What OPN Architects does

OPN Architects, Inc. is a privately held, full-service architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture firm founded in 1979 and headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It operates five Midwest studios — Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Madison, and Minneapolis — and serves institutional, civic, and commercial clients across more than 15 market sectors including higher education, K-12, civic/government, healthcare, libraries, performing arts, and corporate hospitality. Project work is delivered through architect-of-record engagements on multi-year, project-based contracts with construction values ranging from under $10M to more than $130M.

The firm practices research-driven, collaborative design, leveraging Building Information Modeling (BIM), virtual reality visualization, biophilic design principles, and an in-house space-utilization analytics function staffed by a dedicated research specialist. Its sustainability practice is anchored by building-performance and decarbonization expertise, with stated commitment to carbon-neutral buildings by 2030 and project outcomes such as LEED Gold on the US Courthouse Cedar Rapids. The technology stack is industry-standard for the sector; no AI/ML product, data flywheel, or public API is disclosed.

Commercially, OPN generates revenue through project-based professional services fees — typically negotiated as a percentage of construction cost or fixed-fee — sourced through direct enterprise relationships with universities and school districts (University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City school districts), federal and municipal procurement (US General Services Administration, City of Cedar Rapids), and selective commercial commissions (Mount Mercy University, One Community Bank, Rule No. 1 Hospitality, Sub-Zero). The firm has accumulated more than two decades of national-level design awards, led by the 2026 AIA COTE Top Ten Award for Marion Fire Station No. 1.

Name

OPN Architects

Legal name

OPN Architects, Inc.

Website

https://opnarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

OPN Architects is a privately held Midwest architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture firm operating five studios in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It provides research-driven, sustainability-led design services to higher education, K-12, government, healthcare, and commercial clients across 15+ market sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design services
• Landscape architecture
• Historic preservation
• Sustainable building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based professional fees for architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and related design services. Revenue is earned through design contracts for new construction, renovation, and restoration projects across various market sectors including higher education, K-12, civic, healthcare, and commercial.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OPN Architects provides holistic architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture services across civic, educational, healthcare, commercial, hospitality, and historic preservation sectors. The firm delivers new construction, renovation, master planning, and restoration projects from five Midwest studios, leveraging Building Information Modeling (BIM), virtual reality visualization, and data-driven space utilization analytics.

Product overview

OPN Architects is an award-winning Midwest design firm offering a holistic blend of architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture services. The firm practices collaborative, research-driven design across diverse market types including K-12 schools, higher education, healthcare, libraries, civic buildings, and commercial projects. Core services include Building Information Modeling (BIM), sustainable/LEED design, historic preservation, virtual reality visualization, and video storytelling. The firm operates five studio locations (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Madison, Minneapolis) and emphasizes biophilic design, decarbonization strategies, and data-driven design decisions through space utilization analytics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 491,350 kg CO2e saved in one day through decarbonization workshop with 18 people
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KSS ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKSS Architects served as design architects on the Cornell College Thomas Commons project, with OPN serving as Architect-of-Record. This collaboration demonstrates OPN's ability to partner with specialized design firms for specific project requirements.
• SLAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSLAM collaborated with OPN Architects on the Iowa State University Biosciences Advanced Teaching and Research Building project, bringing additional expertise to the $45M, 121,600 SF facility.
• Einhorn Yaffee PrescottminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPN partnered with Einhorn Yaffee Prescott to lead the third comprehensive restoration of the University of Iowa Old Capitol following the 2001 fire that destroyed the dome and caused extensive interior damage.
• Pelli Clarke PellicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPelli Clarke Pelli served as lead design architects on the $132M Hancher Auditorium project at University of Iowa, with OPN serving as architect-of-record for this landmark performing arts center.
• William Rawn ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Rawn Architects collaborated with OPN on the United States Courthouse Cedar Rapids ($120M, LEED Gold), with OPN serving as Architect of Record managing all aspects of the project and coordinating a team of 15 consultants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DLR Group: Headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa (same state as OPN), DLR Group is an integrated design firm of comparable scale delivering architecture, interior design, and planning across civic, education, healthcare, and sports markets — overlapping OPN's primary sectors and geographic footprint.
• BNIM: Kansas City-based design firm with nationally recognized sustainability leadership (multiple AIA COTE Top Ten awards) and integrated architecture, planning, and landscape services. Closest peer on sustainability/biophilic positioning.
• Shive-Hattery: Iowa-based (Cedar Rapids/Des Moines) architecture and engineering firm of comparable size with strong civic, education, and healthcare practices. Most direct head-to-head competitor in OPN's Iowa home market.
• Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB): Chicago-based architecture firm with strong higher education, civic, and mixed-use practices. Comparable studio scale and Midwest regional overlap for university and civic institutional work.
• Substance Architecture: Des Moines, Iowa-based architecture and interior design practice serving education, civic, and commercial clients. Local Iowa competitor for K-12, higher-ed, and civic projects in the Des Moines market.
• HGA (Hammel, Green and Abrahamson): Minneapolis-based integrated design firm serving higher education, healthcare, civic, and cultural markets with similar studio model and Midwest geographic overlap. Direct competitor for Minnesota and Wisconsin institutional work.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with deep higher education, healthcare, and civic practices. Competes with OPN for the largest institutional mandates and frequently enters the same RFQs for major university and government projects.
• SmithGroup: National integrated design firm with prominent higher education, civic, and healthcare practices. Overlaps with OPN on university campus work and civic/cultural facility design.
• HDR Architecture: Architecture practice within global engineering giant HDR, with strong healthcare, civic, and education portfolios. Competes with OPN for healthcare systems and major institutional projects across the Midwest.
• CannonDesign: Large national architecture firm with strong higher education, healthcare, and science/research practices. Frequently competes for university and health-system projects in the same Midwest markets as OPN.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/opnarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opn-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/opnarchitects
• Xx.com/opnarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 OPN Architects