Cluck Design Collaborative

What Cluck Design Collaborative does

Cluck Design Collaborative is a privately held, full-service architecture and design firm founded in 2005 in Charlotte, NC, by co-founders Kevin Kennedy (CEO) and Chris Scorsone (LEED accredited). The firm provides architectural, interior, graphic, and planning services across a deliberately horizontal portfolio spanning single-family residential, multi-family residential, food and beverage/hospitality, adaptive reuse, healthcare/medical, banking/financial, and commercial projects — a range the firm characterizes as "towel racks to towers." Headquartered at 1530 Elizabeth Avenue, Suite 200, the firm operates with 11–50 employees and no outside equity funding, maintaining a flat founder-led structure after 20 years.

The firm's underlying craft centers on adaptive reuse, sustainable design, community-focused urban design, and — most notably — pioneering the use of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) construction in the Charlotte region, including the first food and beverage concept in the area to use CLT (OpenTap) and The Joinery Phase 2 multifamily. Technical delivery is organized around a defined project lifecycle (concept → design development → construction documents → construction administration) managed by Project Directors and a Schematic Design Manager. Cluck also produces branded content and merchandise, including a 454-page commemorative monograph ("The First 20 Years: A Love Letter to American Cities") priced at $65, in collaboration with sister company The Spoke Easy.

The business model is professional services: project-based fees varying by scope, complexity, and scale, with client acquisition driven primarily by direct engagement, referrals, industry awards, community events (including the annual Architecture Month Bike Tour), and presentations at industry conferences. Customers are highly fragmented — predominantly SMB restaurants and developers — with occasional enterprise engagements (Google TED Pavilion, Uwharrie Bank). The firm has accumulated 20 AIA awards over its 20-year history, culminating in the 2025 AIA North Carolina Architecture Firm of the Year designation, indicating durable demand and a strong regional reputation.

Name

Cluck Design Collaborative

Legal name

Cluck Design Collaborative

Website

https://cluckdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cluck Design Collaborative is a privately held Charlotte-based architecture firm founded in 2005 offering full-service architectural, interior, and adaptive reuse design across residential, food and beverage, healthcare, and commercial sectors, with notable expertise in CLT construction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Fees for architectural and interior design services on projects ranging from small residential renovations to large multi-family residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. Projects span adaptive reuse, new construction, and interior upfits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cluck Design Collaborative is an architecture and design firm that delivers full-service architectural and interior design for residential, commercial, multi-family, food and beverage, adaptive reuse, healthcare, and banking clients. Projects range from small residential renovations to large multifamily developments, with practices including schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration. The firm also publishes a commemorative book, "The First 20 Years: A Love Letter to American Cities," sold at $65 USD per hardcover.

Product overview

Cluck Design Collaborative is a Charlotte-based architecture firm founded in 2005 that offers comprehensive architectural and design services across diverse sectors including residential (single-family and multi-family), commercial, food and beverage, adaptive reuse, medical, and wellness. Rather than a software platform, the firm provides architecture and design as its core service offering, with projects ranging from small residential renovations to large-scale multi-family developments. The firm also publishes a commemorative book documenting their first 20 years of work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architecture and design services delivered to property owners, developers, businesses, and institutional clients. Projects range from small residential renovations to large multi-family developments and span adaptive reuse, new construction, and interior upfits across food and beverage, multifamily residential, single-family residential, healthcare, banking, and corporate environments.
• Cluck Design Collaborative Book - The First 20 Years: A Love Letter to American Cities A 454-page hardcover commemorative monograph documenting two decades of Cluck Design Collaborative's projects and design philosophy, sold directly to the public at $65 USD per copy as a coffee-table style retrospective book.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 AIA awards in 20 years of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Good BrandminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2026Good Brand hosted the Life Plan Marketing Summit where Cluck presented on 'The Bespoke Front Stage - Design & Architecture Trends,' exploring how hospitality-focused design helps spaces tell unique stories while prioritizing staff and resident experiences in senior care settings.
• Perkins WillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Perkins Will took home the AIA South Atlantic Region 2021 Aspire Award for Adaptive Reuse/Preservation for Optimist Hall. Cluck contributed food stall designs for this Queen City crown jewel, including Papi Queso, Honeysuckle Gelato, Xiao Bao, Suarez Bakery, and Pet Wants.
• Grubb PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Grubb Properties on the Cykel Apartments project - a parking-free multifamily building that prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians. Cluck was instrumental in designing the building massing, ground floor bicycle amenities, and securing rezoning with neighborhood support through community engagement.
• The Spoke EasycoreOthersThe Spoke Easy is Cluck's sister company - a Full Service Bicycle Shop and Bar located at 1530 Elizabeth Ave (same building as Cluck headquarters). Brands like Dave Gibson serve as Brand Manager for both companies. The two companies collaborate on the annual Architecture Month Bike Tour.
• Pref (Artist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with graffiti artist Pref on 'The Pref x Cluck Collection - Be Good, Do Good.' Pref has become world-famous with pioneering art found in galleries, urban landscapes, and collaborations with Italian fashion house Fendi and London-based YMC. The collection features exclusive products bearing Spoke Easy and Cluck names.
• AIA CharlottecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with AIA Charlotte on the annual Architecture Month Bike Tour. AIA Charlotte (@aia_charlotte) continues this annual tradition with Cluck and The Spoke Easy, promoting architecture appreciation in the Charlotte community.
• BBM ArchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with BBM Arch on the Cykel Apartments project, working together to imagine innovative possibilities for Charlotte's parking-free multifamily development.
• Gehl (Urban Design Consultant)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban Design consultant Gehl focused on bringing nature to the forefront with the incorporation of different types of flora and fauna for The Joinery Phase 2 project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Olson Kundig: Design-led architecture firm known for craft-driven, innovative residential and hospitality projects — analogous to Cluck's positioning around design excellence, adaptive reuse, and signature residential/restaurant work.
• Duda Paine Architects: Boutique, design-led architecture firm known for high-craft restaurant, retail, and cultural projects — directly comparable to Cluck's hospitality and adaptive reuse strengths in scale and aesthetic positioning.
• Lake|Flato Architects: San Antonio-based firm recognized for sustainable design and adaptive reuse — the same practice areas where Cluck has won multiple AIA awards. Comparable in size and design-led, award-driven positioning.
• Bohlin Cywinski Jackson: Design-excellence-oriented architecture firm with a strong reputation in residential, adaptive reuse, and public projects — closely comparable in scale, design signature, and award-driven positioning to Cluck.
• LS3P Associates: Charlotte-headquartered full-service architecture firm of similar size and Southeast regional footprint, competing directly with Cluck for multifamily, commercial, and institutional clients in the Carolinas.
• Little Diversified Architectural Consulting: Charlotte-headquartered multi-sector architecture firm offering corporate office, retail, healthcare, and higher-ed design — overlapping with several of Cluck's primary segments. Co-founder Chris Scorsone previously served as Design Director at Little.
• Shook Kelley: Charlotte-based design firm with a strong food & beverage, retail, and hospitality focus — the same niche where Cluck has built its deepest portfolio. Co-founder Kevin Kennedy previously worked at Shook Kelley.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm with significant Charlotte presence. Competes for the commercial interiors, banking (Uwharrie-type), and large developer commissions that Cluck also pursues.
• HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm with healthcare, commercial, and urban design practices that overlap with Cluck's segments. Larger incumbent competing for similar institutional clients.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture practice with whom Cluck has partnered (Optimist Hall food stalls, AIA South Atlantic Aspire Award). Larger and broader in scope, but competes for the same institutional and developer clients in the Carolinas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cluckdesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/cluckdesigncollaborative
• Instagraminstagram.com/cluckdesign

Compliance20 records

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 Cluck Design Collaborative