion of Ayala Center Cebu in the Philippines, including The Terraces open-air lifestyle venue. Phase Two added a new wing with local and international retailers. Project won ICSC Asia Shopping Center Award Gold in 2010 and 2015.
• Shea PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShea Properties engaged STIR Architecture to design The Collection at RiverPark, a 650,000 SF upscale open-air mixed-use development in Oxnard, California. The LEED-certified project includes retail, office, residential, and public spaces.
• Merlone Geier Partners / GPI CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMerlone Geier Partners and GPI Companies engaged STIR Architecture for the NOHO West redevelopment project, transforming the former Laurel Plaza Mall site in North Hollywood, California into a pedestrian-oriented town center with 572,000 SF of commercial space, 700,798 SF of residential, and over 2 acres of open space. Groundbreaking ceremony held April 6, 2017.
• Land Transportation Authority (Singapore)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand Transportation Authority of Singapore engaged STIR Architecture for the design of Sengkang Station and Buangkok Station, part of Singapore's Northeast Line Expansion. Projects received SIA-HWA Award for Excellence in Design and Accessibility.
• Central Pattana Property Investment + DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Pattana Property Investment and Development engaged STIR Architecture for the design of Central World Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand — a 220,000 SM mixed-use development featuring a seven-story high, 350-meter digital Media Wall and five defined retail 'Rooms'. Project won ICSC Asia Shopping Center Award 2009 and VIVA! Award 2010.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CallisonRTKL (Arcadis): CallisonRTKL, now part of Arcadis, is one of the largest retail and mixed-use architecture practices globally and the most direct peer to STIR, with comparable work in shopping centers, lifestyle centers, and mixed-use developments worldwide.
• Benoy: Benoy is a UK-based international architecture firm specializing in retail, leisure, and mixed-use projects, with global delivery that closely mirrors STIR's large-format retail and urban design work.
• Cooper Carry: Cooper Carry is a U.S. architecture firm with a strong mixed-use, retail, and master planning practice serving major developers — directly comparable to STIR's core project types and client base.
• Arquitectonica: Arquitectonica is a Miami-based international architecture firm known for large-scale mixed-use, commercial, and urban projects, competing with STIR in mixed-use typology and developer-driven global mandates.
• Elkus Manfredi Architects: Elkus Manfredi is a Boston-based architecture firm focused on large-scale mixed-use, retail, and urban infill projects for major developers — closely aligned with STIR's commercial and mixed-use practice.

Emerging players

• 5+design: 5+design is a smaller international architecture firm specializing in retail, mixed-use, and entertainment projects globally; an emerging direct competitor to STIR in shopping center and lifestyle destination design.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Gensler is the largest U.S. architecture firm with a substantial retail and mixed-use practice serving global enterprise clients — a broad incumbent that competes for the same large-format retail architecture mandates as STIR.
• Ben Thompson Associates / MG2: MG2 (formerly MulvannyG2) is a U.S. architecture and design firm with a long-standing retail practice serving major retail and mixed-use developers — a broader incumbent competing for similar developer-led mandates.
• SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill): SOM is a globally established architecture and engineering firm with mixed-use and urban design practices that occasionally compete with STIR on large-scale, high-profile mixed-use and master planning projects.

Regional players

• DP Architects: DP Architects is a Singapore-based international firm with strong retail, mixed-use, and TOD work across Asia — a regional peer comparable to STIR's Asia-Pacific project activity (e.g., Central Pattana, AyalaLand engagements).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StirArchitects
• Facebookfacebook.com/stirarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stirarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 STIR Architecture