John Lum Architecture
John Lum Architecture is a privately held, San Francisco-based boutique architecture firm founded in 1994 that provides residential and commercial architectural and interior design services, having completed 850+ projects for homeowners, developers, and institutional clients across the Bay Area.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What John Lum Architecture does
John Lum Architecture is a privately held boutique architecture firm founded in San Francisco in 1994 by John Lum. The firm provides full-service architectural and interior design across residential and commercial projects, organized around three service areas: Living (single-family homes, multifamily housing including SRO and micro-units, remodels), Working (commercial interiors, retail environments, medical and educational facilities), and Making (furniture and object design). It has completed more than 850 projects over three decades, serving clients that range from individual homeowners and developers to institutional organizations such as Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, and Battery Ventures. The firm is headquartered in a converted laundry factory in the Mission District at 3246 Seventeenth Street, San Francisco, and employs 11-50 staff, with leadership comprising Founder John Lum and Principal Khoan Duong, AIA.
The firm's technical positioning centers on site-specific, sustainable design and innovative material use, including LEED-certified residential projects (notably the 2007 Sunset Idea House / La Casa Verde, described as one of the first LEED-certified remodeled homes in the nation) and GreenPoint Rated residences, with capabilities spanning living roofs, gray-water systems, and photovoltaic integration. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees structured around scope, complexity, and construction costs, with no public pricing tiers. Customer acquisition is sales-led and reputation-driven, relying on a portfolio of completed work, press features in Architectural Digest, Dwell, California Home + Design, the Wall Street Journal, and Dezeen, AIA home tours, Instagram (@johnlumarch), and direct referrals. The firm has accumulated a multi-decade roster of regional and global awards, including AIA San Mateo County Honor Award (2016), Interior Design Best of Year (2011), and 2025 AIA East Bay and Houzz recognitions.
The firm is registered as John Lum Architecture, Inc. in California, operates only in the United States (San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California), and shows no evidence of external investment, acquisitions, or parent company relationships. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary software products, APIs, or technology platforms are disclosed; the practice is a traditional architectural services firm whose intellectual property resides in design reputation and project execution rather than in software or data assets.
John Lum Architecture firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- John Lum Architecture
- Legal name
- John Lum Architecture, Inc.
- Website
- https://johnlumarchitecture.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- John Lum Architecture is a privately held, San Francisco-based boutique architecture firm founded in 1994 that provides residential and commercial architectural and interior design services, having completed 850+ projects for homeowners, developers, and institutional clients across the Bay Area.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
John Lum Architecture industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410), Residential Building Construction (2361)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI), Multi-Family Residential Construction (Apartments, Condos, Townhomes) (IMAFABAB)
Keywords
Where John Lum Architecture is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
John Lum Architecture business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue generated through architectural design, interior design, and design-build services for residential and commercial clients. Revenue is earned through project fees based on scope, complexity, and construction costs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
John Lum Architecture product offering
Product offeringCore offering
John Lum Architecture provides full-service architectural design, interior design, and design-build services for clients in the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm delivers projects across residential new construction and remodels, multifamily housing (SRO and micro-units), commercial interiors, retail environments, educational buildings, and medical facilities, with emphasis on site-specific, sustainable, and innovative material design.
Product overview
John Lum Architecture is a boutique San Francisco-based architecture firm offering comprehensive architectural and interior design services. The firm operates across three primary service areas: Living (residential projects including single-family homes, multifamily housing, SRO and micro-units), Working (commercial interiors, retail environments, medical facilities, educational buildings), and Making (furniture design and object creation). Founded by John Lum in 1994, the firm has completed 850+ projects and is recognized for site-specific designs, sustainable development, and innovative material use.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Residential Architectural Design Full-scope residential architecture services for individual homeowners and families in the San Francisco Bay Area, including new construction, remodels, home expansions, and additions, with site-specific, sustainable, and innovative material designs.
- Multifamily Housing Design Architectural design for multifamily housing developments, including single-room occupancy (SRO) and micro-units, serving developers, community land trusts, and nonprofit housing partners such as Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco and Bolinas Community Land Trust.
- Commercial Interior Design Interior architecture and design for commercial occupiers and institutions, covering office interiors (e.g., Battery Ventures I and II), retail environments (e.g., UC Berkeley Eyewear Retail Center), educational buildings, and medical facilities such as the McGann Oral Surgery Center.
- Furniture and Object Design Design of furniture and architectural objects that complement the firm's architectural projects, focusing on material experimentation, craft, and detail consistent with the firm's residential and commercial work.
- Sustainable and Green Design Consulting Integration of sustainable and green design practices into architectural projects, including LEED certification pathways, GreenPoint Rated homes, living roofs, gray-water systems, and photovoltaic system integration.
Companies that use John Lum Architecture
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
John Lum Architecture technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
John Lum Architecture partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bolinas Community Land TrustcorePartnership for affordable housing development project. John Lum Architecture is supporting the partnership between Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco and Bolinas Community Land Trust for 8 new affordable homes in downtown Bolinas, expanding access to affordable homeownership for low-income families.
- Habitat for Humanity Greater San FranciscocoreCollaboration on affordable housing project in Bolinas. The project expands access to affordable homeownership for low-income families and helps prevent displacement in West Marin. Homes are designed to reflect the scale and character of the community.
- County of MarinminorEmergency funding partner for BCLT Mesa affordable worker housing project. The County provided emergency funding for temporary RV park and permanent housing plan for agricultural workers on Tacherra Ranch.
- Dolman GroupminorDevelopment partner for Grand View two-unit residence project. Developer client for newly constructed residence that reorganized pre-approved two-unit entitlement into family-appropriate layout.
- Stanford UniversitycoreMajor project to subdivide a two-acre faculty parcel into nine lots for faculty housing. Project explored multiple concepts including denser grouped housing, ultimately creating seven homes and two future home sites to accommodate more faculty on campus.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
John Lum Architecture competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Feldman Architecture: San Francisco-based boutique architecture firm focused on sustainable, site-specific residential design with comparable project mix across custom homes, remodels, and select commercial work. Highly comparable scale, geography, and design philosophy to John Lum Architecture.
- Jensen Architects: San Francisco-based architecture firm with a comparable portfolio spanning custom residential, multifamily, and commercial interiors. Overlaps with John Lum Architecture on design-led residential remodels and Bay Area institutional projects.
- Aidlin Darling Design: San Francisco architecture and design firm recognized for site-specific, sustainable residential and commercial work. Comparable boutique scale and design ethos, with similar press profile in Architectural Digest and Dwell.
- Butler Armsden Architects: San Francisco boutique residential and commercial architecture firm with deep roots in custom Bay Area homes and remodels. Direct competitor for the same high-end residential client base served by John Lum Architecture.
- Marmol Radziner: California-based boutique architecture and design-build practice specializing in modernist custom homes, residential remodels, and select commercial work. Similar high-end residential positioning and premium press profile as John Lum Architecture.
- Turnbull Griffin Haesloop: Bay Area architecture firm with a residential and small-scale institutional focus, known for environmentally responsive design. Comparable to John Lum Architecture in mission-driven and sustainability-led positioning.
- WA Design: San Francisco design-build firm offering architecture, interior design, and construction for residential remodels and additions. Overlaps with John Lum Architecture on residential remodel scope, particularly in the design-build service model.
- CCS Architecture (Cass Calder Smith): San Francisco boutique architecture and interior design practice working across high-end residential, hospitality, and commercial interiors. Similar size, Bay Area focus, and balance of residential and commercial work as John Lum Architecture.
- House + Robertson Architects: San Francisco boutique architecture firm with a residential and commercial interiors focus, often featured in the same design publications as John Lum Architecture. Direct competitor for Bay Area custom residential and remodel commissions.
Broad incumbents
- Olson Kundig: Larger Seattle-based architecture and design firm with an internationally recognized residential and hospitality practice. Overlaps with John Lum Architecture on custom modernist residential and small-scale commercial work but operates at greater scale and broader geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
John Lum Architecture social profiles
Digital presenceJohn Lum Architecture compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
John Lum Architecture financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
John Lum Architecture leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
John Lum Architecture funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
John Lum Architecture 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 John Lum Architecture
What does John Lum Architecture do?
John Lum Architecture provides full-service architectural design, interior design, and design-build services for clients in the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm delivers projects across residential new construction and remodels, multifamily housing (SRO and micro-units), commercial interiors, retail environments, educational buildings, and medical facilities, with emphasis on site-specific, sustainable, and innovative material design.
Is John Lum Architecture a public or private company?
John Lum Architecture is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was John Lum Architecture founded?
John Lum Architecture was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is John Lum Architecture based?
John Lum Architecture is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does John Lum Architecture make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are John Lum Architecture's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Feldman Architecture, Jensen Architects, Aidlin Darling Design, Butler Armsden Architects, Marmol Radziner, Turnbull Griffin Haesloop, WA Design, CCS Architecture (Cass Calder Smith) and House + Robertson Architects. Olson Kundig is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does John Lum Architecture have an API?
No public API is recorded for John Lum Architecture.
What industry is John Lum Architecture in?
John Lum Architecture's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAI, Space Planning & Workplace Design. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 1520.