What McGRANAHAN Architects does

McGranahan Architects is a privately held architecture firm headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, founded in 1968 with continuous specialization in educational facility design for institutions ranging from preschools to universities. In May 2024, McGranahan Architects completed a merger with PBK — an award-winning national architectural and engineering firm with complementary expertise in public safety, healthcare, and sports — rebranding as McGranahanPBK and becoming the first Pacific Northwest office within PBK's national platform of 27 offices and 820+ professionals across Texas, Florida, Georgia, and California. Christopher Lilley serves as Managing Principal and is supported by a bench of principals and senior associates with 20–40+ years of experience in K-12 and higher-education architecture.

The firm's core offering is comprehensive architectural design services delivered via multiple project delivery methods — Design-Build, GC/CM, and Design-Bid-Build — supporting new construction, renovation, modernization, and addition projects. Underlying practice components include Building Information Modeling (BIM), an evidence-based design process grounded in educational research, structured stakeholder engagement through workshops and public forums, sustainable design pursuing LEED and CHPS certifications (with documented LEED Platinum and Gold projects), and differentiated methodologies such as shared-building designs for co-located schools. The portfolio spans elementary, middle, and high schools; joint K-8/middle campuses; STEAM and arts facilities; higher education facilities (nursing simulation, engineering labs, learning commons); civic projects (Tacoma Dome, environmental learning centers integrated with public parks); and select corporate/healthcare work (DaVita headquarters).

Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees for design, documentation, and construction administration, negotiated based on scope and complexity with no public pricing disclosure. The go-to-market is direct engagement with institutional clients — predominantly K-12 public school districts, higher education institutions (colleges, universities, community colleges), and public sector entities — supplemented by project portfolio showcase marketing, AIA industry awards, social channels (LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram), and cross-referrals through the PBK national network following the merger. The customer base is concentrated in the Pacific Northwest (primarily Washington State) with national reach unlocked by the PBK partnership.

Name

McGRANAHAN Architects

Legal name

McGranahanPBK

Website

http://mcgranahan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McGranahanPBK is a Pacific Northwest architecture firm specializing in K-12 and higher-education facility design since 1968, operating as the first Pacific Northwest office of national architecture firm PBK following a May 2024 merger.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO), Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Educational architecture design
• K-12 school facilities
• Higher education design
• Evidence-based design
• Sustainable building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture and design services for educational, civic, and community-centered projects including new construction, renovation, modernization, and addition projects. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design, documentation, and construction administration services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

McGranahanPBK is a professional architecture and design firm providing specialized services for educational, civic, and community-centered projects. Core offerings include architectural design for PreK-12 schools, higher education facilities, athletic complexes, performing arts centers, and public buildings, delivered through Design-Build, GC/CM, and Design-Bid-Build project delivery methods. The firm also provides interior design, environmental graphic design, construction administration, and specifications management across the project lifecycle.

Product overview

McGranahanPBK is an architecture firm offering specialized educational design services as a single unified practice. Their portfolio spans PreK-12 schools (elementary, middle, high schools), higher education facilities, athletic complexes, performing arts centers, and public buildings. The firm provides architectural services through multiple delivery methods including Design-Build, GC/CM, and Design-Bid-Build. Their project portfolio includes notable facilities such as Agricultural Resource Center (The Farm), Olympic View K-8, Fife High School STEAM Center of Innovation, Grant Center for the Expressive Arts, Triton Learning Center, SAMi Environmental Learning Center, and Star Lake Elementary/Evergreen Middle School joint campus. The firm recently merged with PBK in May 2024, expanding to over 820 professionals across 27 offices while maintaining its focus on transformative learning environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educational Architecture Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services for PreK-12 schools, higher education facilities, athletic complexes, performing arts centers, and civic buildings, combining research-driven evidence-based design with over five decades of experience in learning environments. Serves school districts, universities, colleges, and public sector clients.
• Design-Build Project Delivery

Quantifiable outcome

• Star Lake and Evergreen Joint Campus integrates two schools in 152,800 SF, serving 800 middle school and 525 elementary scholars with shared resources and collaborative learning spaces.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• PBKflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2024McGranahan Architects completed a merger with PBK in May 2024, rebranding as McGranahanPBK. PBK is an award-winning architectural and engineering firm with expertise in education, public safety, healthcare, and sports sectors. The merger combines two firms deeply committed to excellence in educational design and innovation, creating over 820 professionals across 27 offices in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and California. McGranahanPBK serves as the first PBK office in the Pacific Northwest.
• YMCA (University of Washington Tacoma local chapter)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcGranahan designed the University Y Student Center in partnership with the local YMCA chapter and the University of Washington Tacoma. The project merges fitness, intellectual pursuit, and community activities with intentionally intermixed spaces for both organizations. Shared goals and values of UWT and YMCA provided a framework for building community and providing invigorating programs and services.
• Metro Parks TacomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAMi Environmental Learning Center was developed as a joint-use facility between Tacoma Public Schools and Metro Parks Tacoma, integrated into the 700-acre Point Defiance Park. The facility supports education, sustainability, and conservation, including spaces for SAMi students and community use, collaborative gathering areas, and workspaces for both SAMi educators and Zoo staff.
• PBK (prior to merger)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPBK has complementary expertise in public safety, healthcare, and sports sectors alongside McGranahan's educational design specialization, enabling broader service capabilities and national market access for clients of both firms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PBK: National architecture and engineering firm specializing in education, public safety, healthcare, and sports; now the parent of McGranahanPBK following the May 2024 merger. Operates 27 offices with 820+ professionals and shares the same educational design focus, customer types (K-12 districts, universities, public agencies), and delivery methods.
• DLR Group: National AE firm with deep specialization in K-12 and higher education design, known for integrated design-build delivery and learner-centered environments. Competes directly with McGranahanPBK for the same school district and university clients across the U.S., including the Pacific Northwest.
• NAC Architecture: Education-focused architecture firm with strong Pacific Northwest and West Coast presence serving K-12 districts and higher education clients. Headquartered in Spokane, WA — directly overlaps with McGranahanPBK's core market and educational design methodology.
• LPA Design Studios: Integrated design firm with one of the largest U.S. K-12 practices and a deep commitment to sustainability and high-performance learning environments (LEED, CHPS). Competes for the same public-sector educational capital projects with comparable evidence-based design positioning.
• CannonDesign: National AE firm operating across education, healthcare, and civic sectors with strong higher-education and PreK-12 portfolios. Comparable scale, delivery methods, and sustainability credentials, making it a direct competitor for multi-vertical institutional clients.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global AE practice with one of the largest U.S. education and healthcare studios; widely recognized for LEED and high-performance design leadership. Competes for the same institutional, sustainability-oriented projects but across a much broader national and international footprint.
• Stantec: Large multi-disciplinary professional services firm with substantial education, civic, and buildings practices across North America. Competes broadly for K-12 and higher education capital projects, though architectural services are one of many service lines.
• HOK: Global AE firm with substantial education, healthcare, sports, and civic practices. Competes for the same institutional and higher-education capital projects, though as a much larger diversified incumbent rather than an education specialist.

Regional players

• Integrus Architecture: Pacific Northwest AE firm headquartered in Spokane with a strong K-12 and civic portfolio in Washington and Oregon. Direct competitor for the same Washington state school district clients as McGranahanPBK and operates as a regional challenger.
• Mithun: Seattle-based integrated design practice known for sustainable architecture and community-focused educational and civic projects. Overlaps with McGranahanPBK in the Seattle/Tacoma metro across PreK-12, higher education, and civic sectors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mcgranahanarch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcgranahan-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcgranahanarchitects

Compliance2 records

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 McGRANAHAN Architects