What Pope Design Group does

Pope Design Group is a privately held architecture and interior design firm headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1974. The firm provides full-service architecture, interior design, and planning & consulting services, delivered through nine specialized practice studios: Healthcare, Senior Living, Education, Multi-Family Housing, Industrial & Manufacturing, Science & Technology, Workplace, Community & Civic, and Worship. The firm operates from three offices (St. Paul, Duluth, Fargo) and is licensed to provide design services in 37 states, enabling both regional Midwest engagement and national project reach. Its client base is primarily enterprise and institutional, including health systems (Allina Health, CentraCare, Summit Orthopedics), senior living operators (LCS, Vista Prairie, WellSpire), educational institutions (Macalester College, Math and Science Academy), industrial firms (PAR Systems, Swagelok, Force America), and nonprofit and civic organizations (Open Arms of Minnesota, City of Saint Paul).

The firm generates revenue through professional design fees tied to project-based engagements, with pricing determined by project scope, complexity, and market sector rather than published rate cards. Distribution is direct-to-client via enterprise field sales, with no resellers or third-party channels. The firm's go-to-market leverages a 50+ year brand reputation, an established portfolio of award-winning projects (NAIOP, IIDA, Finance & Commerce, MREJ, PSMJ Circle of Excellence), and active involvement in industry associations (MNCREW, MNCAR, AMFP, ULI). Marketing channels include a corporate website, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, email newsletters, industry events, and earned media coverage in regional business publications.

Pope Design Group is woman-owned (40%+ women-owned certification) and holds a WELL Health-Safety Rating for its own office. The firm was rebranded from Pope Architects to Pope Design Group in 2022, coinciding with relocation to the Case Building in St. Paul. Current leadership comprises CEO Ward Isaacson, President Erica Larson (the firm's first female President, effective March 2026), and Vice President & COO Gonzalo Villares. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or parent company.

Name

Pope Design Group

Legal name

Pope Design Group

Website

https://popedesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pope Design Group is a privately held architecture and interior design firm founded in 1974, headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, with offices in Duluth and Fargo. It serves enterprise and institutional clients across healthcare, senior living, education, industrial, and community sectors in 37 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architecture services
• Interior design
• Master planning
• Healthcare facility design
• Senior living design

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Full-service architecture and interior design services delivered on a project-by-project basis. Revenue is generated through professional design fees for architectural and interior design projects across various market sectors.
2. Interior Design Services: Interior design services including space planning, interior environments, and design solutions that support connection, wellness, productivity and sense of belonging.
3. Planning & Consulting Services: Strategic planning, master planning, feasibility studies, and consulting services for organizations defining needs and creating roadmaps for future projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Pope Design Group is a full-service architecture and interior design firm that delivers design solutions for built environments across nine market sectors: Healthcare, Senior Living, Education, Multi-Family Housing, Industrial & Manufacturing, Science & Technology, Workplace, Community & Civic, and Worship. The firm provides architectural design, interior design, and planning & consulting services on a project-by-project basis to enterprise clients, with licensure in 37 states.

Product overview

Pope Design Group is an architecture and interior design firm offering a unified portfolio of services across three core offerings: Architecture Services, Interior Design Services, and Planning & Consulting Services. These are delivered through specialized practice studios covering nine market segments: Education, Healthcare, Multi-Family Housing, Senior Living, Community & Civic, Workplace, Industrial & Manufacturing, Science & Technology, and Worship. The firm operates from three offices (St. Paul MN headquarters, Duluth MN, Fargo ND) with licensure in 37 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full architectural design services creating environments that support how people interact, live, learn, work, heal, and gather. The process centers on understanding client needs through listening, collaboration, research, and thoughtful planning, delivered to enterprise clients across nine market sectors.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services creating environments that support connection, wellness, productivity, and belonging. The process begins with understanding the people who will use the space and the organization's goals, and is delivered through workplace, healthcare, senior living, and other market practices.
• Planning & Consulting Services Strategic planning services including master planning, space needs evaluation, strategic programming, and code compliance guidance to help organizations define needs and create roadmaps for future projects.
• Healthcare Practice Specialized studio designing healthcare facilities including acute care, ambulatory care, behavioral and mental health, medical office buildings, ambulatory surgery centers, critical access hospitals, and evidence-based design for healthcare organizations.
• Senior Living Practice Specialized studio designing senior living communities including full continuum of care campuses, independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, transitional care, and active adult 55+ communities.
• Education Practice Specialized studio designing learning spaces for K-12 public schools, early childhood education, higher education institutions, charter schools, independent and private schools, career & technical education, athletics and aquatics facilities, and performing arts facilities.
• Multi-Family Housing Practice Specialized studio designing multi-family residential projects including affordable housing, market rate apartments, mixed-use developments, luxury 55+ and cooperatives, adaptive reuse, and urban district redevelopment.
• Industrial & Manufacturing Practice Specialized studio designing industrial and manufacturing facilities including speculative shell buildings, manufacturing and production facilities, distribution facilities, advanced manufacturing, agricultural facilities, and automotive facilities.
• Workplace Practice Specialized studio designing workplace environments including office tenant improvements, headquarters and corporate environments, nonprofit organizations, amenity spaces, restaurant and hospitality interiors, and commercial interiors.
• Science & Technology Practice Specialized studio designing high-performance science and technology facilities including semiconductor manufacturing, labs and cleanrooms, medical device manufacturing, aerospace and defense manufacturing, and mission critical and data center facilities.
• Community & Civic Practice Specialized studio designing community and civic facilities including community centers, nonprofit corporate offices and facilities, government offices, recreational/fitness/wellness facilities, aquatics centers, adaptive reuse and redevelopment, public works and maintenance facilities, and park facilities.
• Worship Practice Specialized studio designing faith-based facilities including sacred and spiritual spaces, liturgical design, places of worship, congregational and fellowship facilities, and chapel renovation and expansion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wadaag Commons - First project in Minnesota to receive federal HUD funding appropriation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers44 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Subconsultants and Engineering FirmscoreOthersPope Design Group teams with qualified subconsultants and engineering firms to provide full service to clients while meeting unique project needs. These partnerships allow the firm to offer comprehensive design solutions across all project requirements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Large international architecture firm with deep healthcare and science/technology practices that competes directly with Pope Design Group for major healthcare system and institutional projects in the Midwest.
• HGA Architects and Engineers: Minnesota-headquartered architecture and engineering firm with national reach and larger size, offering integrated design across healthcare, arts, education, and corporate sectors. Broader incumbent competing for the same major healthcare and education projects.

Direct peers

• BKV Group: Minneapolis-based architecture, engineering, and interior design firm of similar size serving multi-family housing, senior living, education, and hospitality markets. Direct competitor with comparable integrated architecture and interiors offering.
• Cuningham Group: Minneapolis-headquartered architecture firm with similar multi-sector practice spanning hospitality, healthcare, education, and entertainment. Comparable size and Midwest headquarters with national project delivery.
• RSP Architects: Minneapolis-based architecture firm with comparable scale serving commercial, healthcare, and senior living clients. Direct competitor in the same regional market with overlapping sector practices.
• TKDA: Saint Paul-based architecture, engineering, and planning firm serving similar markets including industrial, education, transit, and public infrastructure across the Midwest. Comparable in size, regional concentration, and integrated services model.
• WSB: Minnesota-based engineering, architecture, and planning firm of comparable scale serving public infrastructure, transportation, and commercial development across the Midwest. Similar integrated services and regional concentration.
• LHB: Minneapolis-based architecture and engineering firm of comparable size serving healthcare, education, senior living, and industrial clients across the Upper Midwest. Directly comparable in scale, regional focus, and multi-sector practice structure.
• MSR Design (MSR Group): Minneapolis-based architecture firm specializing in public, cultural, and educational buildings. Comparable size and regional positioning with similar emphasis on community-oriented projects and integrated design services.

Regional players

• Wendt Sterling: Minnesota-based architecture and interior design firm of comparable scale serving healthcare, senior living, and commercial markets. Closely comparable in size, regional focus, and integrated design practice structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/popedesigngroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/popedesigngroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pope-design-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/popedesigngroup

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Pope Design Group