What Choate + Hertlein Architects does

Choate + Hertlein Architects is a private architectural firm founded in 1971 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, providing professional design services across seven core practice areas: residential architecture, multi-family housing, commercial and mixed-use, institutional and educational, historic preservation, clubhouse design, and hospitality. The firm is best known for complex adaptive reuse and historic preservation work, most prominently the 1.8 million square foot Ponce City Market rehabilitation of the former Sears Roebuck & Co. distribution center for Jamestown L.P., and the Centennial Yards Phase 1 mixed-use redevelopment of the historic Southern Railway Freight Depot for CIM. Project scale ranges from single-family residences to multi-million square foot urban infill developments, with principal-led engagement on multi-family, hospitality, and developer-driven work.

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services fees tied to architectural design, master planning, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse commissions. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by five decades of reputation, 150+ industry awards, and direct relationships with developers, educational institutions, private clubs, and affluent homeowners. The firm does not operate any proprietary technology platform or software product; its competitive differentiation rests on principal expertise (principals James Choate and Dennis Hertlein and additional AIA-credentialed staff), intimate knowledge of historic building fabric, and integration of preservation with modern design in what the firm terms "adaptive fusion."

Customer concentration is centered on enterprise and institutional clients, including Jamestown L.P., CIM, Piedmont Driving Club, Capital City Club, Cherokee Town & Country Club, Berry College, and Spelman College, among others. Geographic focus is the Southeast US with selected commissions across the Northeast, Southwest, Western US, and Mexico; the firm operates as a small practice (estimated 11-50 employees) with no disclosed subsidiaries, external funding, or public listing.

Name

Choate + Hertlein Architects

Legal name

Choate + Hertlein Architects

Website

https://sbcharch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Choate + Hertlein Architects is a private Atlanta-based architecture firm founded in 1971 providing design, master planning, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse services across residential, multi-family, commercial, institutional, hospitality, and private club sectors. The firm is best known for the Ponce City Market and other landmark preservation projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Historic preservation
• Adaptive reuse design
• Multi-family mixed-use architecture
• Commercial architecture firm

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue for architectural design, master planning, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse projects. Revenue is generated through design fees for projects spanning residential, commercial, institutional, hospitality, and clubhouse sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Choate + Hertlein Architects is a private Atlanta-based architecture firm founded in 1971 that provides full-scope architectural design, master planning, historic preservation, restoration, and adaptive reuse services. The firm delivers projects across residential, multi-family/mixed-use, commercial, institutional/educational, hospitality, and private clubhouse sectors, with notable large-scale work such as the 1.8 million square foot Ponce City Market rehabilitation.

Product overview

Choate + Hertlein Architects is an established architecture firm founded in 1971 offering a comprehensive portfolio of architectural services. The firm specializes in seven core service areas: Residential Architecture, Multi-Family Housing, Commercial and Mixed Use, Institutional and Educational, Historic Preservation, Clubhouse Design, and Hospitality. The firm is known for blending historic preservation expertise with modern design, with particular emphasis on adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Projects span the southeastern United States with notable work in Atlanta GA, as well as select projects in Mexico and the Pacific Northwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architecture Services

Named customers13 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and long-term.

• Jamestown L.P.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Executive architect for master-planning, design, and implementation of the 1.8 million square foot Ponce City Market conversion. Services included conceptual design and full architectural services for complex buildout. Ongoing relationship with subsequent floor conversions.
• Columbia Residential and National Church ResidencesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Client for Commons at Imperial Hotel adaptive reuse project. 90-unit permanent supportive housing development for formerly homeless and persons with special needs.
• CIM (Centennial Yards)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverall architect providing master-planning and design services for the 274,000 square foot Phase 1 rehabilitation of historic Southern Railway Freight Depot into mixed-use development including 162 loft apartments and commercial spaces.
• Aderhold PropertiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for 790 Marietta Street adaptive use project - transformation of historic flat-iron building into modern office headquarters for property management business.
• Cherokee Town & Country Clublong-termStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing 20-year relationship for master planning, renovating, and expanding the club. Multiple phases including dining venues, fitness center, tennis center, and exterior improvements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Historical Concepts: Atlanta-based architecture firm with comparable historic preservation, residential, and clubhouse design practices. Strong overlap with C+H's adaptive reuse and Southern institutional client base.
• Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio: Atlanta architecture firm specializing in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and new urbanist design. Directly comparable service mix and regional focus to Choate + Hertlein.
• Stevens & Wilkinson: Southeast-based architecture firm with similar scale, serving education, institutional, and commercial clients with comparable historic rehabilitation expertise.
• Lord Aeck Sargent: Atlanta architecture firm (now part of Pond & Company) with comparable higher-education, cultural, and adaptive reuse portfolio. Similar size and regional positioning.
• tvsdesign: Atlanta-based architecture and design firm serving hospitality, mixed-use, and institutional clients. Comparable project typologies (hotels, mixed-use) and regional Atlanta footprint.
• Page & Turnbull: Architecture firm specializing in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and cultural institutions. Comparable preservation expertise and project type overlap.
• Beyer Blinder Belle: Architecture firm with deep historic preservation and adaptive reuse portfolio including landmark civic and institutional projects. Comparable preservation credentials and award-winning profile.
• John Milner Architects: Specialized preservation architecture firm with comparable focus on historic rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and HABS documentation across the Eastern US.
• Ann Beha Architects: Architecture firm with strong preservation, cultural, and institutional portfolio. Comparable scope of historic rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects with similar firm size.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Large global architecture firm with offices in Atlanta that competes for institutional and higher-education clients. Broader portfolio but overlapping on university and healthcare projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SBCHArchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/475133
• Instagraminstagram.com/sbcharchitects/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Choate + Hertlein Architects