Schemata Workshop

What Schemata Workshop does

Schemata Workshop is a Seattle-based architecture and urban design firm founded in December 2004 by Grace Kim and Mike Mariano. The firm specializes in cohousing design, affordable housing, sustainable and regenerative design, and offsite/modular construction, serving public housing authorities, non-profit developers, cohousing groups, government agencies, and select commercial clients across the Pacific Northwest. It is a privately held, founder-owned firm with no external institutional investment.

The firm's core offering is full-service architectural design covering programming, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration. Distinctive technical capabilities include cohousing expertise (with 8+ completed cohousing projects, making it one of the few North American firms with a comparable portfolio), integrated sustainability expertise across LEED, Passive House, Living Building Challenge, and EcoDistricts standards, and offsite construction methodology. Notably, the firm co-developed the Middlemod prefabricated kitchen/bath module prototype through a joint venture (BAMM) with Dogwood Industries and is developing an open-source component building system for affordable housing delivery. Senior leadership includes principals Grace Kim (AIA Fellow, 2017 TED Talk, 3M+ views) and Mike Mariano, joined by Geoff Anderson in 2019 (principal, low-income housing and parks) and associate Erin Roy.

Revenue is generated through traditional professional services fees, typically billed on an hourly basis for project-based engagements with government, non-profit, and commercial clients. The go-to-market motion is referral-driven, reinforced by thought leadership (TED Talk, Wiley book chapter, conference appearances at Space10 Copenhagen and Seoul), industry advisory roles (AIA Washington Council, Housing Development Consortium Offsite Construction Task Force, Capitol Hill EcoDistrict), and progressive sustainability credentials. With approximately 15 team members, the firm operates a deliberately small, mentorship-driven studio model that prioritizes design quality and multi-stakeholder facilitation over scale.

Name

Schemata Workshop

Legal name

Schemata Workshop, Inc.

Website

https://schemataworkshop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founded in 2004 in Seattle, Schemata Workshop is a 15-person architecture and urban design firm specializing in cohousing, affordable housing, sustainable design, and modular construction. The founder-owned firm serves public agencies, non-profit developers, and cohousing groups across the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Traditional architecture firm providing full-service design services including programming, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration. Services provided to public housing authorities, non-profit developers, cohousing groups, commercial clients, and government agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schemata Workshop is a full-service architecture and urban design firm providing programming, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration services. The firm specializes in cohousing design, affordable housing, sustainable and regenerative design, transit-oriented development, and modular/offsite construction methodologies across the Pacific Northwest. Services are delivered to public housing authorities, non-profit developers, cohousing groups, commercial clients, and government agencies through traditional client relationships rather than software products.

Product overview

Schemata Workshop is an architecture and urban design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services rather than a unified software product. The firm's core offerings span architecture and urban design services for residential (single-family, multi-family), commercial, community facilities, transit-oriented development, and planning projects. The practice specializes in cohousing design—a distinctive service that includes Common House design, programming workshops, coaching, peer review, and full architectural services for intentional communities. Sustainability and regenerative design consulting (incorporating LEED, Passive House, Living Building Challenge, and EcoDistricts standards) is integrated across all project types. The firm also offers offsite/modular construction expertise, including the Middlemod prefabricated kitchen/bath module system developed in partnership with BAMM, and an open-source component building system. Community engagement services round out the offering, providing visioning processes and participatory planning workshops. All services are delivered through traditional client relationships rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture & Urban Design Services Full-service architectural and urban design services encompassing residential (single-family, multi-family), commercial, community facilities, transit-oriented development, and planning projects across the Pacific Northwest.
• Cohousing Design Services Specialized cohousing design services including Common House design, programming workshops, coaching for groups, peer review, and full architectural services for intentional community projects.
• Cohousing Consulting Services Advisory services for cohousing communities including coaching for groups (monthly check-ins), peer review of architect drawings, brand development for cohousing-inspired ideas, and speaking engagements.
• Community Facilities Design Design services for community facilities including food banks, resource centers, health clinics, senior centers, and community buildings.
• Multi-Family Housing Design Design services for multi-family residential projects including affordable housing, transit-oriented developments, and mixed-use buildings.
• Commercial Project Design Commercial architecture services including office tenant improvements, retail, restaurant, and research & development facilities.
• Transit-Oriented Development Planning and design services for transit infrastructure including light rail stations, transit centers, pedestrian bridges, and bicycle shelters.
• Sustainability & Regenerative Design Consulting Sustainable design services incorporating LEED, Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards, Passive House, Living Building Challenge, and EcoDistricts protocols.
• Middlemod Prefabricated Kitchen/Bath Modules Prefabricated service core modules developed in partnership with Building and Module Manufacturing LLC (BAMM) for factory assembly and just-in-time delivery to construction sites with plug-n-play installation of electrical and plumbing services.
• Open Source Component Building System A component-based building system developed with a local builder featuring prefabricated floor, wall, and structural steel components assembled off-site in a controlled environment.
• Parks & Recreation Design Design services for parks, pools, aquatic centers, and recreation facilities including feasibility studies and facility upgrades.
• Planning Services Urban planning services including design guidelines development, streetscape planning, housing master plans, and waterfront planning.
• Community Engagement Services Facilitation of community visioning processes, design workshops, and participatory planning to engage residents in shaping their built environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Station House achieved PCBC Golden Nugget Merit Award 2020 and Vision 2050 Award 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dogwood IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner for Building and Module Manufacturing LLC (BAMM) which created the Middlemod prefabricated kitchen/bath module prototype. Schemata Workshop collaborated with Dogwood Industries to develop this prefabricated service core product for residential and office applications.
• Housing Development Consortium (HDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member and leadership involvement through board service. Schemata Workshop participates in HDC's Offsite Construction Task Force (OCTF) collaborating with peers, policymakers, and builders to support policies and practices that expand offsite construction for affordable housing delivery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• McCamant & Durrett Architects: Founded by Charles Durrett, one of the original North American cohousing architects; specializes in cohousing community design and consulting with multiple completed projects across the U.S. Most directly comparable peer to Schemata on cohousing expertise and mission.
• Communitecture: Pacific Northwest architecture firm focused on cohousing, affordable housing, and community-oriented design with an explicit community engagement practice. Directly comparable on cohousing niche and PNW geography.
• CoHousing Solutions: Consulting and architectural services firm dedicated to supporting cohousing group formation and project delivery. Closely comparable on cohousing advisory and consulting model.
• The Cohousing Company: Provides cohousing consulting, group development support, and architectural services for intentional communities. Directly comparable on cohousing consulting services offered as a complement to design work.

Broad incumbents

• Miller Hull Partnership: Established Seattle architecture firm recognized for sustainable design and public-sector work. Comparable as a PNW incumbent with overlapping public/municipal client base but a much broader portfolio than Schemata.
• Olson Kundig: Seattle-based architecture and design firm with a national/international reputation, including notable residential and sustainable work. Comparable as a larger Seattle incumbent competing for talent and high-profile clients.
• Mithun: Design firm with integrated architecture, interior design, and landscape practices; strong sustainability and affordable/mixed-income housing portfolio. Comparable as a PNW incumbent with deeper affordable housing bench.
• NBBJ: Large Seattle-headquartered architecture practice; collaborated with Schemata on Kaiser Permanente Washington Rebrand. Comparable on healthcare, commercial, and large institutional project scale, though much broader scope.

Regional players

• Ankrom Moisan: PNW architecture firm with strong multifamily, affordable housing, and transit-oriented development practice. Comparable on affordable and TOD project types across the Pacific Northwest.

Emerging players

• Method Homes: Pacific Northwest modular/prefabricated home builder delivering sustainable, high-performance residential projects. Comparable on the offsite construction and modular affordable housing angle that Schemata pursues through BAMM/Dogwood.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schemata_ws
• Facebookfacebook.com/schemataworkshop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2495980

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Schemata Workshop