What Forum Studio does

Forum Studio, also operating as LJC Design & Engineering, is a US-based integrated planning and design practice founded in 1999 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The firm delivers architecture, structural engineering, building services engineering, process engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning services under a single multidisciplinary studio model. It serves enterprise and institutional clients across a broad vertical mix that includes commercial and corporate, healthcare, higher education, industrial and manufacturing, life sciences, mission critical, residential and hospitality, community and institutional, and entertainment sectors. The firm operates 7 US offices spanning St. Louis (headquarters), Chicago (regional HQ), Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Greenville, SC, enabling regional client coverage across the Midwest, Southeast, Southwest, Mountain West, Northeast, and West Coast. Named engagements include Pfizer R&D Facility, Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Outpatient Center, PsiQuantum Phase 1, Hankook Tire Plant Expansion, Mark Anthony Brewery, First Bank Headquarters, SCAD Atlanta Campus, and multiple St. Louis County Library branches, evidencing capability across regulated and complex facility types. Forum Studio operates as the design studio within the Clayco family of companies, alongside Clayco (construction), CRG (real estate development), Concrete Strategies (concrete construction), and Ventana (venture capital), enabling integrated design-build delivery and cross-company referral channels. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees negotiated per engagement, with pricing not publicly disclosed. The firm is privately held with no external funding rounds disclosed and was the acquirer of Bates in March 2018; Marco Patrignani serves as CEO.

Name

Forum Studio

Legal name

LJC Design & Engineering

Website

https://forumstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Forum Studio (also operating as LJC Design & Engineering) is an integrated architecture, engineering, and design practice serving enterprise and institutional clients across healthcare, higher education, manufacturing, life sciences, mission critical, and hospitality sectors from 7 US offices, operating as the design studio within the Clayco family of companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Engineering Design Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Interior Design Services (541410), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA), Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Engineering design
• Interior design
• Landscape architecture
• Urban planning

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue generated through architecture, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning engagements. Revenue recognized on a per-project basis with fees based on project scope, complexity, and market rates.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Forum Studio (operating as LJC Design & Engineering) is an integrated architecture and engineering design practice providing comprehensive design services across multiple disciplines including architecture, structural engineering, building services engineering, process engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning. The firm serves commercial, industrial, institutional, residential, and hospitality clients through project-based engagements delivered from seven US offices.

Product overview

LJC Design & Engineering is an integrated architecture and engineering firm offering a comprehensive suite of design and construction-related services. The firm operates as a unified practice where Architecture, Building Services Engineering, Process Engineering, Structural Engineering, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning & Design work together collaboratively across multiple market sectors including Commercial & Corporate, Entertainment, Distribution & E-commerce, Food & Beverage, Advanced Manufacturing, Community, Healthcare, Higher Education, Life Sciences, Mission Critical, and Residential & Hospitality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Comprehensive architectural design services for commercial, industrial, institutional, residential, and hospitality projects. Delivered as part of an integrated multidisciplinary practice for enterprise and institutional clients.
• Building Services Engineering Engineering services focused on building systems including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design for buildings and facilities.
• Process Engineering Engineering services for industrial processes, particularly in manufacturing, food and beverage, and consumer products sectors.
• Structural Engineering Structural design and engineering services for buildings and infrastructure projects.
• Interior Design Interior design services for commercial spaces, corporate offices, and hospitality venues.
• Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture services including site planning, outdoor spaces, and urban green infrastructure.
• Urban Planning & Design Urban planning and design services for community development, master planning, and urban revitalization projects.

Named customers13 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ClaycocoreOthersClayco is the parent/affiliate company within the Clayco family of organizations. LJC Design & Engineering operates as the design studio within the integrated design-build model alongside construction (Clayco), real estate development (CRG), concrete construction (Concrete Strategies), and venture capital (Ventana).
• CRGcoreOthersCRG (Real CRG) is the real estate development arm within the Clayco family of organizations. Provides development and investment capabilities that complement LJC's design services for integrated project delivery.
• Concrete StrategiescoreOthersConcrete Strategies is the concrete construction specialist within the Clayco family of organizations, providing specialized construction capabilities that complement LJC's design services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CannonDesign: Multidisciplinary design and engineering firm with deep healthcare, higher education, and science & technology practices. Comparable size, integrated design-build approach, and sector mix including life sciences and mission critical.
• EwingCole: Integrated architecture, engineering, and planning firm with concentrated healthcare, higher education, and science & technology practices. Closely comparable in size, integrated practice structure, and regulated-sector focus.
• SmithGroup: Integrated architecture, engineering, and planning firm serving healthcare, higher education, science & technology, and workplace markets. Closely matched in integrated practice model and sector exposure.
• Burns & McDonnell: Employee-owned engineering, architecture, and construction firm with strong industrial, mission critical, and manufacturing practices. Comparable as a multidisciplinary design and engineering firm serving industrial and process clients.
• Perkins&Will: Architecture and design firm with strong healthcare, higher education, science & technology, and civic practices. Competes for similar large institutional and enterprise mandates with comparable integrated design approach.
• HKS: Integrated architecture, design, and engineering firm with strong healthcare, higher education, and sports/entertainment sector focus. Directly comparable in size, multidisciplinary structure, and target client verticals.
• HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm with integrated design practices across healthcare, science, education, and commercial sectors. Highly comparable as a multidisciplinary design studio serving enterprise and institutional clients on complex building projects.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm with deep multidisciplinary capabilities across workplace, healthcare, hospitality, and mission critical. A broader incumbent that competes for the same enterprise clients and large-scale mandates.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with comparable multidisciplinary offerings across buildings, infrastructure, and water. Competes on integrated design and engineering engagements for institutional and industrial clients.
• Jacobs: Global professional services firm with significant buildings, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Larger incumbent that competes for engineering-heavy industrial and mission critical mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forum-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_ljc
• Facebookfacebook.com/forumstudioinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forum Studio