Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

What Quattrocchi Kwok Architects does

Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) is a Santa Rosa, California-based architecture firm founded in 1986 that specializes exclusively in K-12 educational facility design. The firm employs nearly 80 people across three offices — Santa Rosa (headquarters), Oakland, and Castle Rock/Denver (opened April 2026) — serving public school districts and private schools across Northern California and the Rocky Mountain region. QKA has designed more than $3 billion in educational facilities over its 40-year history and is consistently ranked among the top K-12 architecture firms in the US, including #3/20 in ENR West's Education market sector (2026) and #20/171 in Architectural Record's Top K-12 Architecture Firms (2025).

QKA's service offering spans the full K-12 capital project lifecycle: master planning, educational specifications, full-service architectural design and documentation, interior environments, construction administration, community engagement, sustainable design with CHPS and LEED certification, and facility assessments. The firm's core proprietary product is Folia, a pre-engineered, prefabricated two-story steel classroom building system that delivers projects at 85% of traditional custom construction cost and in compressed timelines (e.g., 12 months at Cupertino High School). Underlying technology centers on Building Information Modeling (BIM), with a dedicated BIM Manager, alongside standardized modular construction methods. The firm is majority employee-owned through an ESOP established in 2020, following the 2025 retirements of both founders.

QKA generates revenue through professional service fees on K-12 capital construction projects, typically billed as a percentage of construction cost or hourly rates, and pursues new work through direct enterprise sales via studio directors, district RFP/RFQ procurement, and industry event participation (CHPS, A4LE, CASBO). Customer segments are concentrated in public K-12 school districts, with selective private school engagements (Sonoma Academy, Cardinal Newman High School), and the firm markets itself through its website, quarterly newsletter, social channels, and an active design awards program.

Name

Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

Legal name

Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

Website

https://qka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Quattrocchi Kwok Architects is a 40-year-old, employee-owned (ESOP) architecture firm specializing in K-12 educational facility design, serving public school districts and private schools across Northern California and the Rocky Mountain region through three offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Professional Services: QKA provides full-service design and documentation, interior design, construction administration, master planning, community engagement, educational specifications, sustainable design certification, and facility assessments for K-12 education clients. Revenue is generated through professional service fees on capital construction projects, typically billed as a percentage of construction cost or hourly rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) is an architecture firm that provides full-service design, documentation, interior design, construction administration, master planning, community engagement, educational specifications, sustainable design (CHPS/LEED) certification, and facility assessments for K-12 public and private school districts. The firm also offers Folia, a proprietary pre-engineered, prefabricated two-story steel classroom building system that compresses design, permitting, and construction time.

Product overview

Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) is an architecture firm specializing in K-12 education facility design, offering both proprietary products and professional services. The core proprietary offering is Folia, a patented prefabricated two-story steel classroom building system that accelerates construction timelines. Beyond this, QKA provides a comprehensive suite of architectural services including full-service design and documentation, interior environments, construction administration, master planning, community engagement, educational specifications, sustainable design with CHPS and LEED certification support, and facility assessments. The firm operates across three California offices (Santa Rosa headquarters, Oakland, and Denver) and has designed over $3 billion in educational facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Folia: A pre-engineered, prefabricated two-story steel classroom building solution designed to simplify the delivery of unique and high-performance learning environments. Developed by QKA principals including Aaron Jobson.

Products and services

• Folia Pre-Engineered Building A proprietary pre-engineered, prefabricated two-story steel classroom building solution designed to simplify the delivery of unique and high-performance learning environments. Folia dramatically reduces design, permitting, and construction time compared to traditional site-built construction.
• Full-Service Design and Documentation Full-service architectural design and documentation of innovative learning environments for K-12 education facilities.
• Interior Environments Design and documentation of interior spaces including furniture design and selection for educational facilities.
• Construction Administration Continued expert support through construction and closeout phases of educational building projects.
• Master Planning Establishing a vision for large-scale campus design, including guidance on facilities needs and priorities for school districts.
• Community Engagement Partnering with stakeholders in a collaborative process to design schools tailored to each individual community.
• Educational Specifications Delivering effective and equitable recommendations for the facilities needed to support a school's educational programs.
• Sustainable Design and Certification Integrated sustainability solutions to improve health, performance and reduce environmental impacts, including CHPS and LEED Certification services.
• Facility Assessments Detailed review of existing facilities to identify needed improvements and plan for the future.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of traditional custom construction cost — Cupertino High School Folia classroom buildings constructed in 12 months at 85% of traditional building cost
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LPA Design Studios: LPA is a large integrated design firm with one of the most prominent K-12 education practices in the U.S., directly competing with QKA for California school district work. Both firms emphasize sustainable, high-performance learning environments and pursue similar K-12 modernization and new campus commissions.
• TMP Architecture: TMP is a Midwest-based architecture firm exclusively focused on K-12 education design, making it one of the closest direct peers to QKA in both client vertical and project type. TMP and QKA compete for the same kind of K-12 bond-funded modernization and new campus commissions across their respective geographies.
• NAC Architecture: NAC is a Pacific Northwest-based architecture firm with a strong K-12 specialty practice, closely comparable to QKA in client vertical focus and project typology. The two firms compete for similar bond-driven K-12 modernization and new campus commissions in the western U.S.
• Legat Architects: Legat is a Midwest-rooted architecture firm with a dedicated K-12 practice, making it a strong comparable to QKA in both mission alignment and project focus. It competes for similar K-12 referendum-driven new construction and modernization work.
• WLC Architects: WLC is a K-12-focused architecture firm serving Pacific Northwest and West Coast school districts with similar master planning, new campus, and modernization services to QKA. Both firms compete in adjacent western geographies for bond-funded K-12 commissions.

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: DLR Group is a national architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a substantial K-12 practice that competes for the same large public school district procurements as QKA. Its broader integrated design-build-advisory model and deeper bench give it an advantage on the largest multi-campus programs.
• CannonDesign: CannonDesign is a national architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with a significant K-12 and higher education practice, frequently appearing on the same school district shortlists as QKA. Its broader market reach and integrated services position it as a competitor for marquee K-12 work in California and beyond.
• HMC Architects: HMC is a California-based architecture and planning firm with a substantial K-12 and higher education practice, directly overlapping with QKA in Northern California district work. Its broader portfolio across civic, healthcare, and education gives it a comparable incumbent position to QKA in the California public sector.
• HED (Harley Ellis Devereaux): HED is a national architecture and engineering firm with a meaningful K-12 practice, comparable to QKA in client type and project scope. It is a competitor for the same school district procurements and brings integrated engineering capabilities that compete with QKA's design-led service model.

Emerging players

• WRNS Studio: WRNS is a California-based design studio with a strong K-12 and civic education practice that has collaborated with QKA (e.g., on the Sonoma Academy Performing Arts Center). It is comparable in client vertical and is a direct competitor for selective K-12 commissions in the Bay Area.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QuattrocchiKwokArchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2676665
• Instagraminstagram.com/qkarchitects
• Xx.com/QKArchitects

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Quattrocchi Kwok Architects