Kline Swinney Associates

What Kline Swinney Associates does

Kline Swinney Associates (KSA) is a privately held, Nashville, Tennessee-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm founded in 1956 (originally as Burney Tucker & Associates), now led by second-generation principal Bart Kline and principal Tim Piansay alongside a 21-person team. The firm operates as a full-service professional services practice offering integrated architecture, interior design, and master planning supported by in-house project management and a dedicated sustainable-design capability, with notable specialization in K-12 and higher education facilities, civic and government buildings, criminal justice and public-safety facilities, historic preservation, multi-family and mixed-use residential, and adaptive-reuse commercial work.

KSA's technical toolkit centers on industry-standard architectural production software: Revit-based BIM, 3D modeling, virtual reality walkthroughs for client visualization, and sustainable/green building techniques including LEED-targeted design (a LEED AP is on staff and a LEED Silver project is in progress). It holds no proprietary software product, API, or external platform; the technology is used to deliver professional services rather than to sell a product. Credentials across the team include AIA, NCARB, NCIDQ, LEED AP, and CSI/CDT designations.

Revenue is generated through custom, project-based professional fees on architecture, interior design, and planning engagements priced against scope, complexity, and client requirements; no standardized public pricing exists. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales via client relationships, RFP/RFQ responses, networking, and community engagement, with named clients concentrated in Tennessee and the Southeast including the State of Tennessee, MDHA, Rutherford County, City of Murfreesboro, Spring Hill School District, Williamson County Schools, Tennessee State University, and Nashville Christian School. The firm is privately held with no outside equity investors, no parent company, and no subsidiaries; a strategic co-development partnership with Grace Orcutt | Winslow supports larger higher-education research work such as the 110,000+ SF Tennessee State University College of Agriculture complex.

Name

Kline Swinney Associates

Legal name

Kline Swinney Associates

Website

https://ksarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kline Swinney Associates is a 21-person, Nashville-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm founded in 1956, serving government, K-12, higher-education, civic, residential, and commercial clients primarily across Tennessee and 18 states with project-based professional services delivered through Revit BIM, 3D modeling, and VR walkthroughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design services
• Master planning services
• Sustainable building design
• Building information modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional fees for architectural design, interior design, and master planning services. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements for civic, educational, commercial, and residential clients. Projects range from small-scale renovations to large new construction developments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kline Swinney Associates is a Nashville-based architecture firm providing architectural design, interior design, and master planning services for educational, civic, residential, and commercial clients. The firm also delivers project management and sustainable design capabilities, leveraging tools such as 3D modeling, virtual reality walkthroughs, and BIM (Revit) to execute projects ranging from small renovations to large-scale new construction developments.

Product overview

Kline Swinney Associates (KSA) is a Nashville-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm with a 70-year legacy. The firm operates as a services-based practice offering three integrated core services: Architecture Services, Interior Design Services, and Planning Services. These services are supported by Project Management capabilities and a commitment to Sustainable Design. The company serves diverse sectors including K-12 and higher education, civic and public buildings, criminal justice facilities, historic renovations, mixed-use developments, residential living, commercial, and community projects. The firm emphasizes the integration of architecture and interior design to ensure cohesive design concepts, and employs technology tools including 3D modeling, virtual reality walkthroughs, and project documentation software as part of its service delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services for buildings and environments that are functional, beautiful, sustainable, and innovative. Services span K-12 and higher education facilities, civic and public buildings, criminal justice facilities, historic renovations, mixed-use developments, and other project types.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services integrated with architectural expertise, offering space planning, furniture and finish selection, lighting design, material and finishes specification, and detailed project coordination from concept through construction.
• Planning Services Master planning services that set the foundation for successful architectural projects, including site analysis, tailored design solutions, innovative and sustainable design practices, cost-effective planning, and stakeholder collaboration.
• Project Management Comprehensive project management services ensuring projects stay on track, on budget, and on schedule. Monitors every phase from design development through construction to ensure quality and consistency.
• Sustainability and Sustainable Design Environmentally responsible design practices integrating eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient systems, and green building techniques to reduce environmental impact and lower long-term operational costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered 305,675 SF Battle Creek High School for 2,000 students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grace Orcutt | WinslowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2025KSA is serving as design architect for Tennessee State University College of Agriculture complex in collaboration with Grace Orcutt | Winslow. This is a flagship project spanning 110,000+ square feet supporting food science, animal science, and environmental sciences departments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Earl Swennson Associates (ESa): Nashville-headquartered architecture firm of comparable regional standing with a long history of education, civic, healthcare, and commercial projects across the Southeast — directly competing for the same Tennessee public-sector RFPs as KSA.
• Tuck Hinton Architects: Nashville-based architecture firm specializing in civic, educational, and adaptive reuse projects in Tennessee, with comparable scale and a closely overlapping client roster in education and local government.
• Moseley Architects: Richmond, VA-based architecture firm with a deep K-12 and higher-education practice serving public-school clients across the Southeast, similar in size to KSA and competing for the same state-level education RFPs.
• Legat Architects: Crystal Lake, Illinois-based architecture practice with a specialized K-12 and preK-12 portfolio serving public school districts nationwide; comparable firm size and segment focus to KSA.
• TPS Architecture: Architecture firm with a dedicated K-12 education practice serving public school districts, comparable in scale and end-market focus to KSA's education segment.

Broad incumbents

• Cooper Carry: Atlanta-based architecture firm with a broader regional portfolio across education, civic, hospitality, and mixed-use — a larger incumbent competing for Southeast public-sector commissions KSA also pursues.
• DLR Group: National architecture, engineering, and planning firm with industry-leading K-12 and higher-education practices that consistently bid on the same Southeast education and civic opportunities as KSA.
• SmithGroup: National integrated design firm combining architecture, engineering, and planning across higher education, civic, workplace, and science & technology — competing with KSA on larger education and research commissions.
• Corgan: Dallas-based national architecture firm with major higher education and aviation/civic practices that often bid into the same large public-sector projects KSA serves, with significantly greater bench strength.
• HKS Architects: Major national and international architecture firm with strong higher education, civic, and healthcare portfolios; competes with KSA for larger university and public-sector commissions across the Southeast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/klineswinney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kline-swinney-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/klineswinneyassociates

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 Kline Swinney Associates