What Desai/ Chia Architecture does

Desai Chia Architecture is a six-person, privately held architecture practice headquartered at 3 W 18th St, 6th Floor in New York City, founded in 1996 by Katherine Chia FAIA and Arjun Desai AIA. The firm provides full-service architectural design across three primary segments — cultural and educational institutions, private residential clients, and commercial/workspace — and supplements this with a product design line that includes the Recess Lav, Surface Series (Surface Lav and Surface Tub), Torsion Table, and 222 Shelving System, manufactured commercially through AF New York. Its design philosophy is anchored in integrating light as a unifying theme, sustainable technical strategies, and deep materials expertise, with both principals holding M.I.T. Masters of Architecture degrees and prior experience at Maya Lin Studio and SHCA/NY, respectively. The firm has cultivated international recognition through exhibitions at the Center for Architecture, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Istanbul Biennale, Salone del Mobile, and Herman Miller galleries, alongside editorial coverage in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, NYT, Architectural Record, Wallpaper, Architectural Digest, and Dwell.

The firm's revenue model is project-based professional services fees quoted on a per-project basis, with no publicly disclosed pricing or revenue figures. GTM is sales-led direct client engagement, supported by earned media from awards (AIA Institute Honor Awards, Architizer A+ Awards, American Architecture Awards, Interior Design Best of Year, SARA National Design Awards) and institutional presence through jury service, faculty positions at Parsons, and board roles at AIA New York and the Center for Architecture. Named clients span media (Quartz Media, 25,000 SF office), technology (Betaworks, Spark Capital, Startapp), engineering (Arup NJ Office), cultural nonprofits (Peranakan Museum Singapore collaboration with artist Lee Mingwei), and a 20,000 SF streetwear design studio headquarters. Geographic reach spans the United States with international exhibition presence in Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Argentina, though no formal overseas offices exist.

Operating as an independent, founder-owned firm with no parent company, venture backing, or acquisitions reported, Desai Chia is a stable boutique with consistent award cadence across 2000–2026, sustained repeat rankings on Architizer Top 100 US Architects (rising from #97 in 2024 to #51 in 2025), and active project intake evidenced by 2026 editorial features in Wallpaper and Residential Design Magazine. The practice's strategic positioning is reputational rather than scale-oriented: monetizing design IP through product licensing and high-margin cultural/residential commissions rather than expanding headcount.

Name

Desai/ Chia Architecture

Legal name

Desai Chia Architecture

Website

https://desaichia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Desai Chia Architecture is a six-person, New York-based architecture practice founded in 1996 by Katherine Chia and Arjun Desai, delivering full-service design for cultural, residential, and commercial clients plus a licensed product line of bathroom fixtures and furniture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Luxury Whole-Home Renovation (High-End Finishes & Custom Build) (HSAPAEAI)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential architecture
• Cultural and educational facilities
• Workspace design
• Product 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. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based fees for architectural design services including cultural, residential, and commercial projects. Services encompass the complete design and execution process from conceptual framework through final construction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Desai Chia Architecture is a New York-based architecture practice that provides full-service architectural design for cultural and educational institutions, private residences, and commercial workspaces. The firm manages projects from conceptual framework through construction completion, and also designs manufactured products, including bathroom fixtures (Recess Lav, Surface Series) and furniture (Torsion Table, 222 Shelving), which are produced and distributed through AF New York.

Product overview

Desai Chia Architecture is a New York-based architecture firm founded in 1996 by Katherine Chia and Arjun Desai. The firm operates as a full-service architecture practice offering residential, commercial, cultural, and workspace projects, alongside a product design division. Their architectural portfolio includes buildings and interiors, while their product line encompasses bathroom fixtures (Recess Lav, Surface Series), furniture (Torsion Table, 222 Shelving), and design services for commercial spaces. The firm's approach emphasizes integrating light as a unifying theme and sustainable technical strategies with extensive knowledge of materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design for cultural and educational institutions, private residences, and commercial/workspace projects. The firm handles the complete design and execution process from conceptual framework through construction completion, serving institutional, organizational, and private clients throughout the United States and abroad.
• Recess Lav An integrated, seamless, multi-functional sink/backsplash/storage unit with a distinctive design sensibility. The 24-inch wide recess lav projects 12 inches when recessed into a standard stud wall, with durable resin construction. Manufactured and distributed by AF New York.
• Surface Series (Surface Lav, Surface Tub) An innovative sink, tub, and storage system designed for bathrooms. The series debuted at ICFF 2011 where it won an Editor's Award and is produced in partnership with AF New York.
• Torsion Table A coffee table with an undulating stainless steel tube forming the base, which is sculptural yet utilitarian, floating the glass top at a minimum number of points.
• 222 Shelving A stainless steel kit-of-parts shelving system with movable brackets that swing out from the wall to provide flexible storage layouts. The brackets also serve as bookends, creating lyrical patterns.
• Streetwear Design Studio Headquarters A 20,000 SF streetwear design studio headquarters in New York, NY designed in 2018. The project involved programming and designing a raw loft space, featuring minimal wood structures, custom millwork, and industrial aesthetics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple AIA Institute Honor Awards, American Architecture Awards, Interior Design Best of Year Awards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AF New YorkcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerManufacturing partner for Desai Chia product designs including Recess Lav, Surface Series (Surface Lav, Surface Tub). AF New York produces and distributes these products commercially.
• Lee Mingwei (Artist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with artist Lee Mingwei on Luminous Depths installation at the Peranakan Museum in Singapore - a diaphanous installation filtering light down from skylit atrium.
• Maya LinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKatherine Chia worked for Maya Lin on numerous art and architecture commissions prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture.
• SHCA/NYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArjun Desai worked at SHCA/NY on numerous civic projects in New York and Washington, D.C. prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture.
• Environment ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration partner for Michigan Lake House project, receiving multiple awards including AIA Michigan Honor Award and Residential Design Architecture Award.
• ArupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStructural engineering collaboration partner. Projects include Arup NJ Office and various other projects where Arup provides engineering services.
• Michael Van Valkenburgh AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLandscape architecture collaboration partner listed in the firm's collaborator network.
• Parsons The New School of DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKatherine Chia served as faculty member in the architecture department. Firm exhibited work at Parsons and delivered lectures including 'Desai/Chia: Work/Process' exhibition and lecture.
• Van Alen InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKatherine Chia served as Co-Chair of Van Alen Institute's Program Leadership Council. Firm participated in panel discussions at the institute.
• Bette Midler / New York Restoration ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected for NYRP Edge/ucation Competition led by Bette Midler to develop a flood-resistant recreation learning center at Sherman Creek site in Inwood, NY.
• CosentinominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSponsor of Surface Innovation exhibit at Center for Architecture featuring Dek House by Desai Chia along with 5 other New York architecture firms.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WORK Architecture Company: Amale Andraos and Dan Wood's NYC-based firm is similarly small, founder-led, and award-driven, with cultural and academic commissions. Both firms share a research-driven design ethos and a comparable small-staff, high-prestige business model.
• Bohlin Cywinski Jackson: A multi-office firm with a founder-pedigree culture and an award-winning portfolio spanning cultural, residential, and educational work. Comparable in its emphasis on light, materials, and design excellence, though slightly larger than Desai Chia.
• nARCHITECTS: A NYC-based boutique firm with a similar founder-led profile and an emphasis on cultural, residential, and adaptive reuse projects. Comparable in size, design recognition, and target client segments to Desai Chia.
• TenBerke (formerly Deborah Berke Partners): A founder-led NYC architecture firm of comparable size and prestige, with a portfolio spanning cultural institutions, residential, and educational clients. Its Yale University Art Gallery gallery expansion and residential work make it a close peer for Desai Chia's cultural and residential focus.
• Selldorf Architects: Annabelle Selldorf's NYC-based firm is a comparable small-to-mid-size boutique architecture practice with a museum, cultural, and residential portfolio. Like Desai Chia, it operates as a founder-led studio with strong AIA recognition and a similar project scale across cultural and high-end residential commissions.
• MOS Architects: A small, founder-led NYC architecture practice (Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample) with a research-driven, award-winning portfolio. Comparable in size, structure, and design-pedigree positioning to Desai Chia.
• Gluck+: A founder-led NYC architecture firm with a similarly integrated design approach spanning buildings, interiors, and product design. Comparable in its multidisciplinary, founder-voice approach and in its portfolio of museum and residential projects.

Broad incumbents

• Snøhetta: A globally recognized architecture and design firm with cultural, educational, and civic projects. While considerably larger and international in scope, it is a comparable peer in the cultural/institutional design space and shares Desai Chia's emphasis on light and integration with site.
• Ennead Architects: A larger NYC firm with a major cultural and institutional portfolio (e.g., Natural History Museum, Stanford University projects). While significantly larger and broader in capabilities, Ennead is a relevant incumbent peer in the cultural/institutional NYC architecture space Desai Chia competes within.
• Handel Architects: A larger NYC architecture firm with a strong portfolio in residential, mixed-use, and hospitality. While broader in project type and scale, it competes with Desai Chia for high-end residential and commercial commissions in NYC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Desai/ Chia Architecture