Bignell Watkins Hasser Architect

What Bignell Watkins Hasser Architect does

Bignell Watkins Hasser Architect (operating as Bigwaha; legal entity Bignell Watkins Hasser Architecture & Interiors, PC) is a Mid-Atlantic architecture and interior design firm founded around 1977–1980, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland with a second office in Vienna (Tysons Corner), Virginia. The firm operates as a private professional corporation with 11–50 employees under President/CEO Adel A. Nur, VP Gregory S. Gilbert, and a principal/associate bench spanning retail, interiors, multifamily, public safety, mixed-use, government/institutional, senior housing, office, religious, and automotive market sectors.

The firm's core service offering covers the full project lifecycle: architectural design (conceptual design through construction documentation), interior design (space planning, finish selection, FF&E), sustainable design with LEED and WELL certification expertise (25+ certified facilities delivered), site and master planning, in-house 3D visualization (modeling, photorealistic and watercolor renders, animations, walk-throughs), and construction contract administration. Underlying technology is conventional architectural visualization rather than any AI/ML-based tooling. The firm delivers services primarily through project-based professional services fees (percentage of construction cost or hourly rates), with multi-year contracts on national rollout programs. Customers include national enterprise retail accounts — most prominently Target Corporation (60+ new stores and 100+ remodels across 160+ East Coast locations), Harris Teeter, Wegmans, Jim Koons Automotive — alongside government and institutional clients (US Naval Academy, University of Maryland, Calvert County fire stations), senior living developers (Monarch Communities), and mixed-use developer consortiums (Carlyle Group, Cypress Equities, Saul Centers, Peterson Companies, Trammell Crow). Distribution is direct enterprise sales across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with the firm holding 25+ industry/trade awards from AIA Chesapeake Bay, NAIOP, ABC, Chain Store Age, GBCA, and Station Design Awards as third-party validation.

Name

Bignell Watkins Hasser Architect

Legal name

Bignell Watkins Hasser Architecture & Interiors, PC

Website

https://bigwaha.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bignell Watkins Hasser Architect is a Mid-Atlantic architecture and interior design firm serving enterprise retail, grocery, government, senior living, and institutional clients with full-service design, LEED/WELL-certified sustainable expertise, in-house 3D visualization, and project administration from concept through construction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full range of architectural services from feasibility studies through construction administration for commercial, residential, institutional, and public sector projects
2. Interior Design Services: Interior design services including space planning, finish selections, and FF&E specifications for residential units and amenity areas
3. Planning Services: Site and master planning services for public and private clients including innovative but practical planning solutions
4. Sustainable Design Consulting: Sustainable design services focused on LEED and WELL building certification, providing design options that advance sustainable solutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bignell Watkins Hasser Architect (Bigwaha) is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm that delivers full-service design, planning, visualization, and construction administration for commercial, retail, government, institutional, senior living, mixed-use, and multi-family residential projects. The firm operates from offices in Annapolis, MD and Vienna, VA, and provides in-house expertise in sustainable design (LEED and WELL certified), 3D modeling and visualization, and serves nationally recognized repeat clients across the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast.

Product overview

Bignell Watkins Hasser Architecture & Interiors (Bigwaha) is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm offering a comprehensive suite of design services. The firm's core offerings include Architectural Design, Interior Design, Sustainable Design (LEED and WELL certification expertise), Planning Services, Visualization (3D modeling and rendering), and Construction Documents/Contract Administration. Projects span multiple market sectors including retail, mixed-use, office, public safety, senior living, multifamily residential, education, religious, government, and automotive. The firm operates from offices in Annapolis, MD and Vienna, VA, with a portfolio of over 160 completed projects across the East Coast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design
• Interior Design
• Sustainable Design
• Planning Services
• Visualization
• Construction Documents and Contract Administration

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25 LEED and WELL Certified facilities delivered
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered key and flagship.

• Natelli CommunitieskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper client for whom Bigwaha designed Village Square at Urbana - four retail buildings totaling over 20k SF along Interstate 270 in Frederick County, MD. Firm managed design from conceptual renderings through permitting and construction.
• The Pence GroupkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper client for Garrison at Stafford project - 5-story mixed-use podium building encompassing 219,300 sf with ground-level retail and four levels of residential space.
• Carlyle Group / Cypress Equities / Seligman / Rappaport / KettlerkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of developers for The Village at Leesburg - one of the largest mixed-use centers in Northern Virginia with 57-acre open-air center featuring 40 retailers/restaurants, Class A office space, Wegmans, residential units, fitness center, hotel, and structured parking.
• Regency CenterskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for The Field at Commonwealth - 180,000 sf retail development anchored by 120,000 sf Wegmans at the intersection of US-28 and Westfields Boulevard in Chantilly, VA.
• Van Metre Cos.keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for Stone Ridge Village Center - 135,266 sf Harris Teeter-anchored shopping center in Stone Ridge, VA.
• Trammell CrowkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper for The Shops at Dakota Crossing - 430,000 sf retail destination along New York Avenue at the DC/Maryland line with sustainable master plan including extensive planted retaining wall and below-grade rainwater collection system.
• The Current by Monarch CommunitieskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper client for senior housing projects including The Current Beverly (73,000 sf, 86-unit senior housing community in Beverly, MA) and other Monarch senior living communities.
• Jim Koons Management CompanykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive dealership group client for complete remodel of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Chrysler facilities including exterior facade redesign, showroom, service center, and modern amenities.
• Target CorporationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor national retail client with extensive relationship. Firm has completed or is currently working on 60+ new stores and 100+ store remodels across 160+ East Coast locations. Services include new stores, small-format stores, and existing store remodels.
• Peterson CompanieskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for multiple projects at National Harbor including tenant fit-out, facade renovation, signage design, and interior design for numerous spaces. Also designed Spirit Park at National Harbor featuring 177-foot American Flag pole.
• Saul Centers, Inc.keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for Ashbrook Marketplace in Loudoun County - 45,000 sf retail destination with three buildings anchored by Lidl Grocery Store, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cooper Carry: Mid-Atlantic and Southeast architecture firm with strong practices in retail, mixed-use, hospitality, multifamily, and office — overlapping Bigwaha's core verticals including grocery-anchored retail and mixed-use town centers.
• Antunovich Associates: Chicago-based architecture firm specializing in retail, restaurant, automotive, and commercial projects with national reach. Comparable to Bigwaha on retail and automotive deal types and project-scale profile, though serving different geographies.
• David Baker Architects: Mid-sized architecture firm focused on multifamily residential, mixed-use, and community-oriented design with sustainability expertise. Comparable on multifamily/mixed-use scope, LEED credentials, and design-studio scale.
• WDG Architecture: Washington, D.C.-based architecture and interior design firm of comparable size serving mixed-use, retail, multifamily, hospitality, and government clients across the Mid-Atlantic. Highly comparable on geography, vertical mix, and service scope to Bigwaha.
• Chipman Design Architecture: Retail-focused architecture firm delivering store planning, prototype design, and rollouts for national retail and restaurant chains. Highly comparable to Bigwaha's Target and grocery retail practice at similar scale.
• SK+I Architecture: Architecture firm specializing in retail, mixed-use, hospitality, and residential design with a national retail-client base. Comparable to Bigwaha on retail-rollout and mixed-use town-center work.
• Lessard Group: Vienna, Virginia-based architectural design firm (same metro as Bigwaha's Tysons office) of similar size offering architecture, planning, and interior design across commercial, residential, and institutional sectors. Closest geographic and scale comparable to Bigwaha.

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: National architecture, engineering, and planning firm with integrated design practice across retail, mixed-use, civic, education, and workplace sectors. Larger-scale incumbent competing for the same enterprise retail and public-sector clients as Bigwaha.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a major retail practice and extensive mixed-use, workplace, and hospitality work. Operates broadly across Bigwaha's verticals but at vastly greater scale, representing the upper bound of competitive pressure.
• HOK: Global design, architecture, and engineering firm with practices in commercial, retail, mixed-use, sports, and government work. Larger broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise and public-sector RFPs that Bigwaha targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigwahaarch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 →

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