What David M. Schwarz Architects does

David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc. (DMSAS) is a privately held, single-office architecture and planning firm founded in 1978 and headquartered at 1707 L St. NW, Washington, D.C. The firm provides full-service architectural design, master planning, and sustainable/LEED-certified design services across civic and cultural buildings, sports and entertainment venues, healthcare facilities, higher-education campuses, residential developments, mixed-use projects, and historic preservation. Its design philosophy emphasizes traditional and classical placemaking, human-centered design, and durable construction using long-lasting materials such as brick and stone, with each project tailored to site context and client needs.

DMSAS operates with approximately 45 staff organized as principals, managing directors, senior associates, associates, designers, and administrative personnel. Revenue is generated through custom-quoted professional design fees covering master planning, schematic design, design development, and construction administration; pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. The firm follows a principal-led, direct client engagement model in which it often serves as Design Architect and partners with local firms acting as Architect of Record (e.g., HKS on Dickies Arena). GTM channels include project portfolios, industry awards (Richard H. Driehaus Prize 2015, Arthur Ross Award 2014, dozens of SARA, John Russell Pope, and Palladio awards), earned media, an active newsletter (Volume 48 as of 2026 Q1), and academic fellowship programs at five partner universities. Notable clients include Vanderbilt University, Cook Children's Medical Center, The Smith Center, City of Fort Worth (Dickies Arena), Nashville Symphony (Schermerhorn Center), Yale University, and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.

The firm's competitive position rests on nearly five decades of brand recognition in classical and traditional architecture, long-tenured principal talent, recurring anchor-client relationships (some spanning 30+ years), and intellectual capital accumulated through four monographs and sustained award recognition. Geographic reach is national (8+ U.S. states) with selective international projects in St. Barthélemy and Costa Rica, all delivered from a single D.C. studio.

Name

David M. Schwarz Architects

Legal name

David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc.

Website

https://dmsas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

David M. Schwarz Architects is a Washington, D.C.-based architecture firm founded in 1978 that designs civic, cultural, healthcare, higher-education, sports, and mixed-use projects in a traditional and classical idiom, serving institutional and enterprise clients across the U.S. from a single studio of approximately 45 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Industrial Design Services (541420), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Master planning
• Traditional architecture
• Historic preservation design
• Mixed-use development

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural and planning services for civic, institutional, cultural, commercial, residential, educational, sports, healthcare, and mixed-use projects. Revenue is generated through design fees for master planning, schematic design, design development, and construction administration services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

David M. Schwarz Architects (DMSAS) is a single-office architectural design firm providing full-service architecture, master planning, and historic preservation services. Projects span civic/cultural buildings, sports/entertainment venues, healthcare facilities, residential, educational, mixed-use, and hospitality typologies. Revenue is generated through design fees for master planning, schematic design, design development, and construction administration services delivered directly to institutional and developer clients.

Product overview

David M. Schwarz Architects (DMSAS) is a single-office architectural design firm based in Washington, D.C., offering comprehensive architectural and planning services. Rather than a unified software product or platform, the firm provides architectural design services across diverse project types including civic/cultural buildings, sports/entertainment venues, healthcare facilities, office/retail/hospitality projects, residential buildings, educational facilities, mixed-use developments, and master planning. The firm also supports architectural education through fellowship programs with partner universities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Catholic University of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMSAS offers one annual David M. Schwarz Architects Internship & Traveling Fellowship Award—a ten-week paid internship at the office of David M. Schwarz Architects in Washington, DC and a stipend for travel, housing, and independent research during the summer. Open to Graduate Students of Architecture who are one year or one semester from graduation.
• University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and PreservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMSAS offers one annual David M. Schwarz Architects Internship & Traveling Fellowship Award—a ten-week paid internship with a stipend for travel, housing, and independent research. Open to Graduate Students who are one year or one semester from graduation.
• University of Notre Dame School of ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMSAS offers one annual David M. Schwarz Architects Internship & Traveling Fellowship Award—a ten-week paid internship with a stipend for travel, housing, and independent research. Open to Undergraduate Students (Fourth Year) or Graduate Students in their penultimate year of study.
• Yale School of ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMSAS offers one annual David M. Schwarz Internship & Traveling Fellowship Award—a ten-week paid internship with a stipend for travel, housing, and independent research. Open to Graduate Students in the summer after graduation.
• Howard UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMSAS offers one annual David M. Schwarz Internship & Traveling Fellowship Award—a ten-week paid internship with a stipend for travel, housing, and independent research. Open to Master of Architecture students in their penultimate year of study.
• HKS ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKS Architects served as Architect of Record for Dickies Arena while DMSAS served as Design Architect. This represents a typical arrangement where DMSAS maintains design intent from inception while partnering with local architects of record for construction documents and on-site observation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Handel Architects: NYC-based architecture firm with mixed-use, residential, and hospitality commissions that overlap with DMSAS's commercial real estate segment, particularly on residential/mixed-use projects like The Waycroft.
• Pelli Clarke & Partners: Larger civic/cultural architecture firm with comparable portfolio in performing arts centers, university buildings, and landmark towers. Overlaps on institutional design commissions at a broader scale and larger bench.
• David Chipperfield Architects: Internationally recognized architecture firm with significant civic and cultural portfolio (museums, galleries, performing arts). Overlaps with DMSAS on high-prestige institutional work, though more contemporary in style.
• Elkus Manfredi Architects: Boston-based firm with a mixed-use, hospitality, and retail portfolio that overlaps with DMSAS's commercial/mixed-use work. Comparable on large-scale urban and lifestyle-driven projects.

Others

• HKS Architects: Served as Architect of Record on Dickies Arena while DMSAS served as Design Architect. A representative partner-firm relationship rather than direct competitor; informs understanding of the AOR/design-architect delivery model DMSAS relies on for large projects.

Direct peers

• Beyer Blinder Belle: NYC architecture firm with a closely overlapping civic/cultural, historic preservation, and institutional portfolio, and a similar commitment to contextual and traditional design. Direct peer in typology mix and client type.
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects: NYC-based architecture firm with a similar classical/traditional design philosophy, comparable firm size, and a comparable portfolio spanning residential colleges, civic buildings, libraries, and cultural institutions. The most direct US peer in style and prestige tier.
• Quinn Evans Architects: Architecture firm with significant work in civic, cultural, and educational buildings, including historic preservation-focused commissions. Similar size and typology alignment, with adjacent traditional/contemporary practice.
• Robert Adam Architects: UK-based classical and traditional architecture firm with a closely comparable design philosophy and boutique scale. Comparable on style and process, though geographically separate.
• Peter Pennoyer Architects: NYC firm specializing in classical and traditional architecture, with a comparable boutique scale and portfolio spanning civic, cultural, and residential commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/david-m--schwarz--architects
• Xx.com/dmsarchitects
• Facebookfacebook.com/dmsarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about David M. Schwarz Architects