Hornberger + Worstell

What Hornberger + Worstell does

Hornberger + Worstell is a privately held architecture and planning partnership headquartered in San Francisco (170 Maiden Lane) that was founded in 1980 and operates with a small team (11-50 employees). The firm provides master planning, architectural design, and construction administration services across three core practice areas: hospitality (destination resorts, urban business and conference hotels, airport hotels, mixed-use complexes), academic and residential community design (university student unions, conference and recreation/wellness centers), and historic rehabilitation (theaters, courthouses, national landmark hotels). Underlying methodology relies on Building Information Modeling (BIM), CAD software, sustainable/LEED design practices, historic rehabilitation techniques, and a 'regionalist' approach that uses local materials, geographically inspired forms, and skilled local labor as a signature design philosophy pioneered by founder Mark Hornberger.

The firm has delivered a portfolio of 40+ major projects across North America, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region, including the Grand Hyatt at SFO (Skytrax 2026 Best Airport Hotel in North America), the UCLA Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center (LEED Platinum), The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe (LEED Gold), the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, the Beijing Secret Garden Genting Resort (2022 Winter Olympics venue), and The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. Three named principals — Mark Hornberger FAIA (President), John Davis AIA NCARB (Executive Vice President and CFO), and Burton Miller FAIA (Design Director - Asia Pacific) — each have more than 30 years of experience and lead client engagements.

Hornberger + Worstell operates as a B2B professional services firm with a direct enterprise field-sales motion, acquiring projects via established relationships with major hotel chains (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental, Viceroy), university systems (UCLA, UC Berkeley, CSU, USF), government entities (National Park Service, Judicial Council of California), and developers. Revenue is project-based, generated through custom design and construction administration fees on bespoke commissions; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm maintains an operating presence in the United States (California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho) and internationally (China, Japan), supported by a multilingual website including a Chinese-language version.

Name

Hornberger + Worstell

Legal name

Hornberger + Worstell

Website

https://hornbergerworstell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hornberger + Worstell is a San Francisco-based architecture and planning partnership founded in 1980 that provides master planning, design, and historic rehabilitation services for hospitality (luxury hotels and resorts), higher education (student unions, conference and wellness centers), and civic clients across the US and Asia-Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Hornberger + Worstell generates revenue through professional architecture and design services for hospitality, education, commercial, and residential projects. Revenue is project-based, earned through design fees, project management, and construction administration services for new construction and rehabilitation projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hornberger + Worstell is a San Francisco-based architecture and planning firm providing master planning, architectural design, and construction administration services for major hospitality, education, and historic rehabilitation projects. Engagements span destination resorts, urban business and conference hotels, academic student unions and wellness centers, and adaptive reuse of National Historic Landmarks. Projects are delivered as bespoke, project-based commissions won through direct enterprise relationships, invited competitions, and competitive public-sector bidding.

Product overview

Hornberger + Worstell is a San Francisco-based architecture firm offering master planning and design services across three core practice areas: hospitality architecture (destination resorts, urban business and conference hotels, recreation and wellness facilities, mixed-use complexes), historic rehabilitation, and academic/residential community design. The firm has delivered landmark projects including Grand Hyatt at SFO, UCLA Luskin Conference Center, The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, San Francisco Proper Hotel, LUMA Hotel San Francisco, and The WELL Sacramento State University. Projects span the United States and international markets including China and Japan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hospitality Architecture Services Master planning and architectural design of destination resorts, urban business and conference hotels, recreation and wellness facilities, and mixed-use complexes for the hospitality industry. Services are delivered for major hotel brands and developers including Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental, and Viceroy.
• Historic Rehabilitation Services Rehabilitation and modernization of historic structures including seismic upgrades, preservation of character-defining features, and adaptive reuse projects. The firm has delivered projects for the National Park Service, Judicial Council of California, and Presidio Trust, among other government and institutional clients.
• Academic and Residential Community Design Planning and design of university student unions, conference centers, recreation and wellness facilities, and residential communities for academic institutions including UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, USF, CSU campuses, Sonoma State, and Sacramento State.

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bohlin Cywinski JacksoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHornberger + Worstell partnered with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to design the UCLA Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center. This joint venture brought together two acclaimed architecture firms to create a LEED Platinum-certified conference and guest center for UCLA.
• OZ ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOZ Architects served as Production Architect for The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe project. Hornberger + Worstell's design was executed in collaboration with OZ Architecture for the luxury resort development.
• Viceroy Hotels and ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerViceroy Hotels and Resorts operates The Observatory Sun Valley (formerly Harriman Viceroy Resort) in Ketchum, Idaho. Hornberger + Worstell designed the property which operates under the Viceroy brand.
• Patri Merker ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatri Merker Architects served as Design Architect for the InterContinental San Francisco project, with Hornberger + Worstell serving as Architect of Record.
• Stevenson SchoolminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStevenson School engaged Hornberger + Worstell to design the Rosen Family Student Center, a multi-level student center serving as the main hub of activity on campus in Pebble Beach, California.
• China Electronics Engineering Design Institute (CEEDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEEDI served as Associate Architect for the Beijing Secret Garden Genting Resort master plan and main village project, a 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics venue.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SB Architects: SB Architects is a San Francisco-based architecture firm focused on hospitality, mixed-use, and residential design. Directly comparable to H+W as a boutique, hospitality-specialized firm with similar high-end resort/hotel client roster.
• WATG: WATG is one of the world's leading hospitality and resort architecture firms, specializing in luxury hotels and destination resorts. Closely aligned with H+W in target market (luxury hospitality), service scope, and competitive RFPs for branded-hotel commissions.
• Hart Howerton: Hart Howerton is a planning and design firm focused on luxury resort, hospitality, and mixed-use master planning. Directly comparable to H+W in scale, client types (luxury developers), and project sophistication (destination resorts, branded residences).
• Bohlin Cywinski Jackson: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is a prestige architecture firm known for cultural, hospitality, and academic work; H+W partnered with BCJ on UCLA Luskin. Highly comparable boutique firm with similar client caliber, regional focus, and design-led approach.
• AvroKO: AvroKO is a hospitality-focused design firm specializing in hotels, restaurants, and residential. Comparable as a boutique firm targeting the same luxury/boutique hospitality segment, though it leans more on interiors than architecture of record.
• Architectural Resources Group (ARG): ARG is a California-based architecture firm specializing in historic preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse. Directly comparable to H+W's historic rehabilitation practice (Old Solano Courthouse, Presidio Theatre, Ahwahnee).
• Page & Turnbull: Page & Turnbull is a San Francisco historic preservation architecture firm. Comparable to H+W's rehabilitation work on National Historic Landmarks and California Preservation Award-winning courthouses and theaters.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Gensler is the world's largest architecture and design firm with a deep hospitality practice. Competes for the same premium hotel/resort commissions but as part of a much broader portfolio across all building types.
• HKS Architects: HKS is a large global architecture firm with significant hospitality and resort work (including convention hotels). Competes for similar large-scale, branded-hotel projects but operates as a broad incumbent across healthcare, sports, and commercial.
• Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a large architecture firm with strong academic and healthcare practices alongside hospitality. Comparable as it overlaps H+W's education practice (universities, student unions) and competes for institutional commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hwiarchitects

Compliance18 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Hornberger + Worstell