Mackey Mitchell

What Mackey Mitchell does

Mackey Mitchell Architects is a privately held, full-service architecture firm founded in 1968 by Eugene J. Mackey III and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, with additional offices in Asheville, North Carolina and Dallas, Texas (opened September 2019). The firm specializes in higher education facilities, with a dominant focus on student housing design, student centers, and learning environments, and a secondary practice in health science education facilities and civic/cultural projects such as the Old Cathedral restoration and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum. Notable technical capabilities include expertise in mass timber construction (Adohi Hall at University of Arkansas, the country's first large-scale mass timber residence hall), LEED-certified and Green Globes-certified sustainable design, BIM-based project delivery, and inclusive design for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities through its Learning Environment Innovation practice.

The firm generates revenue exclusively through project-based professional services fees, charging custom, quote-based architecture fees negotiated per engagement with institutional clients rather than any standardized or disclosed pricing. Go-to-market is a direct enterprise field sales motion targeting university presidents, provosts, vice presidents of student affairs, and facilities teams, supplemented by thought-leadership activity at conferences such as ACUHO-I and SWACUHO, project case studies, and community engagement events. The customer base is concentrated in higher education institutions across the Midwest, Northeast, South, Southeast, and Southwest United States, with named clients including Penn State, Notre Dame, University of Arkansas, Syracuse University, Baylor University, Furman University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Southern New Hampshire University, among others.

Operationally, the firm operates as a traditional principal-owned professional services practice with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or external investment. Leadership is structured around multiple Principals and Associate Principals, with President Steve Emer serving as Principal-in-Charge on marquee engagements such as Penn State East Halls. Recent strategic activity has emphasized leadership pipeline development (2025-2026 promotions), expansion of the Learning Environment Innovation practice, and pursuit of large multi-year campus transformations, with the Penn State East Halls contract representing the firm's largest publicly disclosed project to date.

Name

Mackey Mitchell

Legal name

Mackey Mitchell Architects

Website

https://mackeymitchell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mackey Mitchell Architects is a privately held, 56-year-old architecture firm specializing in higher education facility design, with a focus on student housing, student centers, health science education, and learning environment innovation. The St. Louis-based firm serves universities and colleges nationwide from offices in St. Louis, Asheville, and Dallas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG), Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Higher education architecture
• Student housing design
• Architecture services
• Campus facility planning
• Learning environment design

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture fees generated through project-based engagements with universities and colleges for the design of student housing, student centers, health science education facilities, and other academic buildings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mackey Mitchell Architects is a full-service architecture firm specializing in higher education campus environments. The firm delivers planning, programming, and architectural design services for student housing (residence halls and apartment-style living), student centers and unions, health science education facilities (nursing and allied health learning environments), and civic/cultural projects including historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Services span new construction, renovation, and transformation projects nationwide.

Product overview

Mackey Mitchell Architects is a full-service architecture firm specializing in higher education facilities. The firm operates as a single integrated practice rather than a platform-plus-modules structure. Their core service offerings include Student Housing Design (residence halls and apartment-style student living), Student Center Design (unions and social spaces), Health Science Education Facilities (nursing and allied health training environments), and Learning Environment Innovation (inclusive design for diverse learner populations). Projects span new construction, renovation, and transformation of existing campus facilities across multiple university clients nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Housing Design Architecture and design services for student residence halls, including traditional dormitories, apartment-style housing, and mixed-use residential facilities for higher education institutions.
• Student Center Design Design of student unions, student centers, and social spaces that support the living, learning, and social dimensions of campus life.
• Health Science Education Facility Design Specialized architecture for nursing schools, allied health programs, and healthcare training facilities including simulation labs, skills labs, and mock clinical environments.
• Learning Environment Innovation Design practice focused on creating inclusive educational spaces, including facilities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, with emphasis on accessibility and universal design principles.
• Civic and Cultural / Historic Preservation Design Historic preservation and adaptive reuse architecture for civic and cultural institutions including museums, religious buildings, and civic landmarks.
• Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility Design Design of advanced manufacturing and industrial research facilities for higher education, integrating workforce development partnerships with industry leaders (e.g., Missouri Protoplex at Missouri S&T with Boeing, Caterpillar).

Quantifiable outcome

• 4570 students will benefit from Penn State East Halls transformation upon completion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• ClaycocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign-Build Partner for Penn State East Halls Transformation, a $152 million project. Long-standing relationship with shared culture of High Performance Teamwork (HPT).
• DLA+coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of Record for Penn State East Halls project, working alongside Mackey Mitchell on this major transformation.
• Forum StudiosupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLandscape Architect for Penn State East Halls project.
• Sweetland EngineeringsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCivil Engineer for Penn State East Halls project.
• Barton AssociatessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMEP Engineer for Penn State East Halls project.
• Hope Furrer AssociatessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStructural Engineer for Penn State East Halls project.
• Whiting-Turner Contracting CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign Build Contractor for Monadnock Residence Hall at Southern New Hampshire University.
• Lavallee Brensinger ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of Record for Monadnock Residence Hall project.
• Jacobs EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner Architect for Joe Greene Hall and Welcome Center at University of North Texas.
• Linbeck Group, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral Contractor for Kokernot Residence Hall Renovation at Baylor University, partnering on this historic 1947 building renovation.
• Perkins&WillcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign partner for Missouri Protoplex at Missouri S&T, a 117,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing research facility.
• PARICcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction manager for Missouri Protoplex project.
• BoeingflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Industry Launch Team for Missouri Protoplex, contributing to workforce development and industry collaboration in advanced manufacturing.
• CaterpillarflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Industry Launch Team for Missouri Protoplex, helping ensure facility alignment with real-world manufacturing needs.
• Solvus GlobalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Industry Launch Team for Missouri Protoplex, providing expertise in advanced manufacturing technologies.
• VRC Metal SystemsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Industry Launch Team for Missouri Protoplex, contributing to advanced manufacturing research capabilities.
• CORE ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral Contractor for Bullock Residence Hall at Abilene Christian University.
• Forum StudiosupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of Record and Site/Landscape Designer for SCAD Atlanta Residence Hall project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with deep higher education and health science education practices; a current design partner on the Missouri Protoplex project and an indirect competitor for major university commissions.
• SmithGroup: National integrated design firm with a higher education practice spanning student housing, academic buildings, and health science facilities; larger and broader than Mackey Mitchell but competes for similar commissions.
• DLR Group: Large national AE firm with an integrated higher education practice; competes for the same large-scale university campus and student housing projects but with significantly broader service breadth and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• CannonDesign: Large integrated AE firm with a nationally recognized higher education and student housing practice serving flagship university clients; competes directly for the same residence-life and learning-environment commissions as Mackey Mitchell.
• Ayers Saint Gross: Boutique architecture firm specializing in higher education campus design, with deep student housing and residence-life portfolios; closely comparable in size, specialty, and target client base to Mackey Mitchell.
• Hastings+Chivetta Architects: Mid-size architecture firm with a deep higher education and student housing portfolio; comparable in scale and target market, and a direct competitor for university residence-life commissions.
• Shepley Bulfinch: Architecture practice with a longstanding higher education focus, including student housing, academic facilities, and campus planning; competes in the same niche as Mackey Mitchell.
• Hord Coplan Macht: Mid-Atlantic architecture firm with strong higher education and student housing practices, comparable in size and service offering to Mackey Mitchell's student-life portfolio.
• Moody Nolan: Largest African-American-owned architecture firm in the US with a substantial higher education portfolio including student housing and learning environments; comparable in mid-market positioning and university focus.
• DLA+ Architecture & Interior Design: Mid-size architecture and interior design firm with a higher education focus; serves as Architect of Record on Mackey Mitchell-led projects (e.g., Penn State East Halls) and competes for similar university commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MackeyMitchell

Compliance8 records

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 Mackey Mitchell