What Robert P Madison International does

Robert P Madison International, Inc. is a Cleveland-headquartered architecture, interior design, and planning firm founded in 1954 by Robert P. Madison, FAIA — historically the first Black-owned architectural firm in the Midwestern United States and the tenth in the country. The firm provides full-service architectural design (schematic design through construction administration), interior design, urban planning, and owner's representative services, using industry-standard tools including Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam Revu, and Adobe Creative Suite. Sandra Madison, AIA, NCARB, became majority owner and CEO in 2016, repositioning the firm around a mission of "improving lives through award winning design, mentorship and service to community"; under her leadership the firm has grown to approximately 20 staff and is recognized as the largest Black female-owned architecture firm in Ohio.

The firm operates as a project-based professional services practice organized around four revenue streams: architectural services, interior design, urban planning, and owner's representative services. It serves institutional clients across education (e.g., Cleveland Metropolitan School District with a 15+ year multi-school relationship), healthcare (MetroHealth, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals), civic and cultural (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Karamu House, City of Cleveland), sports and hospitality (Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Hilton Cleveland Downtown, Jack Casino), and nonprofit/community development (Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry). Go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement via competitive bids, design competitions, and repeat institutional relationships; the firm holds MWBE certifications in Ohio, NYC, and NYS that provide access to set-aside public procurement.

The firm maintains two offices (Cleveland headquarters at 1215 Superior Avenue; New York at 1216 Broadway) with additional operating presence in Florida, and was ranked the 19th largest architecture firm in Northeast Ohio by Crain's Cleveland Business. Notable recognitions include the AIA Ohio Gold Medal Firm Award (2020), multiple American School & University Magazine Outstanding Interior Design awards (2018-2020), ENR and ACEC awards, the SBA District Minority-Owned Firm of the Year (2018), and Weatherhead 100 fastest-growing company honors (2018-2019).

Name

Robert P Madison International

Legal name

Robert P Madison International, Inc. Architecture Interiors Planning

Website

https://rpmadison.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Robert P Madison International is a 70-year-old Cleveland-headquartered architecture, interior design, and planning firm serving institutional clients in education, healthcare, civic, and cultural sectors across Ohio, New York, and Florida, recognized as the largest Black female-owned architecture firm in Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design services
• Urban planning services
• Construction administration
• Historic preservation design

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Full-service architectural design including schematic design, design development, construction documents, construction administration, and post-construction services for institutional, commercial, and residential projects.
2. Interior Design Services: Interior design services including space planning, finishes selection, and interior architecture for educational, healthcare, civic, and commercial spaces. The firm has won multiple interior design awards.
3. Planning Services: Urban planning and programming services including facility assessments, conceptual design studies, and community-focused planning for various project types.
4. Owner's Representative Services: Acting as owner's representative providing project oversight, quality assurance, and coordination services for clients such as MetroHealth.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Robert P Madison International, Inc. is a 70+ year old architecture, interior design, and planning firm providing full-service professional design from schematic design through construction administration. The firm serves institutional, educational, healthcare, civic, cultural, hospitality, and residential clients across Ohio and New York, with award-winning interior design and a focus on community-serving projects.

Product overview

Robert P Madison International, Inc. is an architecture, interior design, and planning firm with 70+ years of experience. The company operates as a single unified service practice organized around three core offerings: Architectural Services (covering design through construction administration), Interior Design, and Urban Planning. The firm also provides Owner's Representative Services on select projects. Projects span civic, education, healthcare, hospitality, religious, residential, and planning sectors across Ohio and New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Services
• Interior Design
• Urban Planning
• Owner's Representative Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved educational environments for students and communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MetroHealth SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Multiple projects including lead firm for Westlake Health Center expansion design, and Owner's Representative for Health Clinic partnership with Urban Community School. Professional services contract extended through April 2021. Also completed conceptual office space study.
• Urban Community SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with MetroHealth for Health Clinic project where RPMI serves as Owner's Representative. 32,000 square foot Metro Express Care facility.
• City of ClevelandmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Lead firm for Cleveland Mounted Police Stables project including conceptual design for community equestrian center as partner with the City. Project awarded in 2020.
• Detroit Shoreway Neighborhood GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership for Walz Branch Library project which includes a senior living housing component. Walz Branch project awarded in 2019.
• Walz and Nottingham Branch LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Lead firm for Walz and Nottingham Branch Library projects. Walz Branch includes senior living housing component partnership with Detroit Shoreway Neighborhood Group. Projects awarded in 2019 and 2020.
• Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on multiple school projects spanning 15+ years. Projects include Halle PK-8 School, Clark PreK-8 School, Almira K-8 School, and design studies throughout the district. Sandra Madison leads the RPMI team in collaborative community-focused school design.
• Greater Cleveland Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead designer for new facility in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood. The 151,000 SF warehouse and 47,000 SF office facility will enable the food bank to increase distribution of perishable food including fresh produce and prepared meals.
• Karamu HousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead architect for renovation of the theatre wing of Karamu House, the oldest African American theatre in the country celebrating 102 years. Project includes creative solutions for challenging obstacles and budget alignment with Board's Capital Committee.
• Lutheran Metropolitan MinistrymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead designer for conversion of an industrial building and new connection link to existing men's shelter. Project adds 100 beds, shower/restroom facilities, community spaces, and secure outdoor recreation space. Existing shelter was already the largest in Ohio.
• Cleveland CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginally brought in as part of Mentor/Protégé arrangement, RPMI has successfully demonstrated abilities and healthcare knowledge. Now performs work independently as lead firm on numerous projects.
• University HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompleted multiple projects including Otis Moss Renovation with new radiology room (2020) and 5,000 sq ft training center in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College. Currently assisting with spatial studies for South Euclid facility.
• Cuyahoga CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuyahoga County Men's Shelter Expansion project. RPMI and the county worked together on the shelter renovation project.
• Famicos FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit community development corporation serving Hough and Glenville neighborhoods. Worked on Emeritus House Renovation Project with Kevin Madison leading the team.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Global architecture and design firm with deep expertise in healthcare, education, sports, and civic projects. Competes with RPMI for institutional commissions at the higher end of the project-size spectrum.
• Perkins&Will: Large global architecture firm with major practices in healthcare, education, and civic sectors. Competes for larger institutional commissions in the same verticals as RPMI.
• HKS: Major national architecture firm with leading healthcare, sports, and education practices. Competes for institutional commissions in the same verticals as RPMI.
• SmithGroup: Integrated design firm with strong healthcare, education, and civic practices. Comparable in vertical focus to RPMI but at materially larger scale.
• DLR Group: National architecture and engineering firm with prominent K-12, higher education, and civic practices. Comparable in target verticals to RPMI but at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Wakely Associates: Smaller minority-owned architecture practice with similar focus on community impact and institutional work. Comparable in scale and minority-owned positioning to RPMI.

Regional players

• Westlake Reed Leskosky: Cleveland-based architecture and engineering firm with deep Ohio institutional client base. Direct regional competitor in the same Northeast Ohio market as RPMI, with overlapping civic, education, and cultural portfolios.
• Bialosky + Partners: Cleveland-headquartered architecture and planning firm with comparable project types in education, healthcare, and civic sectors. Competes with RPMI for institutional work in Northeast Ohio.
• Bostwick Design Partnership: Cleveland-based architecture firm specializing in education, civic, and cultural projects. Comparable in size, vertical focus, and regional footprint to RPMI.

Direct peers

• Moody Nolan: The nation's largest Black-owned and largest MWBE-certified architecture firm. Directly comparable to RPMI as a minority-owned architecture practice with multi-vertical expertise in education, sports, healthcare, and civic work, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/rpmadison
• Xx.com/rpmadisonint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robert-p-madison-int--inc-

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Robert P Madison International