ZBA Architecture

What ZBA Architecture does

ZBA Architecture PS is a privately held architectural and sustainable design firm headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 1984 as Zeck Butler Architects PS and rebranded in 2013, the firm operates with a 12-person team led by three principals (Randy Vanhoff, Mark King, and Sarah Brede, promoted May 2025). The firm delivers four core service lines: Housing Design Services (affordable multifamily, senior, assisted living, farmworker, and permanent supportive housing), Commercial Design Services (office buildings, branch banks, utility service centers, warehouses), Municipal Design Services (fire stations, public works facilities, water reclamation, government buildings), and Interior Design Services.

The firm's technical differentiator is deep expertise in sustainability certification, including LEED (with a track record including the first LEED Platinum project in Eastern Washington and the first Washington State-owned NetZero building) and the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard, on which the firm contributed to development via advisory committee participation. Projects are delivered through a team approach with active client involvement from programming through construction administration, often via design-build partnerships (e.g., CH2MHill on the $144 million Spokane Water Reclamation Facility).

ZBA generates revenue through project-based professional service fees on multi-year contracts, obtained via competitive bidding, design-build partnerships, and long-term relationships with housing authorities, fire districts, counties, nonprofit developers, and utility companies across Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The firm is privately held by its principals with no institutional investors or parent company, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

ZBA Architecture

Legal name

ZBA Architecture PS

Website

https://zbaarchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZBA Architecture is a 12-person Spokane-based architectural firm specializing in LEED-certified sustainable design for affordable multifamily housing, municipal facilities, and commercial projects across Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Affordable housing design
• Sustainable architecture
• Municipal facility design
• LEED certified design

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based professional fees for architectural design, planning, and project management services for housing, commercial, municipal, and interior projects. Revenue generated through design fees, construction administration, and consulting services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ZBA Architecture PS is an architectural and sustainable design firm providing design, planning, and project management services across four service areas: Housing (multi-family affordable housing, senior housing, assisted living, farmworker housing), Commercial (office buildings, utility service centers, warehouses, hotels), Municipal (fire stations, maintenance buildings, public works complexes, water reclamation facilities), and Interior Design. The firm delivers full-service architecture from programming through construction administration, with deep expertise in LEED certification and Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard compliance for projects throughout Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Product overview

ZBA Architecture PS is an architectural and sustainable design firm providing design, planning and project management services. The firm operates across four main service areas: Housing Design Services (multi-family affordable housing, senior housing, assisted living, farmworker housing), Commercial Design Services (office buildings, utility centers, warehouses, hotels), Municipal Design Services (fire stations, public works facilities, maintenance buildings), and Interior Design Services. The firm specializes in sustainable design and LEED-certified projects, with notable portfolio projects including the LEED Platinum Saranac Hotel Renovation, ECY Emergency Response Facility (first Washington State NetZero building), Spokane Regional Plan Center (LEED Commercial Interiors), and Regional Water Reclamation Facility (LEED Silver). Projects are served from the firm's Spokane, Washington office serving clients throughout Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Housing Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• First LEED Platinum certification in Eastern Washington for Saranac Hotel renovation (2009)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Volunteers of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2025Partnership for Vets on North Lacey project - 12-unit veteran housing development in Spokane. ZBA provided design services; Volunteers of America served as project developer. Groundbreaking March 2025, completed January 2026.
• CH2MHillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign-build partnership for $144 million Spokane Water Reclamation Facility. ZBA designed Water Resource Center and Treatment Operations Facility components. Project achieved LEED Silver certification.
• Community FrameworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with Spokane-based nonprofit for affordable housing developments. Projects include Sinto Commons (47-unit homeless family housing), 1 South Madelia (36-unit multifamily), and Liberty Park projects.
• Spokane Housing VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Casa Salvadas 5-unit housing project and Clare View senior apartments ($20 million, 61 new units plus 124-unit rehabilitation). Nonprofit community-housing organization.
• Widmyer CorporationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTeam member for Vets on North Lacey project - veteran housing development with Volunteers of America and Kilgore Construction.
• Kilgore ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for Vets on North Lacey project. ZBA Architecture collaborated with Widmyer Corporation and Volunteers of America on this veteran housing project.
• Abadan SpokaneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHandles ZBA's bidding process and construction document distribution through www.zba-architectureplanroom.com.
• Whitewater CreekminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for Milltown Apartments (51-unit LEED Platinum project in Sandpoint) and Clare View senior apartments project.
• MithunminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner with ZBA for Ironside Apartments - 162-unit student housing development along Spokane River near Gonzaga University.
• Garco ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor partner for Spokane County Regional Water Reclamation Facility design-build project with CH2MHill.
• Joint Pacific County Housing AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Alder House - 35-unit affordable senior living adaptive reuse project in South Bend, Washington.
• Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington (HOSWWA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Sunrise Village 40-unit affordable housing project in Longview, Washington. Grand opening June 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with significant affordable housing, healthcare, and civic practices including a Seattle studio. Comparable as a larger incumbent that competes on the same public-sector and housing authority RFPs but with vastly greater scale and broader service offerings.
• BNIM: Kansas City-based architecture and planning firm widely recognized for high-performance sustainable design and affordable housing work. Comparable as an established leader in LEED-certified affordable and community-oriented design, though with broader geographic reach and larger scale.

Direct peers

• LSW Architects: Pacific Northwest architecture firm with significant affordable housing, senior living, and community development portfolio. Comparable in mission-driven design for public and nonprofit clients in the Washington and Oregon housing markets.
• Mithun: Seattle-based architecture and design firm with strong affordable housing, mixed-use, and sustainable design practices in the Pacific Northwest. Direct comparable as ZBA's design partner on the Ironside Apartments project and shares similar client segments including housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
• GGLO: Pacific Northwest architecture firm with deep multifamily, mixed-use, and affordable housing portfolio across Seattle and broader PNW. Comparable in size, regional focus, and emphasis on sustainable design with similar public-sector and developer client base.
• Ankrom Moisan: Portland- and Seattle-based architecture firm focused on multifamily housing, senior living, and mixed-use projects in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable in affordable and senior housing design services for PNW developers and housing authorities.
• BCRA: Pacific Northwest architecture, structural engineering, and planning firm with multifamily, civic, and community design practices. Comparable as a regional full-service design firm serving housing authorities, municipalities, and developers in Washington and Oregon.
• SRG Partnership: Portland-headquartered architecture firm with multifamily housing, civic, and educational project portfolio across the Pacific Northwest. Comparable as a regionally focused architecture firm serving developers and public clients with similar project types.

Regional players

• Mahlum: Seattle-based architecture firm with K-12, higher education, and healthcare practices. Adjacent peer sharing Pacific Northwest roots and public-sector client base, though more focused on educational and healthcare projects than affordable housing.
• Northeast Affordable Architecture (NAA): Boston-based architecture firm specializing in affordable multifamily housing and supportive housing design. Comparable in mission and practice area (affordable housing specialization for nonprofit and public clients), though geographically focused on the Northeast rather than the Pacific Northwest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zba-architecture-ps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 ZBA Architecture