What CM Kling + Associates does

CM Kling + Associates is a privately held architectural lighting design firm founded in 1980 by Candace "Candy" Kling and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with a secondary office in Mexico City (CDMX) opened around 2021 under Director Maria del Pilar Toro-Ortiz. The firm provides comprehensive lighting design consulting across architectural interiors and exteriors, site and landscape lighting, master planning, daylight analysis, photometric calculations, LEED and sustainable lighting design, integrated lighting controls, custom fixture development, and theatrical and production lighting, delivering these services through a BIM 360/Revit-based workflow with bridging documents and physical mockups. Its client base spans hospitality (Watergate Hotel, InterContinental Wharf, Phoenician, Boston Park Plaza), corporate headquarters (2U, Sands Capital Management, American Greetings), convention centers and stadiums (Las Vegas Convention Center, Music City Center, BC Place, Walter E. Washington Convention Center), government facilities (US Consulate Monterrey, Army National Guard Readiness Center), and higher education (Virginia Tech).

The firm operates a project-based professional services model, generating revenue from design fees scoped per engagement, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Go-to-market is anchored in B2B relationships with architects, landscape architects, developers, and end-client organizations, supplemented by award-driven visibility (multiple IES, IALD, and AIA awards including a 2023 IES Monumental Award) and leadership participation in IALD and IES. Leadership includes David C. Ghatan (President; former IALD President 2018–2019; 29th CLD-certified designer) and a multi-disciplinary team with architecture, engineering, interior design, and theatrical backgrounds. The firm reports 1–10 employees in firmographics but lists approximately 15+ named staff across both offices, indicating a boutique studio structure.

Underlying technology is conventional AEC tooling (Autodesk Revit, BIM 360) augmented by photometric calculation software, daylight analysis, and physical mockup processes, with custom luminaire design and development as a specialized capability. The firm does not disclose proprietary software, patents, AI/ML capabilities, or SaaS products, and has no external funding rounds, parent company, or acquisition history, remaining an independent private practice. Its sister entity Pixelumen Lab provides affiliated technical capacity and serves as a feeder for senior hires such as Benjamin Sullivan.

Name

CM Kling + Associates

Legal name

CM KLING + ASSOCIATES

Website

https://cmkling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CM Kling + Associates is a privately held architectural lighting design firm founded in 1980, headquartered in Alexandria, VA with a Mexico City office, serving enterprise clients across hospitality, corporate, government, convention, and education sectors with project-based design and consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Lighting Design

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting) (IMAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Architectural lighting design
• Interior lighting design
• Landscape lighting design
• Lighting controls design
• Sustainable lighting design

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 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 Lighting Design Services: Professional consulting services for comprehensive architectural lighting design across interior, exterior, site, landscape, and specialized applications. Revenue generated through project-based design fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CM Kling + Associates is an architectural lighting design firm that creates comprehensive interior, exterior, site, and landscape lighting design for buildings and spaces across hospitality, corporate, government, cultural, convention, stadium, and residential sectors. The firm delivers project-based professional design services including LEED/sustainable lighting, integrated lighting controls, daylight analysis, photometric calculations, custom fixture design and development, mockups, and Revit/BIM 360 modeling from schematic through post-construction.

Product overview

CM Kling + Associates is an architectural lighting design firm offering comprehensive lighting design services rather than a software product company. Their portfolio consists of specialized service offerings including Architectural Interior and Exterior Lighting Design, Site and Landscape Lighting Design, LEED and Sustainable Lighting Design, Integrated Controls and System Design, Daylight Design and Analysis, Photometric Calculations, Master Planning, Revit Modeling and BIM 360, Mockup services, Custom Fitting Design, Custom Fixture Development, and Theatrical, Production and Tech Lighting Design. These services are delivered as professional consulting offerings across diverse project types including hospitality, corporate, residential, government, cultural, and mixed-use developments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pixelumen Lab: Sister company to CM KLING; mentioned in team bios as the source of freelance technical expertise for architectural design before team members joined CM KLING.

Products and services

• Architectural Interior and Exterior Lighting Design Comprehensive lighting design services for building interiors and exteriors delivered to enterprise clients in hospitality, corporate, government, cultural, convention, and mixed-use sectors as part of integrated design teams.
• Site and Landscape Lighting Design Outdoor lighting design for sites, landscapes, public spaces, walkways, and building facades delivered alongside master planning and landscape architecture collaborators.
• LEED and Sustainable Lighting Design Lighting design services engineered to support LEED certification objectives and sustainable building practices for institutional and corporate clients.
• Integrated Controls and System Design Design of lighting control systems including automated controls, dimming, programmable scenes, RGB color-changing, daylight harvesting, and integration with building management systems.
• Daylight Design and Analysis Analysis and design services integrating natural daylight with artificial lighting to optimize visual comfort, human-centric outcomes, and energy efficiency.
• Master Planning Comprehensive lighting master planning for large-scale developments and campuses establishing design standards and implementation frameworks for owners and developers.
• Custom Fixture Design and Development Design and development of bespoke lighting fixtures and fittings tailored to specific project requirements, working with manufacturers and fabricators to produce custom luminaires including custom glass chandeliers and signature installations.
• Theatrical, Production and Tech Lighting Design Theatrical and entertainment lighting design for performing arts venues, productions, exhibits, and events alongside architectural applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,500 completed projects since 1980
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pixelumen LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPixelumen Lab is described as CMK's sister company. Ben Sullivan transitioned from freelance work with Pixelumen Lab before joining CM KLING. The relationship appears to be affiliated companies within the lighting design ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design: Direct peer boutique architectural lighting design firm headquartered in New York, serving hospitality, cultural, and high-end commercial projects with a comparable multi-disciplinary team approach.
• Tillotson Design Associates: Boutique architectural lighting design practice with deep museum, cultural, and institutional experience; competes with CMK for premium cultural and performing arts projects.
• HLB Lighting Design: Direct peer in architectural lighting design, recognized for cultural, museum, and large-scale commercial work; one of CMK's most direct competitors in the U.S. premium market.
• Fisher Marantz Stone: Long-established New York-based architectural lighting design firm with a comparable portfolio across cultural, civic, and high-profile commercial projects and a similar award-driven reputation.
• Brandston Partnership: Long-standing New York-based architectural lighting consultancy, comparable in scope and clientele to CMK, with similar award-recognized projects in hospitality and cultural sectors.
• Lighting Design Alliance: Architectural lighting design firm with a comparable mix of commercial, hospitality, and large-format projects, including convention center and casino work that overlaps with CMK's portfolio.
• Cooley Monato Studio: Architectural lighting design firm with a comparable mix of hospitality, cultural, and commercial work, often cited alongside CMK in IALD and IES award circles.
• Pivotal Lighting Design: Boutique architectural lighting design firm that competes for similar hospitality, commercial, and cultural commissions; matches CMK on a services-only, project-based model.
• Available Light: Boutique architectural lighting design firm with a comparable project-based services model focused on commercial, cultural, and educational facilities.

Broad incumbents

• SmithGroup (Lighting Studio): Large integrated AEC firm that maintains an in-house lighting design capability, competing for similar projects as part of a broader architecture/engineering portfolio rather than as a pure specialty practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmklinglighting
• Facebookfacebook.com/cmkling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 CM Kling + Associates