Partners by Design
Partners by Design is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 1992 that delivers workplace design, architectural services, and visualization (via its VIZfire studio) for enterprise clients across law firms, technology, financial services, and non-profit sectors on a project-based professional services model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Partners by Design does
Partners by Design is a Chicago-headquartered architecture and interior design firm founded in 1992, employing 101–250 staff and operating as Partners by Design, Inc., an Illinois corporation. The firm delivers project-based professional services for enterprise clients across law firms, technology companies, financial services, non-profits, manufacturing, retail, and media, with notable engagements for Husch Blackwell (four offices across Missouri, Illinois, and Massachusetts), Pinterest, Relativity, Adyen, Cars.com, Braintree, Sprout Social, Trustwave, CDW, Komatsu, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
The firm's core offerings span Architectural Design Services (space planning, building repositioning, multi-floor tenant improvements, architectural standards development) and Interior Design Services (workplace strategy, environmental branding, finish selection, furniture specification, coordinated design documentation). In 2017 the firm launched VIZfire, a dedicated visualization studio providing photorealistic renders, 3D modeling, 360° panoramic rendering, animations, VR experiences, and AR models to support client engagement pre-construction. Sustainability credentials include a delivered LEED Silver certification (Greater Chicago Food Depository) and active pursuits of LEED Gold and WELL Gold on other projects.
Partners by Design generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements with custom scopes priced by square footage, complexity, and timeline. Its GTM is direct enterprise field sales built on portfolio credibility, long-cycle client relationships, referrals, and sustained industry recognition — including 2025 Architecture Firm of the Year, Interior Design Firm of the Year, and Special Achievement Award at the CREA Awards, plus a #79 ranking on Interior Design magazine's 2026 Top 100 Giants list. The firm is privately held and founder-led (Ron Carlson, Founder & CEO), with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity in the available data.
Partners by Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Partners by Design
- Legal name
- Partners by Design, Inc.
- Website
- https://pbdinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Partners by Design is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 1992 that delivers workplace design, architectural services, and visualization (via its VIZfire studio) for enterprise clients across law firms, technology, financial services, and non-profit sectors on a project-based professional services model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Partners by Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Partners by Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue generated through architectural and interior design engagements for corporate clients, law firms, non-profits, and other organizations requiring workplace design, relocation, or renovation services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Partners by Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Partners by Design provides comprehensive architectural design and interior design services for commercial office environments, corporate headquarters, and multi-floor tenant improvements. Offerings include space planning, workplace strategy, finish selection, furniture specification, environmental branding, and coordinated design documentation. The firm also operates VIZfire, a dedicated visualization studio delivering photorealistic renders, 3D modeling, 360-degree panoramic rendering, animations, VR, and AR experiences.
Product overview
Partners by Design is an architecture and interior design firm offering a unified service portfolio centered on workplace design and commercial interiors. Their core offerings encompass Architectural Design Services (space planning, building repositioning, and architectural standards) and Interior Design Services (workplace strategy, environmental branding, and coordinated design documentation). The firm also operates VIZfire, a specialized visualization studio division providing photorealistic renders, 3D modeling, virtual reality, and augmented reality services. Projects span corporate offices, law firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, non-profits, educational institutions, retail environments, and museums across Chicago, Nashville, Boston, Kansas City, St. Louis, and other U.S. markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VIZfire: Visualization studio dedicated to providing photo realistic renders, 3D modeling, 360° panoramic rendering, animations, virtual reality experience, and augmented reality models.
Products and services
- Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services for commercial office spaces, corporate headquarters, and multi-floor tenant improvements, encompassing space planning, building repositioning, and architectural standards development. Served to enterprise clients across law, technology, financial services, and non-profit sectors.
- Interior Design Services Full-service interior design including workplace strategy, finish selection, furniture specification, environmental branding, and coordinated design documentation for corporate, legal, technology, healthcare, and non-profit clients.
- VIZfire Visualization Studio A dedicated visualization studio providing photorealistic renders, 3D modeling, 360-degree panoramic rendering, animations, virtual reality experiences, and augmented reality models to help clients engage with design goals in immersive dimensions before construction.
Quantifiable outcome
- Award-winning designs recognized by CREA, AIA, Interior Design BOY, IIDA RED, and Architizer awards
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Partners by Design
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Partners by Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Partners by Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Partners by Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Partners by Design social profiles
Digital presencePartners by Design compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Partners by Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Partners by Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Partners by Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Partners by Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Partners by Design
What does Partners by Design do?
Partners by Design provides comprehensive architectural design and interior design services for commercial office environments, corporate headquarters, and multi-floor tenant improvements. Offerings include space planning, workplace strategy, finish selection, furniture specification, environmental branding, and coordinated design documentation. The firm also operates VIZfire, a dedicated visualization studio delivering photorealistic renders, 3D modeling, 360-degree panoramic rendering, animations, VR, and AR experiences.
Is Partners by Design a public or private company?
Partners by Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Partners by Design founded?
Partners by Design was founded in 1992. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Partners by Design based?
Partners by Design is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Partners by Design make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Does Partners by Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Partners by Design.