What Craig Gaulden Davis does

Craig Gaulden Davis (CGD), legally Craig Gaulden Davis Architecture, is a privately held architectural services firm founded in 1957 and headquartered at 19 Washington Park in Greenville, South Carolina, with a regional office in Baltimore, Maryland. The firm provides full-service architectural design, planning, interior design, contract administration, and construction administration across eight primary verticals: K12 education, higher education, library, cultural/arts, religious, community/civic, health and wellness, and workplace. Notable service differentiators include the Kirk's Paradigm project framework (a six-factor methodology for project success articulated by co-founder Kirk Craig) and an evidence-based biophilic design practice anchored by an AIA-funded research study at Bethel-Hanberry Elementary School demonstrating reduced student stress and improved learning outcomes.

The firm's revenue model is professional services: project-based architectural fees determined through RFPs, competitive bidding, and negotiated contracts based on scope, square footage, and complexity, typically structured as multi-year engagements. CGD does not sell software products, operates no public or partner-facing API, and reports no digital product revenue; all offerings are delivered as direct professional services by licensed architects and partners. The client base is concentrated in institutional sectors (public K12 districts, colleges and universities, public libraries, government agencies, religious organizations, and nonprofit cultural institutions such as Brookgreen Gardens), with a smaller commercial book including corporate headquarters work for clients such as Southern First Bank.

In February 2025, CGD merged with PBK, the nation's largest education design firm, to form Craig Gaulden Davis | PBK, expanding the combined platform to 31 offices nationwide and significantly scaling geographic reach, education-sector capacity, and project pipeline. The firm holds LEED Silver certification experience on multiple projects (Greenville Technical College, Forsyth County Post Road Library), has earned regional awards across more than two decades from AIA, Preservation South Carolina, ASLA, and industry associations, and is led by President/CEO Scott Powell, Chairman David Dixon, and Emeritus Director Ed Zeigler FAIA, supported by a multi-partner structure.

Name

Craig Gaulden Davis

Legal name

Craig Gaulden Davis Architecture

Website

https://cgdarch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Craig Gaulden Davis is a Greenville, SC-based architectural services firm founded in 1957 providing planning, design, and construction administration across education, library, civic, cultural, religious, and workplace sectors for institutional clients in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Other Specialized Design Services (54149)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Building Automation & Controls (BAS/BMS) Contracting (IMAFALAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Educational facility design
• Historic preservation services
• Master planning services
• Institutional building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

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 Services: Project-based architectural fees for design, planning, and construction administration services for institutional and commercial clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Craig Gaulden Davis is an architectural services firm that provides vision-driven architectural design, master planning, interior design, historic preservation, and construction administration services for institutional and commercial clients. Its practice is organized around market sectors including K12 education, higher education, libraries, cultural/arts, religious, community/civic, health and wellness, and workplace projects, primarily in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. Following its February 2025 merger with PBK, the firm operates as Craig Gaulden Davis | PBK across 31 offices nationwide.

Product overview

Craig Gaulden Davis Architecture is a full-service architectural firm providing design and planning services across multiple sectors. The firm operates as a unified service-based practice organized by market sectors including K12 Education, Higher Education, Libraries, Cultural/Arts, Religious, Health & Wellness, Community, and Workplace. The firm also offers specialized services in Historic Preservation, Biophilic Design research, and Master Planning. Following a February 2025 merger with PBK, the combined entity (Craig Gaulden Davis | PBK) now operates from 31 offices nationwide, though this extraction focuses on the historical Craig Gaulden Davis portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K12 Education Architecture Architectural design services for K12 educational facilities, including elementary, middle, and high schools, incorporating biophilic design and modern learning-space concepts for public and private K12 clients.
• Higher Education Architecture Comprehensive architectural services for colleges and universities, including libraries, student centers, residence halls, performing arts centers, and academic buildings in the Southeast U.S.
• Library Architecture Design of public and academic library facilities, including new construction and renovations incorporating innovative learning spaces and community gathering areas.
• Cultural and Arts Architecture Architectural design of cultural venues including theatres, museums, performing arts centers, and art galleries.
• Religious Architecture Architectural services for churches, chapels, and religious facilities including sanctuaries, fellowship halls, and worship spaces.
• Health and Wellness Architecture Design of healthcare facilities, recreation centers, fitness facilities, and wellness-oriented community spaces.
• Community Architecture Design of civic and community facilities including courthouses, city halls, recreation centers, and public gathering spaces.
• Workplace Architecture Commercial and corporate office design services including headquarters buildings, office renovations, and workplace environments.
• Historic Preservation Renovation and restoration of historic buildings, including National Register-listed properties, applying sensitive approaches to maintain architectural heritage.
• Master Planning Comprehensive campus and site planning services including community input processes, land use planning, and long-term development frameworks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Biophilic design shown to reduce student stress and improve learning outcomes in published AIA-funded research study
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McMillan Pazdan Smith: Southeast-based architecture firm with similar focus on K-12, higher education, and civic projects across the Carolinas and Southeast, directly competing with CGD in the same regional market.
• PBK: Nation's largest education design firm specializing in K-12 and higher education architecture. Now merged with CGD to form Craig Gaulden Davis | PBK, but historically a direct competitor in the same client segments.
• Stevens & Wilkinson: Southeast architecture firm with comparable practice areas in education, civic, and historic preservation, operating in overlapping markets with CGD.
• VMDO Architects: Architecture firm specializing in K-12, higher education, and student life projects, with a strong research- and evidence-based design approach closely paralleling CGD's biophilic design methodology.
• LS3P Associates: Southeast architecture firm headquartered in the Carolinas with a comparable portfolio in K-12, higher education, healthcare, and cultural institutions; operates in overlapping geographies with CGD.
• Moseley Architects: Mid-Atlantic based architecture firm with a strong education (K-12) practice, serving Virginia, North Carolina, and adjacent Southeast states in overlapping markets with CGD.

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: Large integrated design firm with significant education sector presence, competing for institutional clients at a scale and geographic breadth far exceeding CGD's pre-merger footprint.
• HOK: Global architecture, design, and engineering firm with a substantial education practice, serving many of the same institutional client types as CGD at a much larger scale.
• Perkins&Will: Large global architecture firm with substantial K-12 and higher education practices; competes for the same institutional RFPs as CGD but at a national/international scale.
• SmithGroup: National architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a strong education and cultural practice, competing for similar higher education and civic clients as CGD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CGDarch
• Facebookfacebook.com/cgdarch

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Craig Gaulden Davis