ThenDesign Architecture
ThenDesign Architecture is a Willoughby, Ohio-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm specializing in K-12 educational facility design, serving 120+ school districts across Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh with a proprietary Educational Visioning stakeholder-engagement methodology and 100% employee-owned governance as of February 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersWilloughby, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ThenDesign Architecture does
ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) is a Willoughby, Ohio-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm founded in 1989–1990, specializing in educational facility design for K-12 school districts, higher education, and community/institutional clients. The firm offers four integrated core services — architecture, planning, interior design, and construction administration — delivered through a proprietary 'Educational Visioning' stakeholder-engagement methodology that brings together administrators, educators, students, and community members in collaborative design sessions. Its design approach emphasizes flexible, 21st-century learning environments organized around shared collaborative 'hub' spaces with movable walls, flexible furniture, and integrated maker-space technology (3D printing). Production is built on standard architectural tooling — AutoCAD, BIM/Revit — with sustainability credentials demonstrated through LEED Silver certifications on multiple delivered projects.
The firm's revenue model is professional services fee-based, with multi-year project engagements under contracts with school districts, municipalities, and select private clients; pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales — direct engagement with district administrators and boards, competitive bidding and RFP responses, and long-cycle relationship management — supplemented by partnerships with general contractors such as Hammond Construction for design-build delivery and a criteria-architect relationship with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) on state-funded projects. TDA reports 120+ active school district relationships concentrated in Northeast Ohio, with selective expansion into Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As of February 2026 the firm is 100% employee-owned, with a stated staff of over 50 professionals representing 7 countries, led by founding partner and Executive Chairman Robert Fiala and President/CEO Chris Smith.
ThenDesign Architecture firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ThenDesign Architecture
- Legal name
- ThenDesign Architecture
- Website
- https://thendesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- ThenDesign Architecture is a Willoughby, Ohio-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm specializing in K-12 educational facility design, serving 120+ school districts across Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh with a proprietary Educational Visioning stakeholder-engagement methodology and 100% employee-owned governance as of February 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where ThenDesign Architecture is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Willoughby
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ThenDesign Architecture business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Fees for architectural design, planning, and interior design services for educational facilities including new construction, renovations, and building renovations. Projects are typically multi-year engagements with school districts.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
ThenDesign Architecture product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) provides architectural design, planning, interior design, and construction administration services for educational facilities. The firm specializes in K-12 schools, higher education campuses, and community-oriented public spaces, with a particular focus on collaborative "Educational Visioning" sessions and 21st-century learning environments. Projects span new construction, renovations, and large-scale campus developments for school districts across Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh.
Product overview
ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) is an architecture, planning, and interior design firm specializing in educational facilities. The company operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core services include architecture, planning, interior design, and construction administration, all focused on educational facility design. The firm is particularly known for its 'Educational Visioning Sessions' collaborative planning process and 21st century learning environment designs. TDA works with over 120 school districts across Northeast Ohio and has completed projects ranging from individual school renovations to large-scale campus developments. As of 2026, TDA became a 100% employee-owned firm with over 50 staff members.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture Services
- Planning Services
- Interior Design Services
- Construction Administration
Quantifiable outcome
- 14 consecutive years as NorthCoast 99 Top Workplace winner
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ThenDesign Architecture
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ThenDesign Architecture technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ThenDesign Architecture partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lake-Geauga County Habitat for HumanitycoreTDA partners with Lake-Geauga County Habitat for Humanity on the 100 Homes & Beyond Campaign, donating architecture and communications services for the 100th home project in Lake and Geauga Counties.
- Greenspace Construction ServicesminorConstruction services partner for Avon Lake City Schools' new 5-8 school design process.
- Hammond ConstructioncorePartnership with Hammond Construction as design-build partner on major projects including Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus ($133M), Bryden Elementary School, and other district projects.
- University Hospitals TriPoint Medical CenterminorHealthcare program partnership with Riverside Local School District's Career Technical Experience, providing students rotation experience at the hospital.
- Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC)coreState agency co-funding educational facility projects as criteria architect for CMSD Segment 8 and other district projects.
- Ohio Department of Education and WorkforceminorProvided $2.5 million grant for Riverside Local School District's Career Technical Experience addition.
- Cleveland Educational Design Alliance (CEDA)coreFounded by TDA in 2001, bringing together Cleveland-based A/E firms with educational facility design experience to provide strategic planning and design services for over 26 schools in CMSD.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ThenDesign Architecture competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CannonDesign: CannonDesign is a national A/E firm with a substantial K-12 and higher education practice serving public and private institutions; it competes for the same school district design commissions as TDA, often on larger campus-scale projects.
- DLR Group: DLR Group is a global integrated design firm with one of the largest K-12/higher education practices in North America; it acquired Fanning Howey (formerly Ohio's dominant K-12 education architecture firm), making it the most direct competitive overlap with TDA in Ohio and the broader Midwest.
- Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a global architecture firm with a dedicated Education practice; it pursues large-scale K-12 and university work and frequently competes against specialized education firms like TDA on bond-funded and OFCC-type public projects.
- Stantec: Stantec is a global design and engineering firm with a significant education architecture practice (built through acquisitions including SHW Group); it competes with TDA on large Ohio and Midwest K-12 commissions as part of a broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- Moody Nolan: Moody Nolan is the largest African-American-owned A/E firm in the U.S. with deep Ohio roots and a substantial K-12 education portfolio; it is one of TDA's most direct regional competitors for Ohio school district work and shares a similar community-centered design ethos.
- Corgan: Corgan is a national architecture firm with a dedicated Education practice serving K-12 and higher education clients; it is comparable to TDA in mission and customer base but typically operates at larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- Wight & Company: Wight & Company is an Illinois-based integrated design firm with a strong K-12 education practice and design-build delivery model; it competes with TDA for Midwest school district projects and shares a community/learning-centered design philosophy.
- Legat Architects: Legat Architects is a Midwest-based architecture and planning firm with a strong K-12 and community college focus; it competes with TDA on public school district projects across the broader Midwest education market.
- JCJ Architecture: JCJ Architecture is a dedicated education-focused architecture and planning firm serving K-12 and higher education clients; it is highly comparable to TDA in that education is its core specialization rather than a side practice.
- TMP Architecture: TMP Architecture is a Michigan-based full-service A/E firm with a long-standing K-12 education practice; it is closely comparable to TDA in scale, regional focus, and service mix (architecture + planning + interiors for schools).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ThenDesign Architecture social profiles
Digital presenceThenDesign Architecture compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
ThenDesign Architecture financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ThenDesign Architecture leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
ThenDesign Architecture funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ThenDesign Architecture 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 ThenDesign Architecture
What does ThenDesign Architecture do?
ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) provides architectural design, planning, interior design, and construction administration services for educational facilities. The firm specializes in K-12 schools, higher education campuses, and community-oriented public spaces, with a particular focus on collaborative "Educational Visioning" sessions and 21st-century learning environments. Projects span new construction, renovations, and large-scale campus developments for school districts across Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh.
Is ThenDesign Architecture a public or private company?
ThenDesign Architecture is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was ThenDesign Architecture founded?
ThenDesign Architecture was founded in 1990. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is ThenDesign Architecture based?
ThenDesign Architecture is headquartered in Willoughby, United States, in the North America region.
How does ThenDesign Architecture make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are ThenDesign Architecture's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CannonDesign, DLR Group, Perkins&Will and Stantec. Direct peers are Moody Nolan, Corgan, Wight & Company, Legat Architects, JCJ Architecture and TMP Architecture.
Does ThenDesign Architecture have an API?
No public API is recorded for ThenDesign Architecture.