MSA Design
MSA Design is a Cincinnati-based private architecture, interior design, graphic design, and historic preservation firm serving sport, education, corporate, civic, transportation, and mixed-use clients primarily across the Midwest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MSA Design does
MSA Design is a private, multidisciplinary architecture and design firm founded in December 1985 by Mike Schuster and headquartered at 333 West Fourth Street in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a second studio in Columbus. The firm operates four integrated service lines: Architecture, Interiors, Graphics (environmental graphics and wayfinding), and Historic Preservation, and it serves institutional clients across Sport, Education, Corporate, Civic/Government, Transportation, Historic, Lifestyle/Mixed-Use, and Religious markets primarily in the Midwest. Notable engagements include the University of Cincinnati Calhoun Hall renovation (a 14-story, 192-foot residential tower using prefabricated megapanel facade assemblies), Xavier University's Klekamp Family Training Center and Cintas Center renovations, the Cincinnati Bengals' Paycor Stadium comprehensive renovation plan, FC Cincinnati's Mercy Health Training Center expansion, Paycor's 136,000 SF corporate headquarters, CVG International Airport Terminal 3 and Concourse A renovation, and the Highland Local Schools K-12 transformation (LEED Silver).
The firm generates revenue through project-based, quote-driven professional services contracts, often spanning multi-year campus master plans and capital programs, with pricing determined by scope, complexity, square footage, and service mix rather than standardized rate cards. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, anchored by direct engagement with university presidents, athletic directors, civic leaders, and corporate executives, supplemented by awards-driven brand visibility (over 100 design awards including multiple 2023 Cincinnati Design Awards), thought-leadership content via the Design Thinking blog and Building Ideas podcast, and relationship marketing such as the annual Reds Opening Day mailer to over 1,000 recipients. Underlying technology is conventional A&E tooling: Revit models imported into 3D Studio Max with Corona rendering for photorealistic visualization, drone-based aerial imagery, and proprietary assembly methods like the prefabricated megapanel facade system used on Calhoun Hall; the firm holds no patents, operates no software/API/SDK, and has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.
MSA Design is governed by founder/CEO Mike Schuster, Managing Partner Bill Baker, COO/Principal Steve Langenkamp, and a senior leadership team of roughly 14 principals and associates, with a headcount of approximately 70 employees and is celebrating its 40th anniversary in December 2025.
MSA Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MSA Design
- Legal name
- MSA Design
- Website
- https://msaarch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MSA Design is a Cincinnati-based private architecture, interior design, graphic design, and historic preservation firm serving sport, education, corporate, civic, transportation, and mixed-use clients primarily across the Midwest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MSA Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)
Keywords
Where MSA Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cincinnati
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
MSA Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: MSA Design generates revenue through comprehensive architectural services including programming, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration for institutional, commercial, and residential projects. Services span architecture, interior design, graphic design, and historic preservation.
- Interior Design Services: Interior design services including space planning, finish selection, furniture specification, and environmental graphics for corporate, hospitality, educational, and athletic facilities.
- Environmental Graphic Design: Signage, wayfinding, and environmental branding services for sports venues, airports, transit centers, corporate campuses, and educational institutions.
- Historic Preservation Services: Historic preservation consulting including National Register nominations, historic tax credit applications, grant research, and rehabilitation design services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based architecture and design services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
MSA Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MSA Design is a multidisciplinary architecture, interior design, graphic design, and historic preservation firm offering four core service lines: Architecture Services, Interiors, Graphics, and Historic Preservation. The firm serves diverse institutional, commercial, civic, and residential markets including Education, Sport, Corporate, Civic, Lifestyle, Religious, Historic, and Transportation sectors. Projects range from programming and schematic design through construction documentation and administration.
Product overview
MSA Design is a multidisciplinary architecture, interior design, graphic design, and historic preservation firm offering four core service lines: Architecture Services, Interiors, Graphics, and Historic Preservation. The firm serves diverse markets including Education, Sport, Corporate, Civic, Lifestyle, Religious, Historic, and Transportation sectors. Founded in 1985, the company operates as a design-first practice without a traditional product/software architecture, focusing instead on architectural and design services for clients across the Midwest and beyond.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 design awards from local, state, and national organizations
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use MSA Design
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
MSA Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
MSA Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Kolar DesigncoreMSA Design and Kolar Design joined together on the CVG Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport renovation project. MSA provided architecture services while Kolar Design contributed to the experiential and wayfinding design for Concourse A and the tunnel connecting Terminal 3.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MSA Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BHDP Architecture: Cincinnati-based architecture and interior design firm of comparable mid-size scale serving higher education, corporate, and workplace clients in the Midwest. Directly comparable because it operates in the same regional market with similar institutional client base and multi-disciplinary practice.
- Champlin Architecture: Architecture firm headquartered in Cincinnati/Blue Ash serving civic, education, and recreation markets across Ohio. Direct comparable given shared Cincinnati footprint, similar client profile (schools, municipalities), and equivalent firm size.
- SHP Leading Design: Cincinnati/regional architecture firm specializing in education, athletics, and community facilities comparable to MSA's primary segments. Direct comparable because both compete for the same K-12, higher education, and recreation center RFPs across Ohio and the Midwest.
- Rowland Design: Indianapolis-based multi-disciplinary design firm delivering architecture, interior design, and experiential graphics. Direct peer because its integrated graphics + architecture offering mirrors MSA's four-line service model and it competes in Midwest sports, civic, and corporate accounts.
- Kolar Design: Experiential graphic and wayfinding design firm that partnered with MSA on CVG Airport; Cincinnati presence with overlapping aviation, civic, and corporate clients. Direct peer on the environmental graphics and wayfinding side of MSA's practice.
Broad incumbents
- Moody Nolan: Largest African-American-owned architecture firm in the U.S. with offices including Cincinnati, serving sports venues (including NFL), higher education, and civic clients nationwide. Comparable on project type and client mix; broader incumbent because of national footprint and significantly larger headcount.
- Populous: Global sports architecture specialist behind NFL stadiums and major collegiate venues including Paycor Stadium redevelopment competition. Broader incumbent competitor because it operates at the upper end of the same athletic-facility category MSA targets.
- LPA Design Studios: Large integrated design firm with a strong practice in sports, education, and civic markets across the U.S. Comparable in market segments served (athletics, higher education), but operates as a broader incumbent with national scale exceeding MSA's regional footprint.
- CannonDesign: National architecture, engineering, and design firm serving healthcare, education, sports, and corporate clients. Comparable on segment mix including collegiate athletics and educational facilities, but materially larger scale and global reach.
Emerging players
- Elevate Architecture Studio: Smaller Ohio-based architecture firm pursuing civic and residential work in the Cincinnati/Northwest Ohio market. Emerging peer given similar regional focus but a different scale and project mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MSA Design social profiles
Digital presenceMSA Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MSA Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
MSA Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MSA Design 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 MSA Design
What does MSA Design do?
MSA Design is a multidisciplinary architecture, interior design, graphic design, and historic preservation firm offering four core service lines: Architecture Services, Interiors, Graphics, and Historic Preservation. The firm serves diverse institutional, commercial, civic, and residential markets including Education, Sport, Corporate, Civic, Lifestyle, Religious, Historic, and Transportation sectors. Projects range from programming and schematic design through construction documentation and administration.
Is MSA Design a public or private company?
MSA Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MSA Design founded?
MSA Design was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MSA Design based?
MSA Design is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.
How does MSA Design make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Architecture and Design Services are the primary driver. The others are interior Design Services, environmental Graphic Design and historic Preservation Services.
Who are MSA Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BHDP Architecture, Champlin Architecture, SHP Leading Design, Rowland Design and Kolar Design. Broad incumbents are Moody Nolan, Populous, LPA Design Studios and CannonDesign. Elevate Architecture Studio is listed as an emerging player.
Does MSA Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for MSA Design.
What industry is MSA Design in?
MSA Design's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 7330.