DNK Architects

What DNK Architects does

DNK Architects is a privately held, minority-owned (Black-owned) commercial architectural firm founded in 1986 by David Kirk and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a second office in Lexington, Kentucky. The firm delivers full-service architecture, interior design, urban planning, landscape architecture, owner's representative services, and computer-aided facility management (CAFM), offered as standalone engagements or integrated turnkey project delivery. DNK organizes its practice around five industry verticals — Health/Wellness, Education, Commercial/Office, Lifestyle (multi-family residential and religious buildings), and Sports/Recreation — and has built a project portfolio spanning healthcare systems (Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Mercy Health, UC Health), K-12 school districts (Cincinnati Public, Dayton Public), municipal agencies (City of Cincinnati), financial institutions, and faith-based organizations throughout the Cincinnati and tri-state region.

The firm's go-to-market is enterprise-field-sales led, with direct outreach to public and private clients, multi-decade client relationships, and earned credibility through industry awards (AIA Cincinnati, ENR Midwest, Ohio Masonry Association, DBIA Ohio Valley Chapter) and LEED Gold certified work. Leadership consists of David Kirk (President and CEO; B. Architecture, Howard University; 38+ years experience) and Guinette Kirk (Vice President of Business Development; MBA, The Ohio State University). The minority-owned business designation is actively leveraged through the JobsOhio Inclusion Grant awarded via REDI Cincinnati in 2020, providing a procurement advantage in public-sector projects with diversity requirements.

The business model is professional services with project-based fees derived from architectural design, interior design, urban planning, landscape design, and owner's representation engagements. Pricing is custom per project and not publicly disclosed; client contact is handled through direct inquiry (phone, email, website). DNK maintains marketing and brand presence via a company website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@tweetDNK), and a thought-leadership blog. The firm is currently operating with 11-50 employees across its two offices, has not raised institutional capital, has no parent company, and reports no M&A activity.

Name

DNK Architects

Legal name

DNK Architects, Inc.

Website

https://dnkarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DNK Architects is a privately held, minority-owned full-service commercial architecture firm founded in 1986 in Cincinnati, Ohio, delivering integrated architecture, interior design, urban planning, and landscape services to healthcare systems, school districts, municipalities, and faith-based organizations across the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana tri-state region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Commercial architecture
• Interior design
• Urban planning
• Landscape architecture
• Facility design

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: DNK Architects provides full-service architectural design for new construction and renovation projects. Services include master planning, construction administration, facility assessments, building code evaluations, and CAFM. Revenue is generated through project-based professional fees.
2. Interior Design Services: Interior design services for commercial, healthcare, educational, and residential spaces. Provided as standalone services or integrated with architectural projects.
3. Urban Planning and Design: Urban design and planning services focused on sustainable design, environmental concerns, and transportation. Projects bring communities to consensus on economic, cultural, and social considerations.
4. Landscape Architecture: Landscape design services provided as part of integrated projects or standalone engagements.
5. Owner Representative Services: Consultation and assistance on site acquisition, zoning, entitlements, building code assessments, project scheduling, and construction management.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DNK Architects is a full-service commercial architectural firm providing architectural design, interior design, urban planning, landscape architecture, and owner's representative services for new construction and renovation projects. The firm delivers integrated turnkey projects or stand-alone services across healthcare, education, commercial/office, lifestyle, and recreation sectors in the Cincinnati and tri-state region.

Product overview

DNK Architects is a full-service architectural firm offering integrated design services rather than a modular software product. The firm's core services include Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Planning & Design, Landscape Architecture, Project Management/Construction Administration, and Owner Representative Services. These services are organized across five industry verticals: Health/Wellness (hospitals, medical offices, rehabilitation), Education (schools from PreK through high school), Commercial/Office (corporate, retail, parking), Lifestyle (residential, religious buildings), and Recreation (sports facilities, community centers). Projects range from new construction to renovation of existing structures, with capabilities spanning master planning, building code compliance, and CAFM services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services
• Interior Design
• Urban Planning & Design
• Landscape Architecture
• Owner Representative Services
• Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM)

Quantifiable outcome

• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center project described as one of only a few facilities of its kind in the US for treating children with developmental disabilities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• REDI CincinnatisupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerREDI Cincinnati partnered with DNK Architects and supported the company with a JobsOhio Inclusion Grant in 2020. The grant supports businesses with underrepresented ownership or located in distressed zip codes. This partnership provides access to economic development resources, networking opportunities, and inclusion-focused business development support in the Cincinnati region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GBBN Architects: Cincinnati-based architecture firm with comparable commercial, education, and community-sector work; similar mid-sized regional practice competing in the same Cincinnati RFP pool.
• KZF Design: Cincinnati-based integrated architecture, engineering, and planning firm with similar public-sector and commercial project portfolio; competes head-to-head with DNK on regional RFPs.
• BHDP Architecture: Cincinnati-headquartered architecture and design firm with strong healthcare, education, and workplace practices; directly comparable to DNK in geography, sector mix, and full-service delivery model.
• MSA Architects: Cincinnati architecture firm with comparable healthcare, education, and community-project focus; similar boutique regional positioning to DNK.
• Moody Nolan: Largest African-American-owned architecture firm in the U.S., with deep healthcare, education, and community-sector practices; comparable to DNK in minority-owned positioning and sector focus, though operating nationally.
• Champlin Architecture: Cincinnati-area architecture firm with overlapping commercial, education, and institutional sector exposure; directly comparable in size, geography, and service scope.
• LWC Incorporated: Cincinnati-headquartered architecture and planning firm with overlapping public-sector and community work; directly comparable in scale and regional positioning.
• emersion DESIGN: Cincinnati-based architecture and interior design firm with comparable commercial and residential practice; overlaps with DNK in integrated architecture/interior delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with a large, dedicated healthcare practice; competes with DNK for larger hospital-system commissions where scale and national footprint matter.
• HKS: National architecture firm renowned for healthcare and education design; competes with DNK on enterprise healthcare and higher-education programs across the Midwest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tweetDNK
• Facebookfacebook.com/DNK-Architects-Inc-126173757451409
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dnkarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 DNK Architects