Tinker Ma
Tinker Ma is a Chattanooga-based architecture, interiors, and planning firm of 33 professionals serving hospitality, healthcare, education, government, and commercial clients across the Southeastern US through project-based professional services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersChattanooga, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tinker Ma does
Tinker Ma, LLC is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based architecture, interiors, and planning firm operating as a professional services practice with 33 staff members. The firm is led by four partners — Thomas Palmer, Craig Peavy, Jessica Stack, and Trey Wheeler — and was formed from the merger of Craig Peavy's PV Design (founded 2014) with Tinker Ma, and later combined with Artech Design Group in October 2024. The firm serves enterprise, institutional, and government clients across hospitality, healthcare, education, commercial, food & beverage, entertainment, urban design, and parks/recreation sectors, with a documented portfolio including Cloudland at McLemore (Hilton Curio Collection), Dwell Hotel, the UTC Oak Street Residence Hall, CHI Memorial Heart Institute, and the City of Chattanooga's Westside Evolves master plan.
The firm's core offerings span four service lines: Planning Services (site master planning and long-range strategic planning), Consulting and Predesign Services (design workshops, charrettes, code consultation, permitting), Architectural Services (full concept-through-construction-administration with consultant assembly), and Interior Design Services (programming through procurement, FF&E). Enhanced services include renderings, cost estimating, grant support, post-occupancy evaluation, and 3D printing/physical models. Technical work is executed on industry-standard platforms — Autodesk Revit for BIM modeling and 3D visualization — with no proprietary AI/ML technology disclosed. The firm emphasizes adaptive reuse, sustainable design (LEED-credentialed staff), and urban revitalization as recurring specialties.
Tinker Ma generates revenue through project-based professional fees determined by scope, complexity, and contract terms — typical for the architecture industry. Distribution is sales-led via direct client engagement, referrals, and RFP responses, with marketing supported by an awards-driven brand strategy (24+ documented awards from 2014–2026 across AIA, Hilton, Design Hotels, Travel + Leisure, and the Tennessee Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award), an active Instagram channel, and earned media in regional press. The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional or private-equity backing; ownership is concentrated among the four founding partners. Geographic focus is the Southeastern United States, with early signals of expansion into Florida (SpringHill Suites Tampa).
Tinker Ma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tinker Ma
- Legal name
- Tinker Ma, LLC
- Website
- https://tinkerma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tinker Ma is a Chattanooga-based architecture, interiors, and planning firm of 33 professionals serving hospitality, healthcare, education, government, and commercial clients across the Southeastern US through project-based professional services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tinker Ma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architecture and Design Services
- NAICS
- Specialized Design Services (5414), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
Keywords
Where Tinker Ma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chattanooga
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tinker Ma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Professional fee-based services for architecture, interior design, and planning projects. Revenue generated through project-based contracts for design services including master planning, architectural services, interior design, and consulting/predesign services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Tinker Ma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tinker Ma is a Chattanooga-based architecture, interiors, and planning firm providing professional services across hospitality, urban design, education, healthcare, multi-family housing, food and beverage, government, retail, entertainment, industrial, and residential sectors. The firm delivers end-to-end architectural services from consulting and predesign through construction administration, complemented by interior design, master planning, and urban revitalization services.
Product overview
Tinker Ma is a Chattanooga-based architecture, interiors, and planning firm offering a comprehensive suite of design services. The firm's core service offerings include Planning Services (site master planning and strategic long-term planning), Consulting + Predesign Services (design workshops, community engagement, architectural consultation, programming, code and permit coordination), Architectural Services (concept through construction administration), and Interior Design Services (space planning through procurement). Enhanced services include renderings, cost estimating, grant support, and 3D printing. The firm specializes across multiple project types including healthcare (CHI Memorial Heart Institute, Tennessee Oncology), hospitality (Cloudland at McLemore, The Edwin, Dwell Hotel), education (UTC residence halls, TCAT facilities), commercial (corporate headquarters, office buildouts), food and beverage (restaurants, bars, distilleries), entertainment (Songbirds museum, music venues), and parks/recreation (state park visitor centers, climbing facilities). Projects span adaptive reuse of historic buildings to new construction, with expertise in sustainable design and urban revitalization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Planning Services Comprehensive site master planning that integrates physical, environmental, and cultural factors into cohesive designs, along with strategic long-term planning for larger projects that consider future growth and community needs. For municipalities, developers, and institutional clients.
- Consulting and Predesign Services Interactive design workshops, community engagement for public projects, design charrettes, architectural consultation, programming, test fit analysis, code consultation, permit coordination, building assessment, and zoning consultation services. Supports clients early in the development lifecycle.
- Architectural Services Full architectural services including code compliance, sustainable design, conceptual design, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding support, contract/construction administration, and assembly of project consultants including specialty consultants, contractors, engineers, estimators, F+B planners, landscape architects, as-built scanning, and branding.
- Interior Design Services Comprehensive interior design including programming, construction administration, interior mood boards and styling, space planning and layout design, lighting and acoustic design, millwork design, finish selections, brand submittals, budget studies, furniture fixtures and equipment selections, wayfinding and signage, procurement, and post-occupancy evaluations.
- Enhanced Design Services Additional services including renderings, existing conditions documentation, cost estimating, grant support, post-occupancy evaluation, and 3D printing and physical models. Complements the firm's core offerings.
- Hospitality Architecture Hospitality and hotel design including resort developments, boutique hotels, and hospitality interiors. Projects delivered for Cloudland at McLemore, The Edwin, Dwell Hotel, and Kinley Chattanooga.
- Education Architecture Educational facility design including universities, colleges, technical schools, libraries, and residence halls. Projects delivered for University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tennessee College of Applied Technology, and other education clients.
- Healthcare Architecture Healthcare facility design including medical complexes, hospitals, oncology facilities, and aesthetic studios. Delivered for CHI Memorial Heart Institute, Tennessee Oncology, and Plastic Surgery Group.
- Commercial Architecture Commercial building design including office buildings, corporate headquarters, retail spaces, and adaptive reuse projects. Delivered for Vision Hospitality Group and SVN Office Buildout.
- Food & Beverage Architecture Restaurant and bar design including adaptive reuse of historic buildings and new construction. Delivered for Feed Table & Tavern, State of Confusion, Tennessee Stillhouse, and Little Coyote.
- Entertainment Architecture Entertainment venue design including music venues, museums, and performance spaces. Delivered for Songbirds Guitar Museum and Songbirds South Stage in the historic Chattanooga Choo-Choo building.
- Parks & Recreation Architecture Parks, recreation facilities, and visitor centers including state park visitor centers, climbing gyms, and outdoor recreation facilities. Delivered for Cummins Falls State Park Visitor Center (AIA Tennessee Merit Award 2023).
- Urban Design & Placemaking Urban design and placemaking services including master planning, community transformation plans, and urban revitalization projects. Delivered for Westside Evolves Master Plan (CNU Charter Merit Award 2022, APA Tennessee Outstanding Plan Award 2022).
Quantifiable outcome
- Clarence E. Harris Pavilion at Siskin Hospital received AIA Chattanooga Honor Award - highest recognition
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Tinker Ma
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Tinker Ma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Tinker Ma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Artech Design GroupcoreTinker Ma, LLC and Artech Design Group joined forces in October 2024 to expand services. The merger combined two Chattanooga-based architecture firms to create a stronger, more comprehensive design team.
- J&J ContractorsminorPartnered with J&J Contractors for the historic restoration of the Caleb Isbester House at UTC.
- Haskel Sears Design and ConstructionminorCollaborated with Haskel Sears Design and Construction on the Tennessee Stillhouse Micro-Distillery project.
- RaganSmithminorProject collaborator on UTC Oak Street Residence Hall project.
- Wallace Design CollectiveminorStructural engineering partner on UTC Oak Street Residence Hall project.
- CMTAminorMEP engineering partner on UTC Oak Street Residence Hall project.
- Hoar ConstructionminorConstruction partner on UTC Oak Street Residence Hall project.
- HastingsminorProject consultant on UTC Oak Street Residence Hall project.
- American StructurepointminorProject consultant on UTC Oak Street Residence Hall project.
- VermeulensminorProject consultant on UTC Oak Street Residence Hall project.
- McLemore ClubcorePartner on South Outpost at The Keep project - a golf course clubhouse development at McLemore.
- Scenic Land CompanycoreDevelopment partner on South Outpost at The Keep project.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tinker Ma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hastings Architecture Associates: Nashville-based mid-size architecture firm with comparable vertical mix across healthcare, education, commercial, and civic projects. Similar headcount and practice profile to Tinker Ma, making it the closest regional direct peer in Tennessee.
- BarberMcMurry Architects: Knoxville-based mid-size architecture firm with strong higher education, healthcare, and adaptive reuse portfolios. Comparable scale and Southeast focus, with overlapping client profiles in academic and medical institutions across Tennessee.
- Lord Aeck Sargent: Atlanta-based architecture firm of similar historical scale, founded as a research/institutional design practice. Notably, founding partner Craig Peavy worked at Lord Aeck Sargent prior to starting PV Design, indicating overlapping practice DNA and regional positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Gresham Smith: Nashville-headquartered architecture and engineering firm that is significantly larger than Tinker Ma but operates across overlapping verticals including healthcare, education, and commercial. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same Tennessee geography and competing institutional client pool.
- HKS Architects: Dallas-based global architecture firm widely recognized for healthcare design leadership. Competes with Tinker Ma for healthcare commissions and increasingly for hospitality/institutional work in the Southeast.
- Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with deep healthcare, education, and civic practices. Overlaps Tinker Ma in healthcare facility design and higher education work, representing larger competitive pressure on institutional RFPs.
- WATG: Globally recognized architecture firm specializing in hospitality, resort, and residential design. Directly comparable to Tinker Ma's award-winning hospitality vertical and competes for the same hotel developer clients.
- CannonDesign: Architecture, engineering, and planning firm with deep healthcare and education practices. Competes for institutional healthcare and higher education commissions alongside Tinker Ma in regional and national markets.
- SmithGroup: National multi-disciplinary design firm with strong healthcare, higher education, and workplace practices. A larger incumbent operating across many of the same verticals as Tinker Ma, particularly on institutional work.
- Moody Nolan: Large, multi-office architecture firm with significant sports, education, healthcare, and hospitality practices. Competes with Tinker Ma on institutional and hospitality projects across the broader US market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tinker Ma social profiles
Digital presenceTinker Ma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tinker Ma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Tinker Ma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tinker Ma 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 Tinker Ma
What does Tinker Ma do?
Tinker Ma is a Chattanooga-based architecture, interiors, and planning firm providing professional services across hospitality, urban design, education, healthcare, multi-family housing, food and beverage, government, retail, entertainment, industrial, and residential sectors. The firm delivers end-to-end architectural services from consulting and predesign through construction administration, complemented by interior design, master planning, and urban revitalization services.
Is Tinker Ma a public or private company?
Tinker Ma is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tinker Ma founded?
Tinker Ma was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tinker Ma based?
Tinker Ma is headquartered in Chattanooga, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tinker Ma make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are Tinker Ma's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hastings Architecture Associates, BarberMcMurry Architects and Lord Aeck Sargent. Broad incumbents are Gresham Smith, HKS Architects, Perkins&Will, WATG, CannonDesign, SmithGroup and Moody Nolan.
Does Tinker Ma have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tinker Ma.
What industry is Tinker Ma in?
Tinker Ma's product category is Architecture and Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design. Its NAICS code is 5414.