What OTJ Architects does

OTJ Architects is a privately held, 100% employee-owned (ESOP) architecture and interior design firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in Washington, DC. The firm operates seven regional offices across the United States (Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, San Francisco) with 200+ team members spanning 23 states and approximately $40 million in annual billings as of 2024/2025. Its practice spans full-service architecture, interior design, workplace strategy, historic preservation, laboratory and science facility design, theatre design, SCIF/secure space design, repositioning and landlord services, and wellness and sustainability consulting. The client base is enterprise-led and vertically diversified across federal government (U.S. Department of State, National Institutes of Health, DC Public Library), corporate and technology (Adobe, Yelp, Hilton, PBS, DuPont, Booz Allen Hamilton), legal (Orrick, Axinn, NAACP LDF), nonprofit (Aspen Institute, National Restaurant Association), investment management (Sands Capital), and hospitality and multifamily (Marriott Bonvoy/Ambar, Ada Hotel, Visitation Frederick).

The firm employs an evidence-based, intelligence-driven design methodology supported by BIM, advanced 3D visualization, and virtual reality for client presentations, with a stated emphasis on early adoption of AI and digital tools. OTJ is a signatory to the AIA 2030 Commitment, AIA Materials Pledge, and a member of USGBC since 2003, and has accumulated certifications including LEED Platinum and Gold, Fitwel, and WELL across projects, with the Boston consulting client project ranked as the highest-scoring LEED v4 Commercial Interiors project in Massachusetts. The firm derives revenue through project-based professional services fees, typically structured as a percentage of construction cost, fixed fees, or hourly consulting rates, with multi-year enterprise contracts. Go-to-market is sales-led, executed by senior principals and strategic partnerships directors through industry relationships, RFP responses, conference speaking, and professional organization leadership (AIA, IIDA, CoreNet, NAIOP).

Leadership is shared between Co-CEOs Laura Kennington (President, former Chief Growth Officer, joined ~2004) and Lance Jaccard (Senior Principal), with functional chiefs spanning Studio, Practice, People, Marketing, and Architecture. Recent strategic moves include the June 2022 ESOP transition, the October 2021 Chicago office opening, the December 2024 joint CEO structure, the 2025 launch of a hospitality and multifamily residential studio, and the May 2025 in-house MEP engineering practice expansion. The firm carries no external institutional capital and has not pursued M&A.

Name

OTJ Architects

Legal name

OTJ Architects

Website

https://otj.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

OTJ Architects is a 100% employee-owned, full-service architecture and interior design firm with seven U.S. offices, 200+ staff, and $40M in annual billings, serving enterprise clients across corporate, government, legal, nonprofit, hospitality, and multifamily sectors through evidence-based design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture & Interior Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design services
• Workplace strategy consulting
• Historic preservation design
• Sustainable building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Full-service architecture including new construction, adaptive reuse, historic preservation, and building repositioning. Revenue generated through project-based fees typically calculated as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fee arrangements.
2. Interior Design Services: Commercial interior design services for workplace, hospitality, multi-family residential, and other sectors. Billed through design fees, project management fees, and consulting services.
3. Specialized Design Services: Additional services including workplace strategy, laboratory design, theatre design, wellness and sustainability consulting, and SCIF/secure space design provided as part of comprehensive project engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OTJ Architects is a multi-disciplinary architecture and interior design firm delivering full-service architecture, interiors, and workplace strategy across workplace/corporate, hospitality, multi-family residential, arts/culture/education, government, and science/technology sectors. Specialized practices include historic preservation, laboratory and facilities design, SCIF and secure space design, theatre design, and wellness and sustainability consulting, supplemented by in-house MEP engineering capabilities.

Product overview

OTJ Architects offers a comprehensive suite of architecture and design services organized as a multi-disciplinary practice. Their core offerings include Architecture, Interiors, and Workplace Strategy, supported by specialized practices in Historic Preservation, Laboratory & Facilities Design, Theatre Design, Wellness & Sustainability, SCIF & Secure Space Design, and Experiential Design. The firm employs a digitally integrated, evidence-based design process that leverages visualization technology and strategic research to deliver human-centric built environments. Projects span commercial interiors, workplace design, hospitality, multi-family residential, arts and culture, science and technology, and government sectors across their eight office locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Full-service architectural design including new construction, adaptive reuse, and building redesign across commercial, residential, hospitality, and institutional sectors, delivered to enterprise clients.
• Interiors Interior architecture and design services encompassing space planning, material selection, furniture specification, and complete interior environments for workplace, hospitality, and residential applications.
• Workplace Strategy Strategic workplace consulting including change management, space programming, hybrid work solutions, and evidence-based design approaches to optimize organizational performance for corporate and government clients.
• Experiential Design Design approach focused on creating immersive, human-centered environments that engage occupants through sensory experiences and meaningful spatial interactions.
• Historic Preservation Specialized renovation and restoration of historic structures including work with preservation boards, tax credit compliance, and sensitive transformation of heritage buildings.
• Laboratory & Facilities Design Technical design of research facilities, laboratories, and science-focused environments including lab planning, infrastructure design, and integration with workplace considerations for life science and technology clients.
• Repositioning & Landlord Services Commercial building repositioning, tenant build-outs, and landlord services including amenity space design and building transformation strategies for real estate owners and developers.
• SCIF & Secure Space Design Design of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIF) and secure environments meeting government security requirements for classified communications and operations.
• Theatre Design Performing arts venue design including theater renovation, concert hall design, and entertainment venue architecture for cultural and civic clients.
• Wellness & Sustainability Sustainable design services incorporating LEED certification strategies, WELL building standards, and wellness-focused design principles to promote occupant wellbeing.
• In-House MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) Practice New in-house MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) engineering practice announced in May 2025 as an expansion of OTJ's service portfolio, led by Studio Director Adam Emshwiller and integrating engineering disciplines directly into project delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of surveyed clients report improved efficiency from OTJ's design work
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Mecanoo ArchitectenflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTJ partnered with Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo Architecten as lead interior architect for the internationally significant MLK Jr. Memorial Library renovation project. This collaboration involved sensitive transformation of the landmark Mies van der Rohe building for the digital age.
• Dixon ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTJ served as interior architect working in close collaboration with Dixon Architecture as base building architect for the Ada Hotel project in Ada, Michigan.
• DeGroot Fine ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTJ collaborated with DeGroot Fine Art for artwork curation and selection at the Ada Hotel, including pieces that bridge the town's history with its present.
• Delineator Landscape DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTJ Architects collaborated with Delineator Landscape Design for The Brazos Gateway project in Waco, Texas, a transformative mixed-use development.
• RLG Civil EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOTJ is working in partnership with Dallas-based RLG Civil Engineering on the planning entitlement of The Brazos Gateway project.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Gensler is the largest U.S. architecture and design firm, providing architecture, interiors, and workplace strategy across corporate, hospitality, and government sectors globally. OTJ competes for many of the same enterprise and government clients but at a meaningfully smaller scale.
• HOK: HOK is a global architecture, interiors, and engineering firm serving corporate, healthcare, government, and science & technology clients. OTJ's workplace, hospitality, and government portfolios overlap directly with HOK's practice areas.
• Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a global architecture and design practice with deep healthcare, science & technology, and corporate workplace expertise. OTJ's lab planning, healthcare, and corporate work is directly comparable in scope and client profile.
• HKS: HKS is a national architecture firm with deep corporate, healthcare, hospitality, and government practices, and an integrated engineering offering. Multiple OTJ senior leaders came from HKS, illustrating direct market overlap on corporate workplace and developer RFPs.

Direct peers

• DLR Group: DLR Group is an integrated design firm offering architecture, interiors, and engineering for workplace, government, hospitality, and mixed-use projects. OTJ mirrors DLR's multi-disciplinary structure and the in-house MEP practice launched in 2025 deepens the parallel.
• SmithGroup: SmithGroup is a national integrated design firm with strong higher education, science & technology, workplace, and cultural practices. OTJ competes for similar higher-ed and federal clients and has overlapping specialty services such as lab planning and historic preservation.
• CannonDesign: CannonDesign is a Top-100 architecture and engineering firm focused on healthcare, science & technology, and education. OTJ's lab planning and federal/government practice intersect directly with CannonDesign's core verticals.
• EwingCole: EwingCole is a nationally recognized design firm with expertise in workplace, cultural, science & technology, and government projects. OTJ's workplace strategy, SCIF/secure space, and cultural practice (MLK Library) sit in the same niche as EwingCole's portfolio.
• FXCollaborative: FXCollaborative is a New York-based architecture and interiors firm serving commercial, cultural, and education clients with signature design quality. OTJ's workplace, hospitality, and cultural projects target the same enterprise and institutional clients in overlapping geographies.

Emerging players

• M Moser Associates: M Moser is a global design firm specializing in workplace strategy and interior architecture, with deep expertise in workplace experience, change management, and tech-enabled spaces. OTJ's workplace strategy practice and emphasis on hybrid-work solutions is directly comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/otjarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/otj-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/otjarchitects
• Xx.com/otjarchitects

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 OTJ Architects