What Sillman does

SILLMAN is a privately held architecture and Design-Build firm founded in 1974 by Larry Sillman and headquartered in San Diego, California, with additional offices in Temecula and Reedley. The firm delivers integrated architecture plus construction administration under a unified team, employing LEAN construction methods and embedding LEED certification expertise (Certified through Platinum, including Zero Net Energy) across project types. Active service verticals include Civic, K-12 and Higher Education, Military/Federal, Multi-Family and Affordable Housing, Parking Structures, Office/Administrative, Community/Recreation, and Science & Technology.

The firm operates as a sales-led, qualifications-based professional services practice. Projects are won through competitive bidding (RFSQ/RFP) and long-tenured relationships, with project-based, fixed-fee contracts spanning federal/military agencies (US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Veteran Affairs), large school districts and community colleges (San Diego Unified, Los Angeles Community College District, Southwestern CCD, East Los Angeles College, Cal Poly SLO), municipal and county governments (County of San Diego, City of Pomona, Port of San Diego), healthcare systems (Scripps), and select private developers (H.G. Fenton Company). Geographic reach is centered in California, with multi-state licensing (CA, AZ, NV, NM, UT, DC) and NCARB certification supporting federal and military work across NM, AZ, TX, OK, MO, and NC.

The firm is led by principal Brett Tullis alongside licensed architects and project managers including Julio Medina (2024 AIA San Diego Young Architect of the Year) and operates a roughly 30+ person team. SILLMAN differentiates through Design-Build delivery, DSA-approved and LEED-certified educational facilities, sustained repeat engagements (18+ years with H.G. Fenton, 9+ years with San Diego Unified), and a portfolio of DBIA and AIA-recognized projects. No external capital, M&A, or subsidiary ownership is documented; ownership is private and the firm has not disclosed financial results.

Name

Sillman

Legal name

SILLMAN

Website

https://sillmanarch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SILLMAN is a privately held architecture and Design-Build firm founded in 1974, headquartered in San Diego, serving federal/military, K-12 and higher education, municipal, multi-family housing, and healthcare clients across California and the western United States via integrated Design-Build delivery and LEED-certified sustainable design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Design-build delivery
• LEED certified architecture
• Sustainable building design
• Military facility design

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

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: SILLMAN generates revenue through providing comprehensive architectural design services across multiple building sectors including K-12, higher education, civic, military, housing, office, parking, and science/technology facilities. Revenue is project-based, typically from fixed-fee design contracts with government agencies, educational institutions, and private developers. The firm operates on a Design-Build delivery model where architecture and construction services are integrated.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SILLMAN is a full-service architecture and design-build firm delivering integrated architectural design and construction services across education, civic, military, housing, office, parking, science & technology, and community/recreation sectors. Projects are delivered using the Design-Build method, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and LEAN construction principles, with LEED-certified sustainable design embedded across project types. The firm serves government, education, military, housing, and private developer clients primarily in California and across the western United States.

Product overview

SILLMAN is a full-service architecture and design-build firm operating across California and the western United States. The firm's core offering is its integrated Architecture + Design-Build service, which combines architectural design with construction delivery under a unified team approach, incorporating LEAN construction methodologies. This core is organized into distinct service verticals: Civic Architecture, K-12 & Higher Education, Military & Federal Architecture, Housing (Multi-Family & Affordable), Parking Structure Design, Office & Administrative Facilities, and Community & Recreation Facilities — all supported by a dedicated Sustainable/Green Building Design practice that pursues LEED certification and Zero Net Energy standards across project types. Projects range in scale from small comfort stations to 500,000+ sf campus developments, and the firm maintains active registrations in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and the District of Columbia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture & Design-Build Services Full-service architectural and design-build firm delivering civic, educational, housing, military, and sustainable building projects across California and the broader western United States. Services span conceptual design through construction administration with integrated LEAN construction methodologies and LEED certification expertise.
• Sustainable/Green Building Design Dedicated sustainable design practice delivering projects that pursue LEED certification at all levels (Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum) and Zero Net Energy building standards, incorporating photovoltaics, cool roofs, cross ventilation, stormwater capture, and drought-tolerant landscaping.
• K-12 & Higher Education Facility Design Educational facility design for K-12 school districts, community colleges, and universities — including classroom buildings, science labs, culinary arts facilities, student unions, maintenance and operations centers, and performing arts venues. DSA-approved projects that often pursue LEED certification.
• Military & Federal Architecture Specialized architecture for U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force installations. Project types include barracks, headquarters buildings, fitness centers, parking structures, maintenance facilities, and mission-critical infrastructure across domestic bases and deployed/tactical environments.
• Civic Architecture Public-facing architecture for government and community clients including sheriff stations, fire stations, comfort stations, nature centers, and community resource centers. Projects frequently incorporate Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.
• Housing (Multi-Family & Affordable) Multi-family residential and affordable housing design including student housing, senior housing, market-rate apartments, and veteran housing. Portfolio spans 800+ housing units across Southern California, with experience in both new construction and renovation of existing complexes.
• Parking Structure Design Parking structure architecture including mixed-use parking, smart park systems, EV charging infrastructure, photovoltaic canopies, and amphitheater integration — ranging from surface parking to multi-level cast-in-place and pre-cast concrete structures.
• Office & Administrative Facilities Office and administrative building design for government agencies, municipal water districts, and healthcare systems. Projects include essential services facilities, emergency operations centers, police and fire headquarters, and occupied renovation of existing campuses.
• Community & Recreation Facilities Community center, aquatic complex, synagogue, and performing arts center design serving municipal clients, religious organizations, and community development organizations, often with multi-functional programming and public-private partnership structures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Long Beach City College now home to premiere culinary arts facility in Southern California region
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers25 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HDR Inc. Large multi-disciplinary architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with deep government, healthcare, and education practices. HDR competes with SILLMAN on larger institutional design-build projects and offers broader technical capacity.
• HOK: Global architecture and engineering firm with significant education, healthcare, and government practices. HOK is a much larger incumbent that competes on major institutional projects where SILLMAN is also pursuing work.

Direct peers

• NAC Architecture: West Coast architecture firm with deep K-12 and higher education focus, including DSA approval expertise. NAC is a direct competitor on California educational facility RFPs where SILLMAN also competes heavily.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with major education, healthcare, and civic practices plus a strong sustainable design commitment. Perkins&Will competes for institutional and government projects similar to SILLMAN's portfolio.
• LPA Design Studios: California-based integrated architecture firm with strong design-build, education, and sustainable design practices. LPA shares SILLMAN's vertical mix of education, civic, and housing work and competes for similar public-sector RFPs in the western US.
• BNIM: Architecture and design firm nationally recognized for sustainability leadership and integrated design. BNIM shares SILLMAN's deep LEED and high-performance building focus and competes for sustainability-driven public projects.
• CannonDesign: Integrated design firm with deep higher education, healthcare, and science/technology practices. CannonDesign pursues similar institutional client work and competes on design-build delivery for university and government projects.
• DLR Group: Integrated architecture and engineering firm with strong government, civic, and military portfolios. DLR Group competes directly with SILLMAN on public-sector design-build pursuits and shares the integrated delivery model.
• SmithGroup: National architecture and engineering firm with strong education, government, and healthcare practices. SmithGroup is a frequent competitor on public-sector design-build RFPs and shares SILLMAN's sustainability and integrated delivery focus.

Regional players

• Carrier Johnson + Culture: San Diego-based design firm with architecture, interior design, and branding practices. Carrier Johnson + Culture operates in the same Southern California market as SILLMAN and competes for local civic and commercial projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sillmanarch
• Facebookfacebook.com/sillmanarch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Sillman