What Dattner Architects does

Dattner Architects is a New York-based, women-owned architecture and urban design firm founded in 1964 by Richard Dattner. The firm employs approximately 150 architects, designers, and allied professionals organized into typology-based studios and operates from a single Midtown Manhattan headquarters at 498 Seventh Avenue. Its project portfolio centers on civic, institutional, and public-sector work — including affordable and supportive housing, K-12 and higher education facilities, MTA and Port Authority transportation infrastructure, healthcare facilities, parks, libraries, and municipal buildings such as garages and salt sheds.

The firm's technical differentiation rests on a proprietary Contextual Research Process that grounds projects in community engagement, pioneering Passive House expertise applied to large-scale affordable urban housing (with 1,200+ completed Passive House units and operational data across multiple heating and cooling cycles), and a Sustainable Practice Group driving research on energy, materials, and resilience. Core services span architecture, interior architecture, urban planning, sustainability consulting, and digital design (BIM and 3D modeling). Representative signature projects include 425 Grand Concourse (one of the largest Passive House projects in North America), Via Verde, Hudson Yards Station (the first new NYC subway station in 26 years), the Spring Street Salt Shed, the Alafia masterplan, and the joint SPARC Kips Bay science campus with Ennead Architects.

Dattner generates revenue through professional service fees on design commissions, secured primarily through government RFPs and RFQs (NYC DDC, SCA, HPD, MTA, Port Authority), design competitions, and direct commissions from institutional clients and mission-driven developers. The firm holds Women Business Enterprise certifications in NYC, New York State, the Port Authority of NY & NJ, NYC SCA, and the City of Philadelphia, which provides a procurement advantage on public-sector work. Pricing is custom-quoted per project; no public pricing is disclosed. The firm is privately held with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external institutional investment.

Name

Dattner Architects

Legal name

Dattner Architects

Website

https://dattner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dattner Architects is a New York-based, women-owned architecture firm with approximately 150 professionals designing civic, transportation, educational, affordable housing, and healthcare projects for government agencies and institutions, with pioneering Passive House expertise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Civic architecture services
• Affordable housing design
• Passive house design
• Urban planning services
• Sustainable building design

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services for civic, institutional, and commercial projects including design, planning, interior architecture, urban design, and sustainability consulting. Revenue is project-based, earned through design fees on completed and ongoing projects for government and institutional clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dattner Architects is a New York-based architecture and planning firm delivering comprehensive architectural, interior architecture, urban planning, sustainability, and digital design services across civic, educational, residential, healthcare, transportation, and infrastructure typologies. The firm is a recognized leader in affordable housing and Passive House sustainable design, with 8,300+ units of affordable housing and 4,500+ Passive House apartments designed to date, serving primarily government agencies, public institutions, and mission-driven developers through competitive procurement, design competitions, and direct commissions.

Product overview

Dattner Architects is a women-owned architecture and design firm based in New York City with approximately 150 architects, designers, and professionals. The firm operates from a single office and offers a comprehensive suite of services including Architecture, Interior Architecture, Urban Planning, Sustainability, and Digital Design. Their work spans multiple project typologies including affordable and supportive housing (with significant Passive House expertise), K-12 and higher education facilities, transportation infrastructure (MTA stations, PATH), civic and municipal infrastructure (garages, salt sheds), healthcare facilities, parks and recreation, and libraries. The firm has pioneered Passive House design for large-scale affordable housing projects in urban environments, with completed projects including Via Verde, 425 Grand Concourse (largest Passive House project in North America), Santaella Gardens, Vital Brookdale, and the ongoing Alafia masterplan. Notable projects include Hudson Yards Station (first new NYC subway station in 26 years), the Spring Street Salt Shed, and the Bronx Library Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services for civic, educational, residential, healthcare, transportation, and infrastructure projects, delivered from the firm's single New York City office.
• Interior Architecture Interior architecture services integrated within the firm's comprehensive design approach for buildings and facilities across all project typologies.
• Urban Planning Urban planning services including master planning for large-scale mixed-use developments and neighborhood revitalization projects.
• Sustainability Services Sustainability consulting including Passive House design, LEED certification, energy efficiency, and resilient design strategies for building projects.
• Digital Design Digital design and BIM implementation supporting advanced 3D modeling and innovative design workflows across all project types.
• Affordable Housing Design Design of affordable, supportive, and mixed-income housing developments, including Passive House-certified buildings, senior housing, and master-planned neighborhoods such as Alafia and 425 Grand Concourse.
• K-12 Education Facility Design Design of public schools, including new construction and adaptive reuse projects for the NYC School Construction Authority and independent schools such as the Yeshivah of Flatbush and Riverside School for Makers & Artists.
• Higher Education Facility Design Design of higher education facilities including the Brooklyn College Graduate School of Cinema (first public graduate film school in NYC) and university buildings.
• Transportation Infrastructure Design Design of transit stations and infrastructure including MTA subway stations such as Hudson Yards, 72nd Street, and Columbus Circle, serving 60 million annual riders.
• Civic and Municipal Infrastructure Design Design of civic and municipal infrastructure including the Spring Street Salt Shed, Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage, Brooklyn District 3 Garage, and precinct station houses.
• Healthcare Facility Design Design of healthcare facilities including NYU Langone Tisch Center at Essex Crossing, Lower East Side Community Healthcare Center, and East New York Health Hub.
• Parks and Recreation Design Design of parks and recreation facilities including Hudson River Park Segments 6 & 7 (17 million annual visitors), Riverbank State Park, and Hoboken Maritime Park.
• Library and Cultural Facility Design Design of libraries and cultural facilities including the Bronx Library Center (first public LEED building in NYC) and Brooklyn College Graduate School of Cinema.
• Passive House Building Design Design leadership for urban Passive House buildings, with 1,200+ Passive House units delivered including 425 Grand Concourse (largest in North America), Via Verde, Santaella Gardens, Vital Brookdale, and Alafia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% energy reduction achieved at 425 Grand Concourse Passive House project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SCAPE Landscape ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SCAPE for the Alafia masterplan in East New York, creating a 25+ acre wellness-oriented community with affordable housing, open space, and sustainable infrastructure.
• L+M Development PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for Alafia Phase 1 (576 affordable homes) and other affordable housing developments. Long-term partnership on Passive House and mixed-income housing projects.
• Apex Building GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction partner for Alafia development, working on the 25+ acre masterplan bringing approximately 2,400 affordable homes to Central Brooklyn.
• RiseBoro Community PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development partner for Alafia, contributing to neighborhood revitalization in East New York.
• Services for the UnderServedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Alafia development, providing supportive services integrated into the affordable housing community.
• Grimshaw ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint design of Via Verde - The Green Way, the award-winning affordable, sustainable residential development in the South Bronx that won a worldwide competition.
• NYC Department of SanitationcoreOthersClient for multiple infrastructure projects including Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage, Spring Street Salt Shed, and Brooklyn District 3 Garage.
• NYC Department of Design and ConstructioncoreOthersClient and collaborator on numerous public projects through NYC's Design Excellence program.
• Gotham OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for The Suffolk mixed-use development in Manhattan's Lower East Side.
• Ennead ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint team selected by NYCEDC for the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay project.
• Alembic Community DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for The Residences at PS 186, transforming a historic school into affordable housing with Boys & Girls Club.
• Monadnock DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for The Residences at PS 186 in Harlem.
• Trinity FinancialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper for 425 Grand Concourse (277 affordable homes, largest Passive House project in North America).
• MBD Community Housing CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of 425 Grand Concourse with Trinity Financial.
• WXY architecture + urban designminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Spring Street Salt Shed project.
• JG Neukomm ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design partner for The Suffolk development in Lower East Side.
• Boys & Girls Club of HarlemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner for The Residences at PS 186, providing youth services co-located with affordable housing.
• Settlement Housing FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper selected by Trinity Church for 50-58 Cliff Street affordable housing tower (120 units).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ennead Architects: NYC-based architecture firm with a similar civic, institutional, and large-scale public project portfolio. Direct partner with Dattner on the SPARC Kips Bay project and competes for the same NYC agency commissions.
• Grimshaw Architects: Global architecture firm with deep NYC civic and transit work (Via Verde co-design with Dattner, Moynihan Station). Comparable in scale and typology mix including transit, housing, and public infrastructure.
• Handel Architects: NYC architecture firm specializing in large-scale residential, mixed-use, and affordable housing developments. Direct competitor on multifamily housing commissions and similar developer-driven project mix.
• Magnusson Architecture and Planning: NYC architecture and planning firm focused on affordable housing, supportive housing, and community development. Closely comparable mission-driven residential practice serving similar nonprofit and government clients.
• WXY architecture + urban design: NYC architecture and urban design firm with civic, public realm, and infrastructure focus. Collaborator with Dattner on Spring Street Salt Shed and comparable in civic typology and scale.
• SCAPE Landscape Architecture: Landscape architecture and urban design firm partnering on the Alafia masterplan. Comparable in mission-driven public realm, waterfront, and large-scale planning work.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins Eastman: Large national architecture firm with significant NYC presence across housing, education, and senior living. Competes on affordable housing, K-12, and senior housing at greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): Major international architecture firm with a strong NYC civic and transportation portfolio (Hudson Yards). Competes on large-scale mixed-use and transit-oriented developments at significantly larger scale.
• FXCollaborative: Large NYC architecture firm with civic, educational, commercial, and institutional work. Comparable typology range with broader commercial portfolio and similar scale of public sector projects.

Emerging players

• Snøhetta: International architecture and design firm with growing NYC civic presence. Increasingly competing on public infrastructure, libraries, and cultural projects at premium design tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dattner-architects-210631448974651
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dattner-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/dattnerarch
• Xx.com/dattnerarch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Dattner Architects