Design Innovation Architects

What Design Innovation Architects does

Design Innovation Architects (DIA) is a privately held architectural services firm founded in 1989 in Knoxville, Tennessee, operating with 11-50 employees from its headquarters at 402 S. Gay Street. The firm provides full-service architectural and interior design for commercial, institutional, residential, and historic preservation projects across East Tennessee and adjacent regions, utilizing both traditional architectural delivery and design-build methods in partnership with regional contractors such as Johnson & Galyon and Lawler-Wood. DIA's service portfolio spans ten commercial verticals (education, healthcare, hospitality/food service, industrial, mixed-use, office, multi-family residential, retail, and worship), a residential sub-brand called DIA Homes for custom homes and renovations, and a recognized historic preservation specialization that includes documentation of existing conditions, forensic architecture, and renovation to Secretary of Interior standards.

The firm's revenue model is professional-services fee-based, structured as project-by-project fixed fees or percentage-of-construction-cost arrangements across a diverse client base that includes enterprise hospitality brands (Hyatt), logistics firms (Axle Logistics), nonprofit institutions (Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley), municipal and state government (Athens City Schools, Oak Ridge Enhanced Training Center), and private developers (Holrob/InSite, Gay Street Development Partners). Notable completed projects include the 100-year-old McWhorter Building adaptive reuse, the Hyatt Place at Historic Farragut Hotel renovation, the 55,000 sq. ft. Boys & Girls Clubs facility (winner of the 2017 AGC Best Institutional Project award), and the 45,000 SF Emergency Response Training Facility at ORETC.

DIA is led by founder and President Faris Eid and markets primarily through a sector-organized portfolio website and organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X). The firm has no disclosed external funding, no M&A activity, no parent company, and no AI/technology platform beyond conventional architectural design tools, positioning it as a stable, regionally anchored professional services practice rather than a venture-backed growth firm.

Name

Design Innovation Architects

Legal name

Design Innovation Architects

Website

https://dia-arch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Innovation Architects is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based architectural services firm founded in 1989 that delivers commercial, institutional, residential, and historic preservation design across East Tennessee via design-build and direct commissions for enterprise, nonprofit, and government clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Historic preservation design
• Design-build delivery
• Interior design services
• Sustainable architecture design

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: DIA generates revenue through professional architectural and interior design fees for commercial and residential projects. Revenue is project-based, typically structured as fixed fees for design services or percentage-based fees tied to construction costs. Projects range from small renovations to large-scale new construction and historic restorations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Design Innovation Architects provides professional architectural and interior design services for commercial, institutional, residential, and historic preservation projects. Offerings include new construction, renovations and adaptive reuse, custom residential home design under the DIA Homes brand, interior design and FF&E, and sustainable/green design — delivered through direct commissions and design-build partnerships with regional contractors.

Product overview

Design Innovation Architects (DIA) is an architectural design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of services centered around architectural design and interior design. The core offerings include Commercial Architecture (covering education, healthcare, historic preservation, hospitality/food service, industrial, mixed-use, office, retail, and worship sectors), Residential Homes under the DIA Homes brand (custom homes and renovations/additions), Interior Design Services (including FF&E), Historic Preservation specializing in renovation to Secretary of Interior standards, and Sustainable/Green Design. The company has been in business for over 30 years and operates primarily in the Knoxville, Tennessee region. Notable projects include historic renovations (McWhorter, Hyatt Place at the Historic Farragut Hotel), institutional buildings (Boys & Girls Club of the TN Valley, Athens PreK-5 School), and commercial office spaces (Axle Logistics headquarters, Emergency Response Training Facility).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DIA Homes: Residential homes division of Design Innovation Architects focused on custom homes and renovations.

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services for commercial, institutional, and residential projects including new construction, renovations, and historic preservation, delivered across sectors such as education, healthcare, hospitality, industrial, mixed-use, office, retail, and worship.
• Commercial Architecture Commercial building design services covering education, healthcare, historic preservation, hospitality/food service, industrial, mixed-use, office, retail, and worship sectors. Targeted at commercial property developers, institutional clients, and business owners.
• Residential Homes (DIA Homes) Custom homes and renovation/addition services for single-family residential projects, including custom home design and residential transformations under the DIA Homes sub-brand. Targeted at individual homeowners seeking custom homes ranging from contemporary farmhouse to ultra-modern styles.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services delivered alongside architectural services, including finish selection and furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) design. Targeted at commercial and residential clients seeking integrated interior outcomes with their architectural projects.
• Historic Preservation Specialized historic preservation services including documentation of existing conditions, forensic architecture, and renovation of historic structures to Secretary of the Interior standards. Targeted at owners of historic and legacy buildings requiring preservation-compliant renovation and adaptive reuse.
• Sustainable/Green Design Sustainable design services incorporating environmentally sensitive materials, energy-efficient systems, and green building practices. Targeted at sustainability-focused commercial and institutional clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2017 Best Institutional Project award by Associated General Contractors for Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley facility
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Johnson & Galyon ContractorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDIA has an established partnership with Johnson & Galyon Contractors for design-build projects. They collaborated on the 55,000 sq. ft. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley project where DIA served as design-build architect. The partnership combines DIA's architectural expertise with the contractor's construction capabilities for integrated project delivery.
• Lawler-Wood LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDIA executed the Emergency Response Training Facility (ERTF) project as a design-build effort led by Lawler-Wood LLC. This 45,000 SF professional training facility for first responders was developed with Lawler-Wood managing the overall project delivery while DIA provided architectural services.
• Merit ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDIA worked with Merit Construction on the Emergency Response Training Facility project, executing the design-build effort alongside Lawler-Wood LLC.
• Moody Nolan ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoody Nolan Architecture in Ohio conceived the design concept for the Lakeside Retreat project (approximately 16,000 SF lakefront home). DIA served as Architects of Record, taking the design concept through construction with construction detailing and project management.
• Faris N. Eid, AIAminorOthersFaris N. Eid, AIA has individual experience with major hospitality projects including Atlanta Airport Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, Mariott Hotel Daytona, Hyatt Regency Hilton Head, Intercontinental Hotel Hilton Head, and others while with another firm.
• Holrob/InSite DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIA partnered with Holrob/InSite Development for the shell renovations of the historic 402 South Gay Street building (circa 1880s, 78,000 sq. ft.). Holrob/InSite handled the building preparation while DIA provided architectural services for the historic rehabilitation.
• Gay Street Development PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIA teamed up with Gay Street Development Partners to complete the buildout of upper floors of 402 South Gay Street into business offices and residential condominiums, providing a large-scale mixed-use facility totaling over 67,000 square feet.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BarberMcMurry Architects: Knoxville-based architecture firm with a comparable multi-sector practice including education, civic, commercial, and historic work across East Tennessee. Directly competes with DIA on the same regional RFPs and developer relationships.
• McCarty Holsaple McCarty: Tennessee-headquartered architecture firm with comparable practice in education, civic, and preservation projects in the Southeast region. Similar size band and project types directly overlap with DIA's portfolio.
• HMFH Architects: Mid-sized architecture firm with comparable practice across civic, education, and historic preservation projects. Similar scale and project mix make it a useful comparable for DIA's multi-sector delivery model.

Regional players

• Barge Design Solutions: Nashville-based engineering and architecture firm with broad services across infrastructure, commercial, and civic work across Tennessee. Operates in the same regional market as DIA with overlapping commercial and institutional practice.

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Global architecture practice with extensive hospitality, healthcare, education, and commercial work. Competes with DIA on larger hospitality and institutional commissions in the broader market.
• Gensler: Global design firm with comparable commercial interiors, hospitality, and retail practice. Represents the kind of broad incumbent capable of competing with DIA on commercial retail and corporate headquarters work.
• Page: Multi-disciplinary design firm with practice areas spanning healthcare, education, civic, and cultural projects. Provides a useful benchmark for the type of larger institutional commissions DIA pursues.
• CannonDesign: National architecture firm with comparable healthcare, education, and commercial practice. Represents the broader incumbent peer set for institutional and commercial commissions DIA targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DesignInnov
• Facebookfacebook.com/DIArchitects
• Instagraminstagram.com/designinnovationarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Design Innovation Architects