Design 2147, Ltd.

What Design 2147, Ltd. does

Design 2147, Ltd. is a New York City-based architecture and planning consultancy founded in 1986 by Sisto Martello and Domenick J. Schinco. The firm specializes in building code consulting, zoning consulting, permitting and expediting, DOT permitting, violation resolution, landmark approvals, and adaptive reuse feasibility studies for projects ranging from approximately 2,500 square feet to over six million square feet. Headquartered in Brooklyn with 101-250 employees, the company serves architects, engineers, general contractors, owners and developers, public works entities (including NYCHA and the NYC School Construction Authority), and institutional clients across the NYC metropolitan area with national code consulting services extending to New Jersey, Connecticut, and other US states.

The firm's core products are organized around three NYC-centric service lines (Permitting/Expediting/Violations/Landmark, Building Code Consulting, Zoning Consulting, DOT Permitting, Adaptive Reuse Feasibility), one national service line (National Building Code Consulting), and a thought leadership offering (the Sisto Says podcast). Underlying capabilities rest on a proprietary 35+ year building code precedence library and a matrix-based permitting model that encodes known and anticipated agency requirements, rather than on software platforms or proprietary AI systems. Differentiators cited include nearly four decades of NYC agency relationships, the most extensive code library among NYC consulting firms, and a leadership team of registered architects with practical construction and contracting experience.

Revenue is generated on a project-based professional services engagement model with fees determined by project scope and complexity, ranging from preliminary feasibility through certificate of occupancy. Go-to-market is exclusively direct and relationship-driven, supported by referrals, industry reputation, the firm's podcast, content marketing, email newsletters, and active participation in industry organizations such as REBNY, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, NYSAFAH, and the Association of Medical Facility Professionals. The firm is privately held, founder-operated, and shows no parent company, private equity, or external capital involvement.

Name

Design 2147, Ltd.

Legal name

Design 2147, Ltd.

Website

https://design2147.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Design 2147, Ltd. is a Brooklyn-based code consulting and expediting firm, founded 1986, providing building code, zoning, permitting, DOT, and adaptive reuse services to architects, contractors, developers, engineers, and public entities in NYC and nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

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

Revenue model

1. Code Consulting and Expediting Services: Professional consulting services for building code compliance, zoning analysis, permitting, and municipal approvals. Revenue is generated through service fees for consulting engagements spanning from preliminary feasibility studies through final certificate of occupancy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Design 2147, Ltd. is a New York City-based code consulting and expediting firm that secures building permits, resolves code violations, and provides building code and zoning consulting for construction and development projects. Services span predevelopment feasibility analysis through certificate of occupancy, including regulatory navigation with NYC agencies such as DOB, DCP, FDNY, DEP, and DOT, with a focus on both local NYC and national building code consulting.

Product overview

Design 2147, Ltd. is a code consulting and expediting firm that offers a suite of professional services centered around regulatory compliance for construction and development projects. The company's core offerings include NYC Permitting/Expediting/Violations and Landmark Services, NYC Building Code Consulting, NYC Zoning Consulting, DOT Permitting, Adaptive Reuse Feasibility Studies, and National Building Code Consulting. The firm was founded in 1986 and serves architects, engineers, contractors, owners, developers, and public works/local governments. Design 2147 also produces the 'Sisto Says' podcast as a thought leadership content channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NYC Permitting, Expediting, Violations, and Landmark Services Comprehensive permitting and expediting services for securing permits and resolving violations for owners, developers, architects, engineers, and contractors throughout New York City, including information gathering, documentation preparation, agency appearances, and certificate of occupancy acquisition.
• NYC Building Code Consulting Building code consulting informed by 35+ years of experience, including predevelopment analysis, code analysis, compliance plan review, and municipal process analysis for projects in New York City.
• NYC Zoning Consulting Comprehensive zoning consulting throughout New York City including predevelopment zoning analysis, zoning interpretations, code analysis, compliance plan review, and municipal process analysis with expertise in navigating zoning challenges.
• DOT Permitting Department of Transportation permit acquisition and management for NYC construction projects, including permit strategy development, application filing, permit management, renewal, compliance monitoring, and agency coordination across all five boroughs.
• Adaptive Reuse Feasibility Feasibility studies for industrial building repurposing, helping identify zoning variances, structural changes, historic preservation opportunities, life-safety compliance, accessibility requirements, and mechanical/plumbing/electrical system upgrades needed for adaptive reuse projects.
• National Building Code Consulting Full-service building code consulting services in New Jersey, Connecticut, and throughout the United States using expertise in the International Building Code (IBC) for proactive issue identification and resolution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully secured permits and resolved violations for thousands of owners, developers, architects, engineers, and contractors throughout New York City
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AKRF: AKRF is a large multi-disciplinary planning, engineering, and environmental consulting firm in NYC with significant zoning, land use, and code-related practices. It competes on the zoning and entitlements side of Design 2147's business but operates a much broader environmental and engineering portfolio, making it a wide-incumbent peer rather than a specialist.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger: SGH is a national engineering consulting firm with significant building code, structural, and enclosure expertise serving institutional, commercial, and infrastructure clients. It competes for parts of Design 2147's national building code and adaptive reuse work while operating as part of a much larger engineering portfolio.
• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates: WJE is an established engineering and architecture consulting firm with deep building-envelope, structural, and code-related expertise. While it is broader and engineering-anchored rather than zoning-focused, it intersects with Design 2147 on code consulting for complex adaptive reuse and preservation projects.

Direct peers

• Milrose Consultants: Milrose is a long-established NYC-based code consulting and permit expediting firm offering building code, zoning, and filing services. It is the closest direct competitor to Design 2147's core NYC permitting and code consulting practice, serving the same developer, architect, and contractor clients across the five boroughs.
• Cerami & Associates: Cerami & Associates is an NYC-based code and life-safety consulting firm serving architects, developers, and owners. It directly competes with Design 2147 on building code consulting, fire protection, and egress analysis for commercial, residential, and institutional projects.
• Code Unlimited: Code Unlimited provides building code consulting and plan review services, including non-combustible and tall-mass timber code reviews and expert witness work. It is a direct peer in code consulting, with operations in NYC and additional offices on the West Coast, overlapping on key services.
• Philip B. Demo & Associates: Philip B. Demo & Associates is an NYC-based code and zoning consulting firm serving architects, contractors, and developers on Department of Buildings filings, zoning matters, and code objections. It competes directly with Design 2147 on NYC permitting and code consulting for residential and commercial projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sistosays
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-2147-ltd-
• Xx.com/design_2147
• Facebookfacebook.com/design2147

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Design 2147, Ltd.