Szostak Design
Szostak Design is a privately held, Chapel Hill-based architectural design firm founded in 1980, serving government, higher education, cultural, commercial, and residential clients across the Southeast with full-service design and integrated design-build delivery via sister company Szostak Build.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersChapel Hill, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Szostak Design does
Szostak Design, Inc. is a privately held, full-service architectural design and planning firm founded in 1980 by Philip Szostak and headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The firm provides comprehensive services spanning strategic planning, feasibility studies, master planning, architectural design, and construction management, with a practice organized around five primary verticals: cultural and civic (performing arts centers, museums, galleries), education (PK-12 and higher education), residential, commercial, and recreation. Its technical foundation is built on Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows and LEED-certified sustainable design expertise, with multiple LEED AP staff. The firm operates a sister company, Szostak Build (established 2008), a licensed general contractor that enables a turnkey design-build delivery model for residential clients under architect-led development.
The firm is led by four principals — Philip Szostak (founder, AIA Fellow), David Clinton, Philip Nelson, and Janice Wang (promoted 2023) — with a total staff of approximately 20, including roughly five Szostak Build construction managers who operate primarily in the field. Its go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales: services are procured through direct client engagement, design competitions, and RFPs, with principal-led involvement in every project from conception to completion. Customer mix spans government, higher education, private enterprise, and high-net-worth residential clients across North Carolina's Research Triangle and broader Southeast, with marquee projects including the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC, $46M construction, ranked #1 U.S. theater by Billboard in 2026), UNC Chapel Hill facilities, Capitol Broadcasting Company HQ, Aloft Durham Downtown, and numerous award-winning custom residences.
Szostak Design is a 45-year-old firm with 40+ design awards including the AIA North Carolina Firm of the Year (2014) and AIA National Small Projects Award (2017). Pricing is project-based, structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fees per deliverable, with multi-year contract cycles tied to construction project timelines. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firm is privately held with no external institutional investment, no funding rounds, and no parent company, operating as a closely held professional services partnership with internal succession progression.
Szostak Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Szostak Design
- Legal name
- Szostak Design, Inc.
- Website
- https://szostakdesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Szostak Design is a privately held, Chapel Hill-based architectural design firm founded in 1980, serving government, higher education, cultural, commercial, and residential clients across the Southeast with full-service design and integrated design-build delivery via sister company Szostak Build.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Szostak Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Interior Design Services (541410)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE), Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK), Renovation, Remodeling & Tenant Improvements (General Contracting) (IMAFAAAE)
Keywords
Where Szostak Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chapel Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Szostak 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
- Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural design services including strategic planning, feasibility studies, master planning, architectural design and construction management for projects ranging from small renovations to complex multi-million dollar facilities
- Design-Build Services: Construction services through sister company Szostak Build for residential design-build projects, providing turnkey experience under one roof with architect-led construction development
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based architectural services with fee structures typically tied to construction cost percentages or hourly rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Szostak Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Szostak Design provides full-service architectural design and planning for projects ranging from small renovations to complex multi-million dollar facilities, including strategic planning, feasibility studies, master planning, architectural design, and construction management. The firm serves commercial, cultural/civic, educational, residential, recreation, and interior projects across the Southeast U.S. Its sister company Szostak Build provides licensed general contracting for residential design-build projects, enabling architect-led turnkey delivery.
Product overview
Szostak Design is an award-winning architectural design and planning firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services. The firm operates two primary brands: Szostak Design (architectural design and planning) and Szostak Build (licensed General Contractor for design-build residential projects). Together they provide end-to-end services including strategic planning, feasibility studies, master planning, architectural design, and construction management. The firm specializes in diverse project types spanning commercial, cultural and civic, education, interiors, recreation and sport, and residential sectors. Notable projects include the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), UNC facilities, Capitol Broadcasting Company Headquarters, and numerous custom residences throughout North Carolina.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Szostak Build: Licensed General Contractor providing residential design-build services, custom home building, and multifamily project construction. Established in 2008.
Products and services
- Architectural Design and Planning Services
- Szostak Build - Design-Build Construction Services
- Educational Facility Design
- Cultural and Civic Facility Design
- Commercial and Hospitality Architecture
- Custom Residential Architecture
Quantifiable outcome
- DPAC ranked #1 theater in United States in Billboard Magazine 2026 mid-year rankings based on ticket revenue
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Szostak Design
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Szostak Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Szostak Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Szostak BuildcoreEstablished in 2008 as a sister company to Szostak Design. Szostak Build is a licensed General Contractor responsible for many residential design-build projects. Provides turnkey experience with architect-led construction development for modern, custom home building specializing in contemporary design. Combined experience of more than 50 years enables mitigation of issues early in the process.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Szostak Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Frank Harmon Architect PA: Chapel Hill/Raleigh-based architecture firm with comparable size, modernist design philosophy, and focus on sustainable residential, civic, and educational projects. A direct regional peer serving the same Triangle-area client base with similar design-led positioning.
- Clearscapes: Raleigh-based architecture firm of similar scale, specializing in cultural, civic, educational, and adaptive reuse projects across the Carolinas. Comparable project types, client segments (universities, municipalities), and award-winning design approach.
- LS3P Associates: Southeast US-headquartered architecture firm with comparable size and multi-sector practice covering education, civic, cultural, commercial, and residential projects. Direct competitor for institutional and university commissions across the Carolinas.
- Duda Paine Architects: Durham, NC-based architecture firm with similar size and cultural/civic/educational project focus. Direct Triangle-area peer competing for the same university and institutional clients.
- Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce: Winston-Salem, NC architecture firm of comparable size with multi-sector practice including education, healthcare, and civic projects. Direct regional competitor and former employer of Szostak Design associates.
- HMFH Architects: Education-focused architecture firm of comparable size with deep PK-12 and higher education practice. Direct competitor for university and PK-12 school commissions, a core segment for Szostak Design.
Broad incumbents
- Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee: Long-established Raleigh architecture firm (now part of Perkins&Will) with strong cultural, civic, and educational portfolio across North Carolina. Larger and now integrated into a national platform, competing for the same institutional clients at greater scale.
- Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with significant North Carolina presence (post Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee merger). Competes for the same university, healthcare, and civic commissions Szostak serves, but at much greater scale and with deeper resources.
- NBBJ: National architecture firm and former employer of founder Phil Szostak (merger 1990). Competes for large healthcare, university, and sports venue projects across the US, including in North Carolina where Phil Szostak once led the practice.
- CannonDesign: National architecture and design firm with strong higher education and healthcare practices, including Southeastern US presence. Competes for the same university and institutional commissions as Szostak Design, but at significantly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Szostak Design social profiles
Digital presenceSzostak Design compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Szostak Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Szostak Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Szostak Design subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Szostak Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Szostak 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 Szostak Design
What does Szostak Design do?
Szostak Design provides full-service architectural design and planning for projects ranging from small renovations to complex multi-million dollar facilities, including strategic planning, feasibility studies, master planning, architectural design, and construction management. The firm serves commercial, cultural/civic, educational, residential, recreation, and interior projects across the Southeast U.S. Its sister company Szostak Build provides licensed general contracting for residential design-build projects, enabling architect-led turnkey delivery.
Is Szostak Design a public or private company?
Szostak Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Szostak Design founded?
Szostak Design was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Szostak Design based?
Szostak Design is headquartered in Chapel Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does Szostak Design make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Architectural Design Services are the primary driver. The others are design-Build Services.
Who are Szostak Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Frank Harmon Architect PA, Clearscapes, LS3P Associates, Duda Paine Architects, Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce and HMFH Architects. Broad incumbents are Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee, Perkins&Will, NBBJ and CannonDesign.
Does Szostak Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Szostak Design.
What industry is Szostak Design in?
Szostak Design's product category is Architectural Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of IMAFABAE, Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 8711.