What DesignARC does

DesignARC is an architecture and interiors firm (legal entity DESIGNARC, LLC) operating from studios in Santa Barbara, California (headquarters at 1515 Chapala Street) and Los Angeles (10680 West Pico Boulevard), with active team members distributed across both locations and a working presence in San Diego. The firm delivers full-service architectural and interior design across eight service categories: Estate Homes, Single Family Residential, Multi-Family Residential, Mixed-Use, Hospitality, Interiors, International, and Commercial. Its core technology is conventional architecture and interior design practice — concept design, entitlement, construction documentation, and project management — supported by a collaborative studio model rather than a proprietary software platform. Customers are predominantly enterprise and high-net-worth real estate developers and hospitality groups, including Wide Horizon Group (Luxelakes, Chengdu, China), Trammel Crow Residential (Alexan-branded multi-family projects across California), sbe Entertainment Group (Katsuya by Starck roll-out), The Richman Group, Woodridge Capital Partners (Hotel Californian), and Grit Development (Downtown Palm Springs, Kimpton Rowan Hotel).

The firm generates revenue through professional design fees on a project-by-project basis, with pricing dependent on scope, complexity, and project type; no standardized pricing or fee schedules are publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven — direct client relationships, developer partnerships, and industry referrals amplified by an extensive awards record (multiple AIA awards, PCBC Gold Nugget Awards, Hospitality Design Awards, and a Condé Nast Traveler Hot List win) and a single organic social channel on Instagram (@designarcla). The firm has executed 100+ projects spanning domestic and international work (notably China's Luxelakes Water City across multiple phases and a Guggenheim Helsinki museum competition entry in Finland), with projects ranging from boutique hotels and restaurants to adaptive-reuse commercial buildings, student housing, and luxury estates. DesignARC is privately held and partner-led by Mark Kirkhart (Partner | Architect, AIA | NCARB) and Mark Shields (Partner | Senior Design Director), with no external venture or institutional investment recorded.

Name

DesignARC

Legal name

DESIGNARC, LLC

Website

https://designarc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DesignARC is a privately held California architecture and interiors firm (Santa Barbara HQ, Los Angeles studio) delivering full-service design for enterprise developers, hospitality groups, and high-net-worth clients across residential, multi-family, hospitality, mixed-use, and commercial projects, plus select international work in China and Finland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design services
• Residential architecture
• Hospitality design
• Commercial architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architectural services for custom residential, commercial, hospitality, mixed-use, and institutional projects. Revenue generated through design fees, project management, and interior design services across domestic and international markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

DesignARC provides full-service architecture and interior design for custom residential estates, single-family homes, multi-family developments, mixed-use projects, hospitality venues, and commercial buildings. The firm delivers work from concept through entitlement to construction across two California studios, with select international projects in China and Finland.

Product overview

DesignARC is an architecture and interiors firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services. Their core offerings span eight distinct service categories: Estate Homes (luxury custom residences), Single Family Residential (custom homes and renovations), Multi-Family Residential (apartments and condominiums), Mixed Use (combined residential/commercial), Hospitality (hotels, restaurants, resorts), Interiors (interior design and space planning), International (projects abroad, notably in China), and Commercial (office and institutional). The firm operates two studios in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, California, and specializes in custom residential, commercial, hospitality, and institutional design. The company approaches each project as a dialogue between art and science, structure and emotion, with a philosophy that good design celebrates client ambitions rather than architect signatures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Estate Homes Custom luxury estate home architectural design services featuring high-end residential projects with bespoke finishes and expansive properties, including indoor/outdoor living integration suited to California climate.
• Single Family Residential Custom single-family home architectural design services including new construction and renovation of existing residences for private clients.
• Multi-Family Residential Multi-family housing architectural design including apartments, condominiums, and townhouse developments, delivered for enterprise developer clients such as Trammel Crow Residential and The Richman Group.
• Mixed Use Combined residential and commercial development architectural design integrating multiple land uses within a single project, such as the Chapala One mixed-use development in Santa Barbara.
• Hospitality Architectural design for hotels, resorts, restaurants, and hospitality venues, including work for sbe Entertainment Group on the Katsuya by Starck restaurant brand and Hotel Californian for Woodridge Capital Partners.
• Interiors Interior design services including space planning, finishes, fixtures, and interior architecture, delivered as a standalone service or integrated with architectural projects.
• International International architectural projects outside the United States, including residential and mixed-use developments in China (Luxelakes Water City in Chengdu with Wide Horizon Group) and the Guggenheim Helsinki museum competition entry in Finland.
• Commercial Commercial building architectural design including office buildings, retail, and institutional facilities, with documented projects such as the 29 West commercial office building renovation in Santa Barbara.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered key, notable and regular.

• Wide Horizon GroupkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for Luxelakes Water City development in Chengdu, China. DesignARC has completed multiple residential projects including Aroma Valley, Luxelakes C5-2, Luxelakes Y-3 Loop, Luxelakes Y-3 Parcel, Magnolia Platform, and Yopindo.
• Trammel Crow ResidentialkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on multiple Alexan apartment projects including Alexan Aspect (323 units, Fullerton), Alexan Fashion Valley (284 units, San Diego), and Alexan Little Italy (San Diego).
• sbe Entertainment GroupkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with sbe Entertainment Group and Philippe Starck on the Katsuya by Starck restaurant brand. DesignARC has developed locations in Los Angeles, Glendale, Downtown LA, and international expansions.
• !melk landscape architectsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Guggenheim Helsinki museum competition - international design competition entry.
• Martyn Lawrence BullardnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design partner for Hotel Californian project, working alongside DesignARC's architectural services.
• EPT DesignregularTechnology or IntegrationLandscape architecture partner appearing on multiple projects including Alexan Aspect, Alexan Fashion Valley, F11, Imperial Hardware Lofts, and K1 Library Tower.
• Orange Street StudioregularTechnology or IntegrationLandscape architecture partner for Biltmore Colony and other Santa Barbara area projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rockefeller Partners Architects: Los Angeles architectural practice working across custom residential, multi-family, and commercial developments. Comparable scale and California developer clientele.
• Walker Workshop: Los Angeles architecture studio focused on custom residential and small commercial work with a comparable design-forward approach. Similar scale and California-centric geographic footprint to DesignARC.
• ShubinDonaldson: Los Angeles-based architecture firm with a custom residential, hospitality, and commercial portfolio at a similar boutique scale. Directly competes with DesignARC for California developer-led projects.
• Abramson Teiger Architects: Los Angeles-based architecture firm with a custom residential and small commercial portfolio. Comparable boutique scale and Southern California focus.
• Marmol Radziner: Los Angeles-based architecture and interiors firm of comparable size offering custom residential, hospitality, and commercial design. Highly comparable to DesignARC in geographic base, integrated architecture-plus-interiors model, and luxury residential focus.
• Standard Architecture | Design: Los Angeles architecture and design firm known for hospitality, residential, and cultural projects. Comparable boutique size and overlapping hospitality and luxury residential portfolio.
• Backen Gillam & Kroeger: Northern California architecture firm specializing in luxury custom residences, hospitality, and commercial projects. Similar boutique scale, similar residential and hospitality mix, and overlapping developer clientele make it a strong direct peer.

Broad incumbents

• Robert A.M. Stern Architects: Large, established national architecture firm with a hospitality, residential, and mixed-use portfolio. Broader scale and reach than DesignARC but competes for the same luxury residential and hospitality commissions.
• WATG: Large global hospitality and residential architecture firm. Competes with DesignARC on hotel and luxury residential commissions, particularly given DesignARC's international Luxelakes China work.

Regional players

• Martyn Lawrence Bullard Design: Celebrity interior designer who partnered with DesignARC on the Hotel Californian project. Comparable aesthetic and luxury hospitality client base, but focused primarily on interiors rather than full architecture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/designarcla
• Facebookfacebook.com/DesignARC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/designarc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 DesignARC