JMZ Architects and Planners

What JMZ Architects and Planners does

JMZ Architects and Planners, P.C. is a private professional corporation headquartered at 190 Glen Street, Glens Falls, New York, specializing exclusively in architecture and planning services for higher education institutions across the United States. Founded in 1962 and operating as a Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE), the firm serves four-year universities, two-year community colleges, and technical colleges, with named engagements spanning at least 50 institutions across 15+ states, including R1 flagships such as Cornell, Dartmouth, Louisiana State University, the University of Alabama, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The firm's offering is structured around two integrated service lines: Architecture Services (new building design, renovations, ADA accessibility upgrades, sustainability/LEED-certified projects) and Planning Services (campus master plans, space audits, utilization studies, enrollment projections, academic program reviews, and program/feasibility studies). Underlying capabilities include detailed space audits at scale (e.g., a four-million-square-foot academic space audit at LSU), system-wide capital planning studies (e.g., the 15-institution UNC System STEM study with projections through 2030), and sustainable design evidenced by LEED Platinum and Gold certifications on completed projects. Outputs are bespoke professional deliverables rather than a unified software platform.

JMZ operates a project-based professional services revenue model with fees determined by scope, complexity, and institutional requirements, procured primarily through RFP/RFQ processes common in public higher education and via direct engagement with college and university administrators. The go-to-market motion is relationship-led and supported by thought leadership — conference presentations (Rural Community College Alliance, Tradeline Inc., SCUP Northeast), a Knowledge Hub of white papers on topics such as neurodiversity and the aging campus, and a professional website showcasing project portfolios. The firm has 11–50 employees and maintains multi-decade relationships with several clients, including SUNY Adirondack (since 1980), SUNY Orange (20+ years), and Castleton University (since 2003).

Name

JMZ Architects and Planners

Legal name

JMZ Architects and Planners, P.C.

Website

https://jmzarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JMZ Architects and Planners is a private Women-owned professional corporation specializing in architecture and campus planning services exclusively for higher education institutions across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Architecture and Planning Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Higher education architecture
• Campus master planning
• Space utilization studies
• University facility design
• LEED certified buildings

Headquarters

HQ city

Glens Falls

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services for higher education facility design including new construction, renovations, and campus development projects. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design services, construction administration, and related consulting work.
2. Campus Planning and Strategic Consulting: Strategic planning services including facilities master plans, space utilization studies, enrollment projections, and program studies for higher education institutions. These engagements provide recurring project opportunities that often lead to subsequent architectural design work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

JMZ Architects and Planners is a professional services firm that plans and designs higher education facilities, providing architectural design for new buildings and renovations alongside strategic campus planning services including facilities master plans, space audits, utilization studies, and program studies. Engagements are procured directly from colleges and universities (four-year institutions, community colleges, and technical colleges) on a project-fee basis, with planning studies often feeding into subsequent architectural design work.

Product overview

JMZ Architects and Planners is a professional services firm offering architecture and planning services exclusively for higher education institutions. The firm provides two core service areas: Architecture Services (new building design, renovations, and campus enhancements) and Planning Services (campus master plans, space audits, utilization studies, and program studies). Rather than a unified software platform, the firm operates as a traditional architecture and planning consultancy where services are tailored to each client institution's needs. Projects span facilities master planning, building design, space analysis, and specialized program studies for colleges and universities ranging from large research universities to community colleges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Higher education architecture services for colleges and universities, encompassing new building design, renovations, and campus enhancements. Includes space design, ADA accessibility improvements, sustainability features, and LEED-certified building projects for higher education institutions across the United States.
• Planning Services Comprehensive facilities planning services for higher education institutions, including campus master plans, space audits, utilization studies, enrollment projections, academic program reviews, and strategic space allocation analyses delivered to colleges and universities across the United States.
• Space Analysis and Utilization Studies Detailed analysis of existing space allocation, utilization rates, and capacity assessment for instructional, research, and administrative spaces at colleges and universities, including million-square-foot-scale audits (e.g., LSU's 4 million NSF academic space audit).
• Facilities Master Planning Long-term strategic planning documents guiding campus development, capital improvements, building renovations, and new construction over 10–20 year horizons for higher education institutions.
• Program Studies Space programming and feasibility studies for specific building projects including Nursing & Science buildings, Student Centers, Athletic Facilities, Libraries, and STEM buildings at higher education institutions.
• Academic Program Review Assessment of academic program array and enrollment trends to inform space needs and facility recommendations for colleges and universities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive space studies covering millions of square feet including LSU's 4 million NSF academic space audit
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SmithGroup: National design firm with deep higher-education and science/research practice. SmithGroup's campus master planning and STEM facility work overlaps with JMZ's portfolio at the larger end of the market.
• CannonDesign: National architecture and design firm with large higher-education and healthcare practices. Competes with JMZ on R1 university projects but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• DLR Group: Employee-owned design firm with significant higher-education, K-12, and civic practices. Pursues system-wide campus planning engagements comparable to JMZ's UNC System STEM study.
• Moody Nolan: Largest African-American-owned architecture firm in the U.S. with deep K-12 and higher-education practices. Competes with JMZ on diversity-procurement HE mandates and university campus projects.
• EwingCole: Architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a higher-education practice alongside healthcare and science work. Competes with JMZ on research-intensive university campus projects.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with extensive higher-education, healthcare, and science work. Competes with JMZ for marquee R1 university commissions but at far greater scale and with broader portfolio diversification.

Direct peers

• Flad Architects: Architecture firm specializing in higher-education, science/technology, and healthcare facilities. Flad's exclusive focus on research-intensive university clients makes it one of the closest size-and-strategy comparables to JMZ.
• Sasaki: Integrated planning and design firm with a strong higher-education practice. Sasaki's combined architecture + planning + landscape model and university campus portfolio closely mirror JMZ's integrated service offering.
• LS3P Associates: Mid-sized architecture firm with a substantial higher-education practice across the Southeastern U.S. LS3P's university planning and design work overlaps directly with JMZ's core service mix.

Regional players

• Wight & Company: Midwest-based architecture and engineering firm with a higher-education and K-12 focus. Comparable in size and integrated planning+design approach to JMZ, but concentrated in the Midwest market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jmzarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/7156579/admin
• Instagraminstagram.com/jmzarchitectsandplanners

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 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 JMZ Architects and Planners