HWKN

What HWKN does

HWKN (legal entity HWKN Architecture DPC, formerly Hollwich Kushner) is a New York-based architecture and design firm founded in 2008 by Matthias Hollwich. The firm provides professional architectural services across residential, commercial, hospitality, cultural, and public-realm sectors, serving enterprise clients including real estate developers (Art-Invest Real Estate, Kleindienst Group, Landmarken AG, Kaufman Development, Carrowmore Properties), educational institutions (Bard College, University of Pennsylvania), government bodies (Riyadh Development Authority), and brand clients (Coach). Projects span the US, UK, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and Asia, with a portfolio of 50+ projects ranging from high-rise towers and mixed-use developments to cultural institutions and public installations.

HWKN's core technology is an AI-integrated design workflow that uses third-party generative AI tools — Midjourney, ChatGPT, Perplexity, 3D simulation software (Forma), and MNML — as co-designers across a three-phase process (exploration, articulation, visualization). The firm employs AI for deep research, rapid prototyping, site simulation, and reverse-engineering 2D building images into 3D, claiming the ability to analyze 5,000 plots in days rather than years. Notable proprietary applications include District 11 in Sharjah (marketed as the first AI-planned district) and Neo York (a finalist for Interior Design Best of Year Awards 2024 in the AI integration category).

The business model is project-based professional services revenue, with fees custom-quoted by project scope and complexity. Go-to-market is sales-led through direct client commissioning, competitive bidding, and collaborative partnerships (e.g., with BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group on Canada Water in London). Marketing relies on industry press, awards, conference presence (TED, SXSW 2025, PICNIC), and the firm's portfolio website. The firm operates from a single headquarters at 1 Whitehall Street, New York, with a headcount of 1-10 employees.

Name

HWKN

Legal name

HWKN Architecture DPC

Website

https://hwkn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HWKN is a New York-based architecture and design firm providing AI-integrated architectural services for real estate developers, educational institutions, government bodies, and hospitality operators across global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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: Professional services revenue from designing buildings, installations, and masterplans for clients including developers, educational institutions, government bodies, and hospitality operators. Projects range from commercial and residential towers to cultural institutions and public installations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HWKN is an architecture and design studio that delivers full-service architectural design for buildings, masterplans, cultural institutions, and installations. The firm earns revenue by taking on commissioned projects from real estate developers, educational institutions, hospitality operators, and government bodies. Its design process is proprietary and AI-integrated, using generative AI tools (Midjourney, ChatGPT, Perplexity) alongside traditional methods to produce signature buildings such as AI-planned districts, LEED-certified mixed-use neighborhoods, "Work Resort" office towers, and branded experiential installations.

Product overview

HWKN (Hollwich Kushner) is a New York-based architecture and design firm offering architectural services across residential, commercial, hospitality, cultural, and public realm sectors. The firm's portfolio includes high-rise residential towers (Journal Squared, 351 Marin, Gravity), commercial office buildings (25 Kent, Spirit Bochum, Wynwood Incubator), mixed-use developments (Die Macherei, Canada Water), hospitality projects (Hygge Hotel, Intercontinental Dubai), cultural institutions (CCS Bard Keith Haring Wing, JAMD Arts Center), and innovative installations (WENDY MoMA PS1, Coach SHINE). HWKN differentiates itself through AI-integrated design processes, using tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, and Perplexity as co-designers alongside traditional architectural methods. The firm also authored the book 'New Aging' and has pioneered concepts like 'Work Resorts' and AI-planned districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• District 11 AI-Planned Development A master-planned 11-building work resort neighborhood in Sharjah, UAE, delivered as the firm's first fully AI-planned district and aimed at enterprise occupiers seeking differentiated office communities.
• Hygge Hotel A hospitality project design on Dubai's The World Islands, developed using AI-powered research and prompt engineering for a hotel operator seeking a distinctive Nordic-inspired guest experience.
• Canada Water (Sky Island) Office Tower A 12-story, 350,000 square foot "Work Resort" office building in London designed for Art-Invest Real Estate, with terraced structure, vegetation, and wellness amenities. Delivered in collaboration with BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group and Adamson Associates.
• Die Macherei München Mixed-Use Neighborhood Europe's first LEED-GOLD neighborhood in Munich, comprising six multi-purpose buildings including hotel, offices, and public spaces; delivered with OSA Ochs Schmidhuber Architekten and holger meyer architektur for Landmarken AG.
• Spirit Bochum (BrainFactory) Office Development An 86,000 SF next-generation office building in Bochum, Germany with a motion-catching distorted-column grid exterior and lifestyle amenities for 600 employees, designed for Landmarken AG.
• Gravity Mixed-Use Development A 395,000 SF mixed-use development in Columbus, Ohio, featuring a five-story coliving building, designed for Kaufman Development with NBBJ Architects.
• CCS Bard Keith Haring Wing Library Expansion A 12,000 SF library and archives wing at Bard College's Center for Curatorial Studies featuring minimalist, light-filled interiors with open ceilings and masonry construction; delivered with executive architect C.T. Male Associates.
• InterContinental Dubai Resort A 466-key luxury family resort on Dubai's World Islands with a flowing Teflon-coated fiberglass mesh facade and Mediterranean-inspired design for Kleindienst Group's Heart of Europe development.
• WENDY Smog-Eating Installation An experimental architectural installation for MoMA PS1's 2012 Young Architects Program, clad in titanium dioxide nanoparticle-coated fabric that neutralizes airborne pollutants with an impact equivalent to removing 260 cars from the road.
• Neo York AI Concept Project A visionary concept project leveraging AI and evolving construction techniques to reimagine New York's Art Deco landmarks; finalist in Interior Design Best of Year Awards 2024 in the Outstanding Integration of AI in the Design Process category.

Quantifiable outcome

• WENDY installation equivalent to removing 260 cars worth of pollution
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, flagship and core.

• C.T. Male AssociatessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Served as executive architect for Bard College CCS Keith Haring Wing project, collaborating with HWKN on the 12,000 sq ft library expansion.
• BIG - Bjarke Ingels GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborated with HWKN on Canada Water Sky Island project in London. BIG served as lead architect with HWKN contributing to this landmark 12-story, 350,000 square foot development.
• Adamson AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborated with HWKN and BIG on Canada Water Sky Island project. Provided architectural and engineering services for the London development.
• Townshend Landscape ArchitectssupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Landscape architecture partner for Canada Water Sky Island project in London.
• UAP (Urban Art Projects)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnered with HWKN and Futurecity on Riyadh Art masterplan - cultural transformation program commissioned by Riyadh Development Authority to commission 1000 artworks.
• FuturecitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborated with HWKN and UAP on Riyadh Art cultural masterplan - urban activation initiative in Saudi Arabia.
• OSA Ochs Schmidhuber ArchitektencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with HWKN on Die Macherei München project - Europe’s first LEED-GOLD neighborhood. OSA provided architectural expertise for this transformative mixed-use development.
• holger meyer architekturcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with HWKN on Die Macherei München project. Contributed architectural design expertise for the six multi-purpose buildings including hotel and office spaces.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SHoP Architects: New York-based architecture practice of comparable boutique-mid scale, active across mixed-use, commercial, residential, and cultural typologies with a global project portfolio — the closest direct peer to HWKN in scope, geography, and innovation positioning.
• BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group: Global innovation-led architecture firm with overlapping client base (developers and institutions), a technology-forward design culture, and comparable scale of commercial, residential, and masterplan commissions. Co-partner on HWKN's Canada Water project.
• Studio Gang: Architecture and urban design practice known for sustainability-driven, research-backed design and high-profile cultural and commercial commissions — directly comparable in innovation narrative and project typologies.
• Snøhetta: Globally operating architecture, landscape, and design firm with strong cultural and public-realm portfolio and a comparable brand-led, thought-leadership-driven GTM — overlapping with HWKN on cultural, public, and mixed-use work.
• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design and architecture studio producing high-profile cultural, public-realm, and commercial projects with a strong narrative and installation work — directly comparable to HWKN's WENDY / Coach / Uniqlo installation practice.
• MAD Architects: Globally active design-led architecture firm working across cultural, residential, and commercial typologies with strong installations and an emphasis on emotional, narrative-driven design — comparable innovation positioning and typological mix.
• Rockwell Group: New York-based design and architecture firm with deep hospitality, cultural, branded retail (Coach, etc.), and installation work — closely comparable to HWKN on hospitality, branded environments, and experiential installations.
• WORK Architecture Company (WORKac): NYC-based architecture practice of comparable boutique scale, with innovation-focused cultural, educational, and mixed-use work — overlapping on typologies and Mid-Atlantic institutional clients such as Bard-adjacent institutions.
• CetraRuddy: NYC-based architecture firm specializing in residential towers and mixed-use developments. Comparable on the New York high-rise residential and developer-led project typology.

Broad incumbents

• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): Established NYC-based architecture practice with global commercial and mixed-use tower portfolio. Larger and broader in scope but overlapping directly on high-rise commercial and mixed-use developer commissions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hwkn_arch
• Facebookfacebook.com/HollwichKushner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hollwich-kushner-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 HWKN