What Nadel does

Nadel is a Los Angeles-headquartered architecture and planning firm founded in 1973, providing full-service design from concept through construction administration across retail, multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, commercial, civic, healthcare, and education sectors. The firm operates from three offices in Los Angeles (HQ), Scottsdale, and Las Vegas, with project history spanning the United States, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Core service delivery relies on industry-standard architectural design software (Revit, Rhino, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, BIM 360, Bluebeam) and a multi-studio structure including dedicated Retail and Commercial studios, with a 2025 launch of the Third Space placemaking studio in collaboration with veteran designer John Simones.

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services fees quoted individually by scope and complexity, with multi-year contract cadence on large mixed-use, civic, and government engagements. Customers are primarily real estate developers, government agencies (including the U.S. Air Force and Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles), healthcare organizations (Molina Healthcare), and financial institutions (FAA First Federal Credit Union), with retail developments anchored by national brands such as Nike, Starbucks, Costco, and Safeway. Go-to-market is enterprise direct field sales built on long-tenured developer relationships, repeat clients, and industry referrals.

Nadel maintains a principally-owned, independent ownership structure with no disclosed external investment, funding rounds, or M&A activity. Competitive positioning rests on 50+ years of continuous operation, 96+ industry awards from bodies including the American Institute of Architects, ICSC, and California Preservation Foundation, and a diversified project portfolio spanning adaptive reuse, sustainable urban infill, and large-scale mixed-use developments. Recent strategic moves include geographic expansion in Phoenix, leadership hires in multifamily housing, the Third Space placemaking initiative, and an international partnership with Lisbon-based Saraiva + Associados.

Name

Nadel

Legal name

Nadel Inc.

Website

https://nadelarc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nadel is a 50+ year, Los Angeles-headquartered architecture and planning firm serving developers, government agencies, and property owners across retail, multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, commercial, civic, and education sectors, with offices in Los Angeles, Scottsdale, and Las Vegas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Commercial architecture
• Mixed-use development
• Retail architecture
• Multifamily housing design

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture services including complete architectural services from concept through construction administration for retail, multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, commercial, and public sector projects. Revenue generated through design fees, project-based contracts, and ongoing client relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nadel provides comprehensive architectural design and planning services from concept through construction administration across multiple sectors including retail complexes, multifamily residential, mixed-use developments, hospitality venues, commercial office buildings, educational facilities, and civic/public sector projects. The firm operates a multi-studio model with dedicated Retail, Commercial, and Third Space (placemaking) studios, delivering projects across the Western United States and select international markets in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Product overview

Nadel is an architecture and planning firm offering comprehensive design services across multiple practice areas. The firm operates a multi-studio model including dedicated Retail, Commercial, and specialized Third Space studios. Core offerings encompass retail architecture, multi-family residential, mixed-use developments, hospitality design, commercial office, and education facilities. The Third Space studio, a collaboration with veteran designer John Simones, provides placemaking services focused on creating experiential community destinations. Projects range from hundreds of retail complexes and multi-family dwellings to office buildings, hotels, civic buildings, sports facilities, and healthcare centers, spanning locations from Los Angeles across the US to Asia, Middle East, Africa, and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Third Space: A studio collaboration between Nadel and John Simones focused on placemaking, creating destinations that transcend traditional boundaries of retail and entertainment through thoughtful architecture strategies.

Products and services

• Architecture and Planning Services Comprehensive architectural design and planning services from concept through construction administration for retail, multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, commercial, civic, and education projects, serving real estate developers, government entities, healthcare organizations, and property owners.
• Retail Architecture Design services for retail complexes and shopping centers, including lifestyle centers, shopping centers, storefront design, and big box repositioning projects, for retail real estate developers and owners.
• Multi-Family Residential Design Design services for multi-family dwellings including apartment buildings, condominiums, mixed-use podium developments, and high-density residential projects, for multifamily and housing developers.
• Mixed-Use Development Design Integrated design services combining residential, retail, and commercial elements in single developments, including vertical integration and town center design, for mixed-use developers.
• Hospitality Design Architecture services for hotels, resorts, sports complexes, and entertainment facilities with hospitality components, for hospitality developers and operators.
• Commercial Office Design Design services for office buildings, corporate campuses, and commercial facilities including government and institutional projects, for commercial and civic clients.
• Education Facilities Design Architecture services for educational institutions including elementary schools, high schools, university facilities, campus buildings, and support facilities, for K-12 districts and higher education clients.
• Civic and Public Sector Design Design services for civic buildings, government facilities, healthcare institutions, and cultural venues including adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects, for government and institutional clients.
• Third Space Placemaking Studio A placemaking studio collaboration between Nadel and veteran designer John Simones focused on creating experiential 'third places' - community gathering destinations that serve as social spaces outside of homes and workplaces, transcending traditional boundaries of retail and entertainment through thoughtful architecture strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96+ design awards received spanning 1973 to present
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• John Simones (John Simones | Architect)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Space is a collaborative studio between Nadel and renowned veteran designer John Simones, focused on placemaking and creating authentic 'third places' within communities. John Simones is former CEO, Chairman and Design Director at Jerde Partnership, bringing over 60 years of combined experience with Curtis Scharfenaker. Projects include urban design and large-scale mixed-use developments emphasizing experiential environments.
• Saraiva + AssociadosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership with Lisbon-based architecture firm Saraiva + Associados, expanding Nadel's presence in European markets and enabling cross-border project collaboration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ware Malcomb: California-based architecture and design firm of comparable size serving commercial, retail, multifamily, and mixed-use developers across the Western US. Closely aligned in client mix (retail/multifamily developers), regional focus, and project-based professional services delivery model.
• JERDE Partnership: Los Angeles-based architecture firm specializing in destination placemaking, mixed-use, and experiential retail design. The firm is a direct reference point for Nadel's Third Space studio — John Simones (now at Nadel's Third Space) was previously CEO/Chairman/Design Director at JERDE — making it the closest functional competitor in the placemaking niche Nadel is entering.
• TCA Architects: California-headquartered architecture firm with deep multifamily residential and mixed-use expertise serving developers across the Western US. Comparable in size, sector focus (multifamily/mixed-use), and developer-client base to Nadel's multifamily practice.
• Steinberg Hart: California-based architecture and planning firm specializing in multifamily residential, mixed-use, and urban infill housing. Strong overlap with Nadel's multifamily/infill housing studio, both serving similar California developer clients with comparable project types.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with major practices in retail, hospitality, mixed-use, and commercial — overlapping with Nadel across nearly every sector. Significantly larger and broader, but competes with Nadel for many of the same enterprise clients (Nike, major developers).
• HOK: Global architecture, design, and engineering firm with practices in commercial, healthcare, education, and mixed-use development. Competes with Nadel for civic, education, and large-scale commercial commissions, though at a much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture, engineering, and urban planning firm working on large-scale commercial, civic, and mixed-use projects. Competes with Nadel for high-prestige civic, government, and large multifamily commissions, particularly in California markets.
• CallisonRTKL: Global architecture and design firm with strong retail and mixed-use practices. Direct overlap with Nadel on retail and mixed-use developer commissions; broader scale and global footprint make it an incumbent competitor for large enterprise retail mandates.
• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): Global architecture firm known for large-scale commercial towers, mixed-use, and urban developments. Competes with Nadel for high-density multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial commissions in major Western US metros.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design firm with practices in healthcare, education, civic, and commercial sectors. Overlaps with Nadel on civic, healthcare, and education commissions; larger scale and broader geographic reach make it an incumbent competitor for institutional work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nadelarchitects
• Facebookfacebook.com/nadelarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nadel-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/nadel.architects.inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Nadel