WORKac
WORKac is a New York-based architecture and urban design firm founded in 2003, delivering ecological, adaptive-reuse, and mixed-use projects across cultural, institutional, commercial, and public-sector clients worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WORKac does
WORKac is a New York City-based architecture and urban design firm founded in 2003 by principals Amale Andraos and Dan Wood. The firm delivers architectural design, masterplanning, interior design, and exhibition design services across residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, and public-sector project types, with completed work spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Its design methodology centers on ecological integration, adaptive reuse of existing structures, and the intersection of nature and built environment, exemplified by speculative projects such as P.F.1 (Public Farm 1), Nature-City, and 49 Cities.
The firm operates as a project-based professional services practice, generating revenue through negotiated design fees on commissioned work. Projects are sourced through direct client commissions, competitive bidding, and invited design competitions (including a 2008 MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program win). WORKac serves a diversified client base that includes museums, public libraries, universities, fashion brands, creative agencies, municipal governments, and private individuals, with notable clients such as Diane von Furstenberg, Anthropologie, RISD, Kew Gardens Hills Library, Mexico City's PILARES program, and Interbank Peru. Distribution relies on a portfolio-driven website, social media presence, publication of books and exhibitions, and reputation-based referrals rather than outbound sales.
WORKac is a privately held partnership with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and ownership concentrated in the two principals. The firm is recognized with over 50 industry awards including multiple AIA citations, ArchDaily Building of the Year, and a Progressive Architecture Award, and operates a flagship "Superfriends" consortium with SCAPE, Studio Zhu-Pei, and SLAB to pursue large-scale international masterplans.
WORKac firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WORKac
- Legal name
- WORKac
- Website
- https://work.ac
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WORKac is a New York-based architecture and urban design firm founded in 2003, delivering ecological, adaptive-reuse, and mixed-use projects across cultural, institutional, commercial, and public-sector clients worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WORKac industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (541410), Interior Design Services (54141)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- ADU Design, Architecture & Engineering (HSAPAMAF), Landscape Construction & Hardscaping (Patios, Retaining Walls, Outdoor Structures) (IMAIAIAE)
Keywords
Where WORKac is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WORKac business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Professional fees generated from architectural design, masterplanning, interior design, and exhibition design services for commissioned projects across institutional, commercial, residential, cultural, and public sectors
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
WORKac product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WORKac is an architecture and design firm that provides professional architectural design, urban masterplanning, interior design, and exhibition design services. Its portfolio includes residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, and public-sector projects, with particular emphasis on integrating ecological systems, adaptive reuse of historic structures, and innovative public-space programming. The firm also engages in speculative urban design research and participates in design competitions.
Product overview
WORKac is an architecture and design firm based in New York City, led by principals Amale Andraos and Dan Wood. The firm specializes in architectural design, urban planning, and exhibition design across residential, commercial, cultural, and public projects. Their portfolio includes libraries, museums, performance spaces, office interiors, retail environments, educational facilities, and speculative urban design projects. WORKac does not offer software products or SaaS offerings; their services are architectural design and consulting rather than technology products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services covering residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, and public-sector projects, including new construction, additions, and interior renovation. Targeted at institutional clients, cultural organizations, government entities, real estate developers, and high-end private clients.
- Urban Masterplanning Large-scale urban and masterplanning services for city governments, real estate developers, and urban planners, including speculative proposals and built masterplans integrating density, ecological systems, and public space.
- Interior Design Interior design services for residential, retail, office, gallery, and showroom environments, integrated within the firm's broader architectural practice.
- Exhibition Design Design of exhibitions, installations, and performance spaces for museums, galleries, biennials, and arts organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Kew Gardens Hills Library serves over 500 visitors daily
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WORKac
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
WORKac technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
WORKac partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, notable and supporting.
- Superfriends (SCAPE, Studio Zhu-Pei, SLAB)flagshipLong-term collaborative partnership on large-scale masterplan projects including Weifang Masterplan and Beijing Horticultural Expo Masterplan. Superfriends team integrates landscape architecture, architecture, and urban planning expertise.
- Balmori Associates Landscape ArchitectscoreOngoing collaboration on landscape integration projects including Wild West Side, Sylvan Visitor Center, and Riverside planning proposals. Combines architectural and landscape architecture expertise.
- Daily Tous les JourscoreCreative collaboration on the Village Lab exhibition in Montreal, focused on sustainable, people-centric community building through participatory activities and public engagement.
- IUA Ignacio Urquiza ArquitectosflagshipPartnership on PILARES public space projects in Mexico City, designing community-oriented spaces for education, culture, and neighborhood exchange in vulnerable areas.
- Ant Farm (Chip Lord and Curtis Schreier)notableCollaboration on 3.C.City project for Chicago Architecture Biennial, building on Ant Farm's 1970s polemical explorations to address today's global context with floating city concept.
- Archi UnionsupportingCollaboration on Yangpu United project in Shanghai, working on urban design proposal for ex-industrial district transformation.
- Alice Waters/Edible Schoolyard ProjectcoreOngoing partnership since 2009 to bring Edible Schoolyards to New York City students, integrating organic gardening and cooking into public school curricula with architectural learning tools.
- Creative TimecoreMultiple collaborations with public arts group Creative Time on installations including Information Hub, Media Outpost, and exhibition designs.
- Wieden+KennedynotableCollaboration on Nature-City project for MoMA's Foreclosed exhibition, producing promotional commercials for the suburban alternative's benefits.
- New York MagazinesupportingCommissioned speculative Locavore Fantasia project for vacant lot in lower Manhattan, exploring vertical farming integration with residential.
- Maria CornejosupportingCollaboration on EDGE-ucation Pavilion, developing camouflage pattern for roof with fashion designer.
- Eric Sanderson (Wildlife Conservation Society)supportingCollaboration on ecological design elements including Nature-City and EDGE-ucation Pavilion, ensuring native habitat restoration and environmental sensitivity.
- Ignacio Urquiza ArquitectosflagshipPartnership on multiple Pilares projects in Mexico City, designing public community spaces for education and culture in underserved neighborhoods.
- Fritz HaegsupportingCollaboration on Wild West Side park project and contributions to Above the Pavement—the Farm! book on urban agriculture.
- MoMA PS1coreWon 2008 Young Architects Competition for P.F.1 (Public Farm 1), creating off-grid biodegradable half-acre farm from cardboard tubes.
- Alice WaterssupportingContribution to Sylvan Visitor Center project collaboration with Alice Waters on restaurant and garden elements.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WORKac competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SO-IL (Solid Objectives - Idenburg Liu): New York-based architecture firm of comparable size focused on cultural, institutional, and residential projects with experimental and contextual design approaches; directly comparable mid-sized competitor with overlapping client base in museums, education, and public sector.
- nARCHITECTS: Small-to-mid New York architecture firm with comparable scale and a focus on public-interest projects, sustainability, and community-oriented design; directly comparable in typology, size, and target clients.
- MOS Architects: New York-based experimental architecture practice with similar scale and an emphasis on speculative research, cultural commissions, and public installations; comparable in firm size, design approach, and competition-led visibility.
- Studio Gang: Mid-sized US architecture firm with strong civic, cultural, and sustainability-led portfolio; comparable in typology of clients (museums, libraries, public buildings) and emphasis on ecological design.
Broad incumbents
- Snøhetta: Globally recognized architecture and design firm with cultural, civic, and masterplanning projects similar to WORKac; a much larger incumbent competing for many of the same library, museum, and public-sector commissions.
- OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture): Internationally prominent architecture firm led by Rem Koolhaas with deep cultural, civic, and masterplanning portfolio; competes directly for high-profile institutional clients and large-scale urban projects that WORKac also targets.
- BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Major global architecture firm with strong cultural, civic, and masterplanning practice; larger and better-capitalized incumbent competing for similar institutional clients and speculative urban design commissions.
- KieranTimberlake: Mid-to-large US architecture firm with strong cultural, educational, and civic portfolio; comparable in typology of clients (universities, museums, public buildings) but with significantly greater scale.
Emerging players
- SCAPE Landscape Architecture: Landscape architecture and urban design firm that is a WORKac partner (Superfriends consortium); operates in the same urban ecology and masterplanning niche with overlapping project types like Beijing Horticultural Expo.
- Balmori Associates: Landscape architecture and urban design firm collaborating with WORKac on multiple projects; comparable niche focus on integrating ecological systems into urban infrastructure and masterplanning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WORKac social profiles
Digital presenceWORKac financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WORKac leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
WORKac funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WORKac 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 WORKac
What does WORKac do?
WORKac is an architecture and design firm that provides professional architectural design, urban masterplanning, interior design, and exhibition design services. Its portfolio includes residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, and public-sector projects, with particular emphasis on integrating ecological systems, adaptive reuse of historic structures, and innovative public-space programming. The firm also engages in speculative urban design research and participates in design competitions.
Is WORKac a public or private company?
WORKac is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was WORKac founded?
WORKac was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WORKac based?
WORKac is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does WORKac make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are WORKac's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SO-IL (Solid Objectives - Idenburg Liu), nARCHITECTS, MOS Architects and Studio Gang. Broad incumbents are Snøhetta, OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) and KieranTimberlake. Emerging players are SCAPE Landscape Architecture and Balmori Associates.
Does WORKac have an API?
No public API is recorded for WORKac.
What industry is WORKac in?
WORKac's product category is Architectural Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAI, Space Planning & Workplace Design, with a secondary code of HSAPAMAF, ADU Design, Architecture & Engineering. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 8711.