What AB Design Studio does

AB Design Studio, Inc. is a privately held, full-service architecture, interior design, and urban planning firm founded in 2005 by principals Clay Aurell (AIA) and Josh Blumer (AIA). The firm is headquartered at 420 East Haley Street in Santa Barbara, California, and operates a second office in Los Angeles. It is organized around three core service lines — Architecture, Interior Design, and Urban Planning — supported by a multidisciplinary studio model that integrates landscape design, lighting design, engineering, and historic preservation under an environmental design theory framework.

The firm's underlying technology stack centers on Building Information Modeling (BIM), real-time visualization through Lumion, and sustainable design methodologies including LEED certification and the Living Building Challenge. Its proprietary working method combines traditional hand-drawing with digital design software, described internally as 'the person with the best idea should have the pen.' The studio serves a horizontally diversified set of customer segments: high-net-worth residential clients, boutique hospitality operators (e.g., Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara), commercial and manufacturing tenants (e.g., Forms + Surfaces), government and institutional clients (e.g., Santa Barbara Housing Authority), and educational institutions (e.g., VADA at Santa Barbara High School). Notable projects include the Quarry House (Gold Nugget Grand Award winner), Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara (sold for $19M at ~$472K/key), Veracruz Village and Cota Street multifamily mixed-use developments, the Forms + Surfaces adaptive-reuse headquarters, and the Funk Zone Steps urbanism initiative.

AB Design Studio generates revenue through project-based professional services fees — design fees, project management, and construction administration — with pricing determined by project scope and complexity rather than published rate cards. Go-to-market relies on direct client engagement, referrals, competitive bidding for institutional commissions, and an active earned-media presence in design publications (Architectural Record, Interior Design, Dwell, Dezeen, Architect Magazine) and award circuits. The firm has 11–50 employees and is privately owned by its founding principals, with no disclosed institutional investment or external funding.

Name

AB Design Studio

Legal name

AB Design Studio, Inc.

Website

https://abdesignstudioinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AB Design Studio is a Santa Barbara– and Los Angeles–based architecture, interior design, and urban planning firm founded in 2005, serving high-net-worth residential, hospitality, commercial, government, and educational clients across California with bespoke project-based services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design services
• Urban planning services
• Residential architecture
• Hospitality design

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue generated through custom residential architecture, interior design, urban planning, and commercial design projects. Revenue is earned through design fees, project management, and construction administration services for client commissions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AB Design Studio is a full-service architecture, interior design, and urban planning firm providing custom residential, commercial, hospitality, multifamily, and urban revitalization design services. The firm delivers end-to-end design from concept and visualization through construction documentation and administration, applying an environmental design theory approach that integrates architecture, interior design, urban planning, landscape design, engineering, and lighting design. Services are project-based and tailored to each client's site, program, and community context.

Product overview

AB Design Studio is an award-winning architecture, interior design, and urban planning firm based in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, California, founded in 2005 by Clay Aurell and Josh Blumer. The studio operates as a full-service design practice organized around three core service areas: Architecture Services (residential, commercial, hospitality, multifamily/mixed-use), Interior Design Services (residential interiors, hospitality interiors, commercial interiors), and Urban Planning Services (urban revitalization, master planning, land use consulting). Their work is distinguished by a multidisciplinary approach guided by environmental design theory, integrating landscape design, lighting design, engineering, and historic preservation. The firm specializes in contemporary residential architecture with notable expertise in modern house design, sustainable multifamily housing, adaptive reuse projects, and boutique hospitality design. Projects span from custom homes (including shipping container homes and mid-century modern restorations) to urban planning initiatives like the Funk Zone revitalization. The studio employs Lumion for design visualization and works with green-building rating systems including LEED and the Living Building Challenge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design covering contemporary and traditional residential, multifamily mixed-use, hospitality, and commercial projects. Services include conceptualization, design, visualization, construction documentation, and construction administration.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services spanning residential interiors, hospitality interiors (hotels, restaurants, spas), and commercial interiors (offices, retail, museums). Integrated with architectural design for holistic project delivery.
• Urban Planning Services Urban revitalization, place-making, master planning, and land use consulting. Analyzes activity nodes, existing conditions, and real estate trends to transform neighborhoods and support permit approvals.
• Multifamily Housing Design Specialized mixed-use multifamily housing design combining market-rate apartments or affordable housing with ground-level commercial space. Emphasizes community building, sustainability (LEED), and integration with local architectural vernacular.
• Modern House Design Specialized contemporary residential architecture focusing on modern homes, including mid-century modern, coastal estates, hillside residences, and sustainable or shipping container homes. Features Lumion-based real-time visualization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara sold for $19 million at ~$472,000 per room key, closing in 45 days
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Visual Arts & Design Academy (VADA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2025AB Design Studio partnered with VADA at Santa Barbara High School to support the opening of a new 3,350-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. Through direct mentorship, studio tours, and hands-on learning opportunities, AB's team provides students insight into professional architecture and design careers. The collaboration bridges high school arts education and real-world design careers.
• Design ArccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Arc served as Architect of Record for Veracruz Village, refining and executing AB Design Studio's original design concept. This collaboration enabled the 22,000-square-foot mixed-use development to be completed successfully with Design Arc's Mark Kirkhart, AIA overseeing execution.
• San Marcos Entrepreneurship AcademyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAB Design Studio served as proud sponsor of the Annual Business Plan Showcase at San Marcos Entrepreneurship Academy in Goleta, supporting student ventures and entrepreneurial education.
• McGillivray ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction company that built the VADA facility at Santa Barbara High School. AB Design Studio collaborated with McGillivray on this educational construction project.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Santa BarbaracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alignment formed with MCA Santa Barbara for Hotel Indigo project. Some museum artworks were loaned to the hotel for display as part of the 'Art Hotel' concept. Josh Blumer served on the museum's board for approximately 10 years.
• Progressive LandscapeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal landscape company collaborated with Tamara Kaye-Honey on garden design for the Lutah Riggs home restoration project. Represents AB's collaborative approach with specialized consultants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Standard Architecture | Design: Los Angeles architecture and interiors practice with strong work in hospitality, multifamily, and cultural projects. Comparable scope across hospitality and residential design in Southern California.
• ShubinDonaldson: Santa Barbara-based contemporary architecture firm of similar scale, working across luxury residential, hospitality, and adaptive reuse projects in coastal California. Highly comparable geography, project type, and design philosophy to AB Design Studio.
• Aidlin Darling Design: California architecture firm with strong residential, hospitality, and community-oriented project portfolio. Comparable focus on contextual, sustainability-driven design across similar project types.
• Marmol Radziner: LA-based luxury architecture and design-build firm with deep expertise in custom residential, hospitality, and adaptive reuse. Closely comparable client base, multidisciplinary model, and California luxury focus.
• Studio Schicketanz: Santa Barbara architecture firm specializing in contemporary coastal and indoor-outdoor residential projects. Comparable geography, scale, and emphasis on site-responsive luxury design.
• Walker Workshop: Los Angeles architecture studio with comparable boutique scale and a focus on contemporary residential, hospitality, and commercial interiors in Southern California. Overlaps with AB Design Studio's LA footprint and design-led approach.
• Backen Gillam & Kroeger (B|G|K): Northern California luxury residential and hospitality architecture firm with comparable boutique scale, regional reputation, and design award pedigree.

Broad incumbents

• Olson Kundig: Larger, internationally recognized architecture firm specializing in bespoke residential and hospitality projects. Operates in the same luxury residential niche but with significantly greater scale, geographic reach, and brand recognition.
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects: National architecture firm with extensive luxury residential, hospitality, and mixed-use portfolio. Comparable commitment to contextual and traditional design but at a much larger scale and broader footprint.

Regional players

• Assembly Architects: Los Angeles architecture firm working on hospitality, multifamily, and adaptive reuse projects in Southern California. Comparable segment focus but operates primarily in a different sub-region and project mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 AB Design Studio