Architects Without Borders

What Architects Without Borders does

Architects Without Borders Seattle (AWBS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Washington State (EIN 20-3419971), founded in 2005-2006 in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The organization provides pro bono architectural and design services to non-profits and underserved communities that lack access to such services, both locally in the Pacific Northwest and internationally across 24 countries. Its service offering spans site assessments, master planning, conceptual and schematic drawings, and construction documents for small-scale projects including schools, health clinics, community centers, vocational centers, housing, and humanitarian infrastructure.

AWBS delivers its services through an all-volunteer model supported by approximately 500+ professionals (architects, landscape architects, engineers, planners, and community builders), with a small paid operational staff including an Executive Director, Operations and Volunteer Coordinator, and Administrative Assistant. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from leading Seattle firms including Olson Kundig, HOK, Koppe Wong Architects, WJA Design Collaborative, GHD, and Side x Side. Notable technical work includes the Mt. Everest Biogas Digester (2017 UIAA Mountain Protection Award recipient), the Lima Fog Water Collection System (2013 Public Interest Design global competition winner), and 125 sq ft BLOCK Homes for people experiencing homelessness. AWBS also operates an NCARB pre-approved Community-Based Design Center that allows architectural licensure candidates to earn up to 320 AXP hours.

The business model is donation-funded: 100% of revenue comes from individual donors and corporate sponsors, with no fee-for-service revenue stream. Office space at 1101 2nd Avenue Suite 400, Seattle is donated by Coffman Engineers. The go-to-market motion is community-led — organizations submit project requests via the AWBS website, the Projects Committee vets requests quarterly, and volunteer teams are assembled by skill match. AWBS receives approximately 24 project requests per year and has completed 50+ community-led projects since inception. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the model is sustained by recurring donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events such as the Book Sale, Carve for a Cause, and the annual Presentation Series.

Name

Architects Without Borders

Legal name

Architects Without Borders Seattle

Website

https://awb-seattle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Architects Without Borders Seattle is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides pro bono architectural design services to non-profits and underserved communities locally and across 24 countries, delivered by a network of 500+ volunteers funded entirely by donations and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pro Bono Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Pro bono architecture
• Community design services
• Humanitarian architecture
• Volunteer architecture network
• Participatory design

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors provide 100% of income to implement the mission. Donors can make one-time or recurring monthly gifts through the organization's secure online portal.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Organizations can become celebrated AWBS sponsors at various levels. Sponsorship is recognized on the website and through social media outlets. 2025 sponsorship opportunities are currently open.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Architects Without Borders Seattle delivers pro bono architectural and design services to community-serving non-profit organizations and underserved communities that lack access to such expertise. Services encompass site assessment, master planning, conceptual and schematic drawings, and construction documents for small-scale projects, organized around six focus areas: Quality Education, Health and Well-Being, Humanitarian Assistance, Environmental Stewardship, Community Partnerships, and Professional Support. The organization operates a volunteer-driven model in which project requests are submitted online, vetted quarterly, and matched with skilled volunteer teams of architects, engineers, and planners.

Product overview

Architects Without Borders Seattle is a non-profit organization that operates as a single, unified service offering: pro bono architectural and design services to underserved communities. The organization does not have a platform-plus-modules architecture or multiple commercial products. Their portfolio consists entirely of volunteer-delivered design services organized around six focus areas: Quality Education (schools, vocational centers), Health and Well Being (clinics, orphanages), Humanitarian Assistance (disaster relief), Environmental Stewardship (sanitation, sustainable infrastructure), Community Partnerships (housing, community centers), and Professional Support (AXP hours, events). Projects range from international (Honduras, Haiti, Kenya, Nepal) to local Pacific Northwest community work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pro Bono Architectural Design Services Comprehensive pro bono architectural and design services for non-profit organizations and underserved communities, including project conceptualization, schematic design, master planning, and construction documents, delivered by volunteer teams of architects and engineers.
• International Project Services Volunteer-led architectural design projects delivered internationally, including schools, health clinics, vocational centers, biogas digesters, fog water systems, and orphanages in underserved regions across 24 countries.
• Local Projects Services Pro bono architectural participation in community projects within the Pacific Northwest region, including affordable housing design charrettes, homeless tiny-home villages, and community organization remodels.
• AXP Hours Program NCARB pre-approved Community-Based Design Center experience through which volunteers who are architectural license candidates can earn up to 320 AXP hours by serving on AWBS volunteer projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ community projects completed since 2005
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• GGLO ArchitectssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024GGLO Architects serves as design partner for the Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute project with Wa Na Wari. AWBS generated as-built drawings and concept remodeling/renovation drawings, while GGLO will complete the design work.
• Facing HomelessnesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018AWBS works in collaboration with Facing Homelessness on the BLOCK Project to bring safe and dignified housing to people experiencing homelessness in Seattle. Each 125 sq ft BLOCK Home is designed to be off-grid, self-sufficient, and amenity-rich. AWBS volunteers assess site eligibility, conduct site visits, and draw site plans for building permit review.
• Engineers Without BorderscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013AWBS collaborates with Engineers Without Borders on the Mt. Everest Biogas Digester project in Nepal. The partnership addresses the environmental degradation and health risks from human waste at Mt. Everest base camps, with AWBS designing an anaerobic digester that will treat waste and create biogas for the Sherpa community.
• Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005AWBS has maintained an active relationship with Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King County since 2005, involved with several projects including Westway Housing Development design charrette, Roxbury Housing Development redesign, and Judkins Park home relocation project.
• Coffman EngineerssupportingOthersCoffman Engineers generously donates office space to AWBS at 1101 2nd Avenue Suite 400, Seattle. This office serves as the organization's headquarters.
• NCARBsupportingOthersAWBS is an NCARB pre-approved Community-Based Design Center opportunity. Volunteers who are architectural license candidates may earn up to 320 AXP hours for their volunteer service with AWBS.
• Fivedot ArchitectssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWBS participated as middleman connecting Rainier Beach Action Coalition's Food Innovation Center with Fivedot Architects who designed and completed building improvements, facade and interiors for the new phase.
• Engineers Without Borders Puget Sound Professional ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with EWB Puget Sound Professional Chapter on the Wai Health Clinic project in Sierra Leone. The clinic was burnt down during civil war and the new facility will address high maternal and infant mortality with sustainable design including natural ventilation, rainwater harvesting, composting toilets, and solar power.
• Caron ArchitecturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWBS engaged Caron Architecture to lead design for Educate 2 Envision's Academy of Excellence for Girls in Honduras. The master plan creates a vibrant residential campus prioritizing security while being welcoming, with an Arc layout symbolizing community goals.
• Mutuus StudiosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWBS partnered with Mutuus Studio on the RISE Office Improvements Project to refurnish office spaces and nursery for families impacted by gun violence, successfully completing the project with donated furniture from IKEA USA, Kayser Wesner, and MR. Studio.
• Mutuus StudiosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Mutuus Studio on RISE Office Improvements Project, refurnishing spaces at Navos Mental Health and Wellness Center in Burien to better serve BIPOC families impacted by gun violence.
• The Mountain FundsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Mountain Fund and Mt. Everest Foundation for the critical renovation of Deboche Nunnery in Nepal. Since 2005, piecemeal repairs have been made with help from these organizations, supporting living quarters renovation and meditation center design.
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWBS partners with UW Departments of Global Health and Landscape Architecture on Fog Water Farms Project and other initiatives in Lomas de Zapallal, Peru. The partnership involves UW students, faculty, Fogarty International Scholars program, and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation funding.
• Anjali Grant DesignsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Anjali Grant Design and PSM Engineers on Nicopolis Tanzania Albinism Support Center. The multi-phase project creates a self-sustaining, safe, and therapeutic center for people with albinism including orphanage, clinic, and staff housing.
• Mortenson General ContractorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMortenson Construction partnered with AWBS for construction of both El Centro de la Raza conference room remodel and entry stairs upgrade projects, with largely donated materials and volunteer labor.
• Engineers Without Borders SeattlesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with EWB Seattle on El Centro de la Raza entry stairs upgrade project, bringing together multiple organizations for the repair and upgrade work.
• Wa Na WaricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWBS collaborates with Wa Na Wari on multiple projects including Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute, Story House installation, and Story Boards installation at Seattle Design Festival and Walk the Block arts festival.
• Yirim SecksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYirim Seck serves as video director for Story House installation, a collaboration including Wa Na Wari, Crescent Builds and AWBS, sharing personal stories of those who have experienced being unhoused in King County.
• Sawhorse RevolutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWBS volunteers worked with Sawhorse Revolution on the Hinge House design for a tiny home in Seattle's Nickelsville homeless community. The design incorporates a hinged roof for maximum floor area and transportability on Seattle's streets.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MASS Design Group: Mission-driven architecture practice that designs buildings and systems serving underserved communities, including health facilities in Haiti and Africa. Closest commercial analog to AWBS's community-focused, pro-bono-leaning design model, though MASS operates with paid staff rather than volunteers.
• Design Corps: Nonprofit focused on public interest design, running the SEED and Global Public Interest Design competitions that AWBS has won. Direct peer in promoting pro bono design services and recognizing projects serving marginalized communities.
• Public Architecture: Nonprofit that mobilizes architects to provide pro bono design services for the public good, including the 1% program encouraging firms to donate 1% of billable hours. Closely aligned mission and volunteer-driven model.
• Architects Without Borders Oregon: Sister chapter that AWBS helped incubate, providing pro bono architectural services to underserved communities in Oregon. Same brand, same pro bono mission, overlapping volunteer and donor pools.
• Sawhorse Revolution: Seattle-based nonprofit that designs and builds community projects with youth and volunteers, including the Hinge House tiny home collaboration with AWBS. Shares the volunteer-driven, community-built model in the same geography.
• Community Design Collaborative (Philadelphia): Nonprofit providing pro bono preliminary design services to nonprofit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region. Same pro bono architectural services delivery model as AWBS, though regionally focused rather than globally.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity: Long-standing partner of AWBS that builds affordable housing globally with volunteer labor. Much larger and more established, but overlaps in the affordable-housing, volunteer-driven, community-design space.
• Olson Kundig: Seattle-based architecture firm whose principals serve on AWBS's board. While a commercial practice, it represents the type of established firm that AWBS channels volunteer talent from and partners with for community projects.
• Engineers Without Borders USA: Core strategic partner on multiple AWBS projects (Mt. Everest Biogas, Wai Health Clinic, El Centro de la Raza). Adjacent pro-bono delivery model for engineering services to underserved communities globally.

Emerging players

• Studio H: Design education and community-build nonprofit combining architecture, design, and construction training for youth in underserved communities. Smaller, more focused on pedagogy but operates in overlapping community-design space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/awbseattle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/architects-without-borders
• Instagraminstagram.com/awbseattle/?hl=en

Compliance2 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 Architects Without Borders