Architectural Design Guild

What Architectural Design Guild does

Architectural Design Guild (ADG) is a multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering firm founded in 1981 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The firm provides a single integrated bundle of architecture, interior design, and in-house mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering, supplemented by store planning, warehouse and distribution-center planning, adaptive reuse, lighting design, 3D modeling and rendering, construction administration, and code research. ADG's staff holds architectural and MEP engineering licensure in nearly every U.S. state, enabling a national practice delivered from a single St. Louis office. The firm has completed over 8,400 retail, commercial, hospitality, and food-service projects across the United States since its founding.

The firm's commercial model is project-based professional services, with engagements structured as one-time design and construction-administration fees tailored to scope. ADG acquires work through direct enterprise sales, repeat client engagements, and referrals, and develops business through a project portfolio and client logos on its website rather than paid marketing. Customers include national retail chains (Floor & Decor, Office Depot, CVS Pharmacy, PetSmart, Alice + Olivia), hospitality brands (Tru by Hilton), automotive service operators (Jiffy Lube, Caliber Collision, AAA Car Care), and large logistics programs (Floor & Decor distribution centers). The firm is privately held, with no disclosed funding events, parent company, or ownership changes, and is led by four principals: Sam Estes (Managing Principal), Joshua E. Smith, Mary B.K. Calvin, and John M. Bruns (Director of Engineering).

Name

Architectural Design Guild

Legal name

Architectural Design Guild

Website

https://adg-stl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Architectural Design Guild is a St. Louis-based multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering firm offering in-house architecture, interior design, and MEP engineering, with store planning, warehouse planning, and adaptive reuse services for U.S. retail, hospitality, automotive, and distribution-center clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• MEP engineering services
• Interior design services
• Commercial building design
• Retail store planning

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Engineering Services: Project-based professional services for architecture, interior design, store planning, warehouse planning, HVAC engineering, electrical engineering, plumbing engineering, structural/civil coordination, industrial design, code research, lighting design, and 3D modeling and rendering. Revenue is generated through one-time project fees for design and construction administration services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Architectural Design Guild is a multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering firm providing full-service architectural design, interior design, store planning, and in-house mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering for retail, commercial, hospitality, and restaurant building types. Services span from environmental retrofits to new construction, including prototype design for national chain rollouts, warehouse and distribution center planning, and construction administration support.

Product overview

Architectural Design Guild (ADG) is a multi-disciplinary Architecture and Engineering firm offering a comprehensive suite of design and engineering services. The core offering consists of architecture, interior design, and in-house MEP engineering (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) services. These are supplemented by specialized modules including store planning, warehouse/distribution center planning, adaptive reuse, lighting design, 3D modeling and rendering, and construction administration support. The firm specializes in commercial, retail, hospitality, and restaurant design across the United States, serving national clients with consistent, scalable deliverables including prototype designs for major retail chains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design for retail, commercial, hospitality, and restaurant building types, spanning environmental retrofits of existing buildings to new construction and adaptive reuse projects.
• Interior Design Interior design services integrated with architectural planning to create cohesive retail, commercial, and hospitality spaces for clients ranging from boutique retailers to national chains.
• MEP Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) In-house mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services including HVAC design, electrical engineering, plumbing engineering, and energy analysis for retail, commercial, hospitality, and restaurant projects.
• Store Planning Retail store layout and planning services for clients ranging from boutique retailers to big box rollouts, including prototype development and maintenance for national chains.
• Warehouse and Distribution Center Planning Large-scale warehouse and distribution center planning and design services, including architectural, MEP design, and construction documentation for facilities exceeding 1 million square feet (e.g., Floor & Decor Baytown, TX 1,500,400 sq. ft. facility).
• Adaptive Reuse Design Environmental retrofits of existing buildings and transformation of spaces for new purposes, from individual buildings to complete neighborhood and public space planning.
• Lighting Design Specialized lighting design services for retail, commercial, and hospitality environments.
• 3D Modeling and Rendering Three-dimensional modeling and rendering services for project visualization and client presentations.
• Construction Administration Construction administration support including coordination with consultants, shop drawing review, submittals processing, and RFI management across project lifecycles.
• Code Research and Analysis Code compliance research and analysis services to ensure projects meet local, state, and national building codes across ADG's nationwide practice.

Named customers11 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WD Partners: Retail-focused architecture and design firm specializing in prototype development, store design, and national rollout programs for major retail and restaurant chains—directly comparable to ADG's core retail rollout work with Floor & Decor and PetSmart.
• FRCH Design Worldwide: Architecture and design firm focused on retail, hospitality, and restaurant clients with integrated branding and interior design capabilities; comparable multi-disciplinary retail/hospitality focus and client roster.
• GreenbergFarrow: Architecture firm specializing in retail, hospitality, and restaurant design with national practice; directly comparable in building type focus, multi-state project delivery, and client mix.
• Chute Gerdeman: Retail design firm serving major brands with store planning, prototype design, and rollout services; comparable in retail specialization and national rollout delivery model.
• Shook Kelley: Retail and brand experience design firm with architecture, planning, and brand strategy capabilities; comparable in retail focus and integrated design services for chain clients.
• BPI (Brandimage): Retail and brand experience design firm specializing in store concept development and prototype design for global brands; directly comparable in retail prototype and rollout delivery.
• JGA (Jain Malkin Inc.): Retail and restaurant architecture and design firm focused on prototype development and national rollouts; closely comparable in retail/restaurant specialization and project delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: Large integrated architecture and engineering firm with multiple practice areas including retail, hospitality, and commercial; a broader incumbent offering overlapping A&E services at greater scale than ADG.
• CallisonRTKL: Global architecture and design firm with retail and mixed-use practice; broader incumbent with comparable retail design capabilities but operating at significantly larger scale and geographic reach.
• HGA (Hammel, Green and Abrahamson): Integrated architecture and engineering firm with national practice serving commercial, healthcare, and cultural clients; comparable A&E integration but at broader scale and across more verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/architectural-design-guild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Architectural Design Guild