What DKO Architecture does

DKO Architecture is a privately held, multi-disciplinary design practice headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, operating seven studios across Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth), New Zealand (Auckland), and Southeast Asia (Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta). Founded in 2000 by Koos de Keijzer, the firm employs approximately 300 designers and architects organised across partner-led studios. Core services span architecture, interior design, urban design, and landscape architecture, delivered in an integrated practice model that allows the same team to take projects from concept through construction documentation. The technology backbone is ArchiCAD-based BIM, supplemented by Revit, Sketchup, Photoshop, and InDesign.

The firm generates revenue through fee-for-service professional design contracts, billed against project milestones rather than product sales or licensing. Clients are predominantly property developers (Milieu Property, Dare Property Group, PDG, HOME, Devine, Eversun), hospitality operators (Marriott, Sheraton/Hiap Hoe, KU DE TA), premium retailers (ASKO, Muji), and private residential clients. Repeat commissions from build-to-rent specialists (HOME) and multi-asset hotel programmes (Marriott) underpin a pipeline-heavy, project-based revenue book. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with inbound interest generated from an award-recognised portfolio, press coverage in design publications (Architecture AU, Designboom, Habitus Living, The Local Project), and an active submissions pipeline into Australian and Asia-Pacific industry awards.

Strategically, DKO is expanding its APAC footprint via HCMC and Jakarta, building a build-to-rent design specialism, and operationalising digital transformation under a newly appointed National Head of Digital Innovation & AI. The partnership structure, currently comprising more than a dozen named partners across design and finance, indicates a founder-led, professionally governed practice rather than a venture-backed or PE-owned entity. No external investment, acquisition activity, or M&A signals are present in the record.

Name

DKO Architecture

Legal name

DKO Architecture

Website

https://dko.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DKO Architecture is a privately held, multi-disciplinary design practice of approximately 300 professionals across seven studios in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, delivering architecture, interior design, urban design, and landscape architecture services to property developers, hospitality operators, and premium retail clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Collingwood

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Professional Services: DKO generates revenue through fee-for-service professional design contracts, delivering architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban design services across multi-residential, mixed-use, workplace, hospitality, and urban projects. Revenue is project-based and earned as design and documentation milestones are completed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DKO Architecture is a multidisciplinary design practice delivering architecture, interior design, urban design, and landscape architecture services across multi-residential, mixed-use, workplace, hospitality, and urban projects. With approximately 300 people across seven studios in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, DKO operates as a fee-for-service professional design firm earning revenue through project-based contracts as design and documentation milestones are completed.

Product overview

DKO Architecture is an award-winning, multidisciplinary design practice of around 300 people operating across seven studios in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. The company offers an integrated portfolio of design services including Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Design, and Landscape Architecture. DKO collaborates across these disciplines to deliver large-scale multi-residential, mixed-use, workplace, hospitality, and urban projects. Their work spans hotel design (The Lyall, Marriott Docklands, Four Points, AC Hotel), multi-residential developments (IndI Southbank, HOME Parramatta, Habitus Townhomes), hospitality venues (SaltLick, Tombo Den), commercial workplaces, and custom residential projects. The practice emphasises design-led, visually driven outcomes underpinned by rigorous thinking and strong collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services
• Interior Design
• Urban Design
• Landscape Architecture

Quantifiable outcome

• Campbell Street won Victorian Architecture Awards (Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing; Small Project Architecture) and Good Design Awards (Architectural Design)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bates Smart: Bates Smart is a long-established Australian architecture practice delivering multi-residential, hospitality, heritage, and workplace projects across Sydney and Melbourne. Comparable to DKO in core sectors (apartments, hotels, heritage adaptive reuse) and award-winning positioning in the Australian design market.
• Woods Bagot: Woods Bagot is a global Australian-origin architecture and design practice with studios across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and North America. Comparable to DKO in hospitality, workplace, and multi-residential work, and in operating a multi-city Asia-Pacific platform (though materially larger).
• Fender Katsalidis: Fender Katsalidis is an award-winning Australian architecture practice known for high-density residential towers, mixed-use developments, and adaptive reuse (e.g. MONA, NewActon). Direct overlap with DKO in multi-residential and mixed-use sectors and a comparable studio footprint across Australian east-coast cities.
• Warren and Mahoney: Warren and Mahoney is a New Zealand-founded architecture and design practice with studios in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Australia. Direct overlap with DKO in residential, hospitality, and workplace design, and in operating a trans-Tasman studio network including Australian offices.
• Hassell: Hassell is one of Australia's largest multi-disciplinary design practices with architecture, interiors, and urban design studios across Australia and international offices. Closely comparable to DKO in scale, discipline mix (architecture, interiors, urban design), and primary end markets (workplace, hospitality, residential, mixed-use).
• Cox Architecture: Cox Architecture is a major Australian architecture firm with studios in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide delivering multi-residential, mixed-use, workplace, and public architecture. Comparable to DKO in scale, multi-city Australian footprint, and emphasis on large-scale urban and residential projects.
• SLAB Architecture: SLAB is a Melbourne architecture and interiors practice collaborating with DKO on the $30m Down Street headquarters project. Direct peer in residential, hospitality, and interiors work, with overlapping client base in Melbourne's premium design market.
• Jackson Clements Burrows (JCB): JCB is an award-winning Melbourne architecture practice with a multi-disciplinary profile spanning residential, multi-residential, hospitality, and interiors. Comparable to DKO in design-led positioning, award culture, and sector mix, though at a smaller studio scale.

Broad incumbents

• Populous: Populous is a global architecture practice specialising in sports and entertainment venues with a growing hospitality and mixed-use portfolio. Overlaps with DKO in large-scale hospitality and venue design, but is a much larger, globally diversified incumbent rather than a direct head-to-head competitor.
• Gensler: Gensler is the world's largest architecture and design firm with deep presence across workplace, hospitality, and mixed-use sectors globally. Relevant as a broad incumbent competitor chasing the same premium hospitality and workplace clients as DKO, but at materially greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCA0c1U8UjThBIO3f5ZfXivA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dko-architecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/dko_architecture
• Xx.com/dKOArchitecture
• Facebookfacebook.com/dkoarchitecture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 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 DKO Architecture