What VTBS Architects does

VTBS Architects (legal name Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh, AIA) is a privately held architecture, planning, and urban design firm founded in 1994 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The firm traces its lineage to Johannes Van Tilburg & Partners, established in 1971, and today operates three regional offices—Santa Monica (headquarters), San Jose, and Golden/Denver, Colorado—employing over 60 staff. Six principals represent more than 150 cumulative years of architectural experience, with founding principal Navy F. Banvard credited with over 200 completed residential projects delivering more than 60,000 homes across all market segments.

The firm delivers comprehensive architectural services across 13 project categories, including mixed-use developments, high-rise residential, multi-family and single-family housing, adaptive re-use and renovation, senior living, affordable housing, commercial offices, retail, educational and institutional facilities, master planning, green/LEED-certified building design, and interior design. Service delivery spans the full project lifecycle from entitlement and planning through construction administration. Technical execution relies on industry-standard CAD/BIM design tools. Notable specializations include senior housing (with 30+ projects under Principal Dennis DiBiase), affordable housing compliance (LIHTC, HUD programs), and transit-oriented mixed-use developments.

VTBS operates a B2B professional services model with custom project-based pricing typically structured at 5–10% of construction cost, billed over multi-year contract terms. The firm serves enterprise real estate developers (Belmont Village Corporation, Casden Properties, Wood Partners, Trammell Crow Residential, Kennedy Wilson, Willis Development, The Lee Group, DS Ventures) as well as government and non-profit clients (Adams County/Unison Housing Partners, McCormack Baron Salazar). Marketing is driven primarily by professional reputation, industry awards (30+ design awards), institutional affiliations (ULI, NAHB, AIA), and repeat client referrals rather than outbound demand generation. The firm is owned by its principals; in late 2023 it experienced the loss of founding principal L. Gustaf Soderbergh (November) and Principal Lucia H. Chang (December), introducing near-term succession and continuity risk into an otherwise stable operating profile.

Name

VTBS Architects

Legal name

Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh, AIA

Website

https://vtbs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VTBS Architects is a privately held architecture, planning, and urban design firm serving enterprise real estate developers, housing authorities, and institutional clients across California and Colorado from offices in Santa Monica, San Jose, and Denver, with specializations in senior living, affordable housing, and mixed-use developments.

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

• Architectural design services
• Master planning services
• Urban design services
• Senior housing architecture
• Mixed-use development design

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based fees for full architectural services including design, documentation, and construction administration for residential, commercial, mixed-use, and institutional projects
2. Master Planning Services: Comprehensive master planning engagements for large-scale residential communities and urban development projects
3. Interior Design Services: Interior design services for commercial and residential projects, maintaining continuity between architectural and interior design

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VTBS Architects provides full-scope architectural design, master planning, and interior design services for residential, commercial, mixed-use, senior housing, affordable housing, and institutional projects. Services span from conceptual planning and entitlements through design development, construction documentation, and construction administration. The firm operates through principal-led project teams across California and Colorado, serving real estate developers, property owners, government entities, and housing authorities.

Product overview

VTBS Architects (Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh, AIA) is an architecture, planning, and urban design firm offering comprehensive architectural services across multiple project categories. The firm operates as a single integrated practice rather than a modular platform, providing services in mixed-use, high-rise, multi-family housing, single-family homes, adaptive reuse, senior housing, affordable housing, commercial offices, retail, educational facilities, master planning, green/sustainable buildings, and interior design. Founded in 1994, the firm has over 60 employees across offices in Santa Monica (headquarters), Denver, and San Jose, with cumulative architectural experience exceeding 150 years among its principals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mixed-Use Architecture Services Design and planning of mixed-use developments combining residential, commercial, and retail spaces in integrated complexes for real estate developers and property owners.
• High-Rise Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60,000 homes delivered across market segments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Belmont Village CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration on senior living projects including Belmont Village Calabasas (140 units), Belmont Village Thousand Oaks, Belmont Village Aliso Viejo, and Belmont Village Glendale. VTBS provides architectural design services for assisted living and memory care facilities.
• Willis DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuccessful collaboration on multiple senior living projects including Sage Mountain (Thousand Oaks, 130 units, completed 2018) and Sage Glendale (101 units, completed 2020). Partnership has delivered two major senior living facilities.
• PATH (Partnership for Advanced Technology in Housing)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGustaf Soderbergh worked with the White House Office of Science and Technology and Department of Energy in launching PATH, promoting sustainable design by reducing energy usage while being environmentally responsible in affordable housing through advanced technologies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Arquitectonica: Design-forward architecture firm with mixed-use, high-rise, and residential portfolio including California projects. Comparable on high-rise residential and mixed-use typologies.
• MVE + Partners: West Coast architecture firm with strong multifamily and senior housing practice. Comparable typology mix and California market overlap, competing for similar developer clients.
• KTGY: National architecture firm focused on multifamily, mixed-use, and senior living design with deep CA presence. Directly comparable building type mix and enterprise developer client base.
• Steinberg Hart: Large California architecture firm with multifamily, mixed-use, and urban housing practices. Overlaps on developer-driven residential and mixed-use project pursuits in CA.
• TCA Architects: California-based architecture firm specializing in multifamily, mixed-use, and senior housing. Highly comparable in project typology, regional focus, and developer client model.
• Page (Page Southerland Page): Architecture firm with strong multifamily, mixed-use, and senior living practices, including Western US presence. Comparable building typologies and developer client overlap.
• WATG: Architecture firm with deep residential, mixed-use, and hospitality design experience. Comparable on complex mixed-use and high-density residential typologies.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Large global architecture firm with multifamily, mixed-use, and institutional practices. Larger scale, broader portfolio; competes for the same enterprise developer pursuits in CA/CO.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture and engineering firm active in mixed-use, high-rise residential, and master planning. Competes for high-density, complex CA projects at the top end of the market.

Regional players

• Lionakis: California architecture and design firm with mixed-use, civic, and education practices. Comparable California regional footprint and mixed building typology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 VTBS Architects