Hibser Yamauchi Architects, Inc.

What Hibser Yamauchi Architects, Inc. does

Hibser Yamauchi Architects, Inc. (dba HY Architects) is a privately held California architecture firm founded in 1977 and headquartered in Oakland, with a second office in Davis. The firm provides three integrated service lines — Planning, Architecture, and Interior Design — focused exclusively on education and healthcare facility design. It serves California institutional clients including K-12 school districts (e.g., San Rafael City Schools, Walnut Creek School District, Hayward Unified, Roseville City), healthcare systems (Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Health), community health centers (Shasta Community Health Center, Mission Neighborhood Health Center), tribal healthcare entities (Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation), county governments (County of San Benito), and universities (Dominican University of California).

The firm's core technical differentiators are regulatory and methodological: deep working knowledge of California's Division of the State Architect (DSA) and Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) approval regimes, specialization in healing environments and modern learning spaces, expertise in modular construction that preserves traditional aesthetics while meeting energy and safety codes, and an explicit sustainability posture that includes targeting LEED Silver certification and exceeding Title 24 energy efficiency standards. Project delivery spans master facilities planning through construction administration, with the firm highlighting on-time and under-budget execution.

The business model is classic professional services: project-based fee engagements acquired through competitive bidding, direct outreach, and long-tenured client relationships, with pricing varying by project scope and complexity and not publicly disclosed. The firm is founder/management-owned under principals Marcus Hibser (22+ years leading the firm), Ken Yamauchi (healthcare practice), Lee Pollard (education practice), William Chin, Karla Hall (operations), and additional senior staff. There is no external funding, parent company, or subsidiary structure.

Name

Hibser Yamauchi Architects, Inc.

Legal name

Hibser Yamauchi Architects, Inc.

Website

https://hy-arch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hibser Yamauchi Architects is a California architecture firm founded in 1977 that provides planning, architecture, and interior design services exclusively to education and healthcare clients, including school districts, healthcare systems, universities, and government entities across California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Healthcare facility design
• Education facility design
• Master facilities planning
• Interior design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: HY Architects provides full architectural design services for education and healthcare projects, including planning, architecture, and interiors. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees for design services from schematic design through construction administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hibser Yamauchi Architects, Inc. (HY Architects) is a California-based architectural firm founded in 1977 providing planning, architecture, and interior design services. The firm specializes exclusively in healthcare and education facility design for institutional clients including school districts, healthcare systems, universities, and government entities. They deliver full architectural services from master facilities planning through construction administration, with a focus on sustainability, healing environments, and inspired learning spaces.

Product overview

Hibser Yamauchi Architects, Inc. (HY Architects) is an architecture firm established in 1977 offering a unified suite of architectural services comprised of Planning, Architecture, and Interior Design. The firm specializes exclusively in healthcare and education facility design, serving California-based clients including school districts, universities, healthcare systems, and community health centers. Their portfolio includes projects ranging from K-12 school modernizations and new construction (such as STEAM buildings, modular classrooms, and performing arts centers) to healthcare facilities (including hospitals, clinics, mental health facilities, and behavioral health centers).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planning Services Architectural planning services addressing site context, orientation, surroundings, and environment, employing sustainability strategies while achieving optimal site utilization.
• Architecture Services Full architectural design services focusing on understanding how people and organizations use and experience spaces, designing sustainable, healthy environments that promote learning and healing.
• Interior Design Services Human-centric interior environments working as partners with the architectural team, creating unique sense of place for each client while ensuring functionality.
• Healthcare Facility Design Specialized design services for healthcare facilities including hospitals, medical centers, clinics, mental health facilities, behavioral health centers, and surgery centers.
• Education Facility Design Specialized design services for educational facilities including K-12 schools, STEAM buildings, modular classrooms, performing arts centers, and university buildings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects completed ahead of schedule and under budget (e.g., Anderson Family Health & Dental Center)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• RCP ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHY Architects partnered with RCP Construction to develop the core and shell building for the West Coast Joint and Spine outpatient orthopedic surgery center. RCP Construction served as the construction partner while HY Architects provided architectural design services.
• Genentech FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenentech Foundation partnered with South San Francisco Unified School District to develop a biotechnology curriculum for secondary education. The Foundation funded the Science Garage building on the high school campus, with HY Architects providing design services for this innovative educational facility.
• Bridge HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBridge Housing partnered with the City of San Francisco and Mission Neighborhood Health Center to develop the low-income housing project that includes the Excelsior Clinic. HY Architects provided architectural design services for the clinic integrated into the housing development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: International architecture firm with nationally recognized healthcare and education studios. Competes for major California IDN and university capital programs where HY is sub-scale.
• SmithGroup: National architecture firm with major healthcare and education practices. Competes with HY on larger California health system and university projects; broader portfolio and deeper bench make it a formidable incumbent for larger engagements.
• CannonDesign (formerly Cannon): National integrated design firm with strong healthcare and education verticals. Competes for large health system master facility plans and university capital projects across California.
• HOK (now part of multiple brands): Global architecture and engineering firm with healthcare and education practices. Competes for major California health system and university projects where program size exceeds HY's capacity.

Direct peers

• HMC Architects: California-headquartered architecture firm specializing in education and healthcare design. Direct competitor for the same DSA/OSHPD-regulated institutional projects across California school districts and health systems.
• Lionakis: Sacramento-based architecture firm with strong education and healthcare practices serving California public-sector clients. Highly comparable in vertical focus, regulatory expertise, and regional market overlap.
• Quattrocchi Kwok Architects: Northern California (Santa Rosa/Sacramento) K-12 and community college design specialist. Direct peer competing for the same school district master planning and modernization RFPs.
• Steinberg Hart: California-based architecture practice with significant K-12 and higher education portfolio. Comparable in regional focus, vertical specialization, and project-based fee model.
• LPA Design Studios: Large California-based architecture firm with deep practices in K-12/higher education and healthcare. Directly comparable in vertical specialization, regional focus, and project-based professional services model, but at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• TMP Architecture: Midwest-based architecture firm specializing in K-12 education design. Comparable in vertical specialization and project-based services, though operating in a different geography and not directly competing for California work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hibser-yamauchi-architects-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/hy.architects

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Hibser Yamauchi Architects, Inc.