eaa

What eaa does

Earles Architects & Associates (eaa) is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 1996 that delivers architectural, interior design, space planning, and project implementation services to commercial real estate owners, property managers, and tenant clients in the Chicago metropolitan area. The firm operates across multiple project categories including turnkey commercial office spec suites, building amenities (lobbies, fitness centers, leasing offices, rooftop decks), commercial office interiors, retail and restaurant design (including streetwear storefronts and restaurants), law firm interiors, accessory dwelling units (A.D.U.), and a cannabis concept design vertical. eaa is privately held and operates from a single Chicago office with a small leadership team (Principal Dan Earles, CFO Bill Rossi, Architectural Associate Lucio Garcilazo), delivering projects through direct enterprise relationships with major Chicago corporate real estate firms such as Beacon Capital Partners and Sterling Bay.

The firm has completed more than 35 buildings and over 10 million cumulative square feet of design and build work over its 30+ year operating history, with current activity including approximately 175,000 SF of law office space planned over the past 2.5 years (40,000 SF built in that window). The go-to-market is enterprise field sales built on long-term relationships with Chicago's leading corporate real estate owners and managers, with marketing support from a project portfolio website, a thought-leadership blog on workplace strategy topics, and earned media features such as Office Snapshots coverage of its spec suite work at 227 W. Monroe.

Revenue is generated on a project-by-project professional services basis, with fees tied to scope, square footage, and design complexity. No public pricing is disclosed. The firm differentiates on three pillars: (i) long-standing brand recognition in the Chicago CRE market, (ii) domain specialization in spec suites, building amenities, and corporate interiors, and (iii) a relationship-driven repeat-client motion. Technology stack is standard architectural design software; no proprietary platforms, AI capabilities, or external funding have been disclosed.

Name

eaa

Legal name

Earles Architects & Associates

Website

https://eaachicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Earles Architects & Associates (eaa) is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm, founded in 1996, delivering architectural, interior design, and space planning services - including spec suites, building amenities, and retail design - to corporate real estate owners, property managers, and tenant clients in the Chicago metro market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Architecture and Design: Eaa generates revenue through architectural, interior design, and planning services for corporate real estate clients. Projects are typically custom engagements for property owners, managers, and tenant improvements, billed on a per-project basis with fees based on scope and square footage.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Eaa is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm that provides architectural design, interior design, and planning services for corporate real estate owners, managers, and tenants. Its work spans commercial offices, law firms, building amenities, retail storefronts, restaurants, multi-family, ADUs, and cannabis facilities, delivered as custom per-project engagements.

Product overview

Earles Architects & Associates (eaa) is a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm offering a comprehensive suite of services including architectural design, interior design, space planning, and project implementation. The firm operates across multiple project categories including Spec Suites (turnkey commercial office design), Building Amenities (lobbies, corridors, fitness centers, rooftop decks), Commercial office interiors, Retail design (restaurants, showrooms, dispensaries), and Conceptual/Multi-family residential projects. Their service offerings include specialized Accessory Dwelling Unit (A.D.U.) design and Cannabis concept design. The firm has completed projects ranging from 4,300 SF restaurant designs to 36-story high-rise renovations, serving Chicago's leading corporate real estate owners and managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Services Comprehensive architectural design services for commercial, residential, and institutional projects, including space planning, conceptual design, and project implementation. Targeted at property owners, managers, and tenant clients.
• Interior Design Services Interior design and planning services covering finishes, furniture selection, lighting design, and spatial layout optimization for corporate and retail environments, for property owners, managers, and tenants.
• Spec Suites Turnkey commercial office spec suite design and renovation services, including reception areas, open offices, conference rooms, and amenity spaces for commercial real estate buildings and their owners.
• Building Amenities Design Design services for building common areas including lobbies, corridors, rooftop decks, fitness centers, and leasing offices for multi-tenant commercial properties.
• Retail Design Retail space design services including storefronts, restaurants, showrooms, and boutique interiors for luxury and streetwear brands.
• A.D.U. + You (Accessory Dwelling Units) Accessory dwelling unit design services providing additional living spaces within existing residential properties, targeted at residential property owners.
• Cannabis Concept Design Specialized design services for cannabis retail dispensary and cultivation facilities.
• Conceptual Design Conceptual design development including feasibility studies, design visualization, and multi-family residential project concepts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 million+ square feet of space designed and built
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Legeard StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEaa collaborated with Legeard Studio, located in New York City, to provide architectural services and design implementation for Ksubi's new retail store location at 58 E. Walton in Chicago's Gold Coast area. This partnership combined eaa's local architectural expertise with Legeard Studio's design vision for the Australian streetwear brand.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pappageorge Haymes Partners: Chicago-based architecture firm focused on commercial, residential, and institutional projects, comparable in scale and regional focus to eaa's Chicago CRE practice.
• Cordogan Clark & Associates: Established Chicago-area architecture firm active in commercial, residential, and institutional sectors, overlapping with eaa's client mix and regional market.
• Antunovich Associates: Chicago-based architectural practice serving commercial, retail, and residential clients in the same metropolitan market as eaa, with overlapping corporate real estate and amenity work.
• Eastlake Studio: Chicago-based architecture and interiors firm working on commercial, retail, and hospitality projects with a similar boutique, design-forward approach to eaa.
• Wight & Company: Chicago-area architecture and engineering firm offering commercial, interior, and institutional design services to corporate and municipal clients in the same regional market as eaa.
• bKL Architecture: Mid-sized Chicago architecture firm with a portfolio spanning commercial, residential, and institutional work, competing for similar corporate real estate and amenity design commissions.
• VOA Associates: Chicago architecture firm with practices in commercial, hospitality, and interior design that parallels eaa's mix of corporate interiors, retail, and amenity design.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a major Chicago office that competes for corporate real estate, commercial interiors, and workplace design engagements across the same client base eaa serves.
• Perkins&Will: Large architectural practice with a strong Chicago presence, active in commercial interiors, corporate offices, and institutional work that overlap with eaa's core service lines.

Emerging players

• Studio K: Chicago-area architecture and interiors practice active in commercial, retail, and restaurant work, comparable to eaa's emerging-niche offerings in retail and hospitality design.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/earlesarchitectsandassociates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earles-architects-and-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 eaa