What Becker Architects does

Becker Architects is a privately held, founder-owned architecture firm established in 1982 in New York City by Richard and Nancy Becker, both AIA-credentialed Syracuse University graduates with prior training at Skidmore Owings and Merrill. The firm relocated to Highland Park, Illinois in 1989 and now operates as a full-service practice serving three primary customer segments: homeowners (residential new construction, rehabs, additions, and historic preservation on Chicago's North Shore), automobile dealership operators (over 30 projects completed since the mid-1990s for major manufacturers across the Chicago and Milwaukee metro areas), and commercial clients (ground-up buildings, tenant build-outs, retail, office, medical, restaurant, and fitness facilities).

The firm delivers a comprehensive service stack spanning site selection, programming, zoning studies, schematic design, 3D studies, renderings, interior coordination, construction documents, contractor selection, bidding, and construction administration. The underlying technology is described as standard architectural tools and methodologies with no proprietary technology stack. The firm is licensed in six states (Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin) and holds LEED AP BD+C credentialing on staff.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees determined per engagement based on scope and complexity, with no public pricing tiers, retainer arrangements, or recurring contracts disclosed. GTM is direct-to-client via project inquiries, supplemented by referral channels (Houzz, Franklin Report, past clients, contractors) and earned media (third-party rankings from Expertise, BuildZoom, HGTV Dream House feature). The firm has earned 12 Highland Park Historic Preservation Commission awards since 1991, the 2012 AIA Design Excellence Award, 2011 Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award, and cover features in Smithsonian's Preservation Magazine, AIA's ARCHITECTURE Magazine, and AIA Chicago's Chicago Architect publication. The firm has 1-10 employees and is independently operated with no institutional investment or parent company.

Name

Becker Architects

Legal name

Becker Architects Ltd

Website

https://beckerarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Becker Architects is a privately held, founder-owned architecture firm based in Highland Park, Illinois, providing full-service residential, auto dealership, and commercial architectural design across six U.S. states, with 40+ years of practice and recognized expertise in historic preservation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Residential architecture services
• Auto dealership design
• Commercial architecture services
• Historic preservation design
• Tenant build-out design

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services for residential, auto dealership, and commercial projects. Services include site selection, programming, zoning studies, schematic design, 3D studies, renderings, interiors, construction documents, contractor selection, bidding, and construction administration. Fees are quote-based per project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Becker Architects is a full-service architecture firm providing end-to-end design services across three practice areas: residential architecture (new construction, rehabs, additions, historic preservation), auto dealership design (over 30 projects for major manufacturers), and general commercial work (retail, office, tenant build-outs, restaurants, fitness centers). Engagements run from site selection and zoning studies through schematic design, 3D studies, renderings, construction documents, contractor selection, bidding, and construction administration. The firm is licensed in Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin, with LEED AP BD+C credentialing on staff.

Product overview

Becker Architects is a full-service architecture firm offering three core service areas: Residential Architecture Services (new construction, rehabs, additions), Auto Dealership Architecture (designing over 30 dealerships across major manufacturers), and General Commercial Architecture (new buildings, tenant build-outs, retail, office spaces). The firm provides comprehensive architectural services including site selection, programming, zoning studies, feasibility studies, schematic design, 3D studies, renderings, interiors, construction documents, contractor selection, bidding and construction administration. They are licensed in Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin, with LEED AP on staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architecture Services Full-service residential architectural design including new construction, complete rehabilitation, additions, and renovations for single-family homes, with deep specialization in historic preservation, mid-century modern rehabs, modern design, and empty nester homes. Primarily serves homeowners in the Chicago metropolitan area.
• Auto Dealership Architecture Design of automobile dealerships including new construction and renovations for major manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, and Volvo. Services cover manufacturer design compliance, showroom design, service center build-outs, and dealer-specific zoning navigation.
• General Commercial Architecture Commercial architectural services for business owners, tenants, and facility managers, including ground-up buildings, tenant build-outs, retail stores, offices, medical offices, condominiums, restaurants, and fitness centers. Recent projects span Chipotle, Bake 425, Uncle Dan's flagship, TBF Financial HQ, and Jim Karas Intelligent Fitness & Wellness.
• Full Architectural Service Package End-to-end architectural service package covering site selection, programming, zoning studies, feasibility studies, schematic design, 3D studies, renderings, interiors, construction documents, contractor selection, bidding, and construction administration, applied across the firm's residential, auto dealership, and commercial practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 Highland Park Historic Preservation Commission awards since 1991
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Legat Architects: Legat Architects is a Midwest-based design firm with practices in K-12, higher education, civic, and commercial work - a comparable scale and regional base that competes for similar commercial-tenant and institutional work in Chicagoland.
• Ware Malcomb: Ware Malcomb is a commercial architecture firm known for retail, office, and dealership facility design, with multi-state coverage similar in spirit to Becker's licensed-state footprint. Comparable in the commercial/auto-dealer overlap.
• Cordogan Clark: Cordogan Clark is an Indiana/Chicago-area architecture firm with automotive dealership and retail commercial work - a direct competitor in the auto-dealer specialty segment where Becker has built its 30+ project track record.
• BKV Group: BKV Group is a multi-state architecture, engineering and interior design firm serving commercial, retail, multi-family and hospitality clients - directly comparable to Becker's commercial-plus-interior design offering and multi-state practice.
• FGM Architects: FGM Architects is an Illinois-based, mid-sized architectural firm with K-12, civic and recreation practices; comparable in scale and Midwest geography, competing for similar commercial and tenant-improvement mandates.
• Nadel Architects: Nadel Architects is a mid-sized California-based architectural firm offering full-service design across residential, commercial, retail and auto dealership projects - directly comparable to Becker's three-pillar residential/commercial/auto dealership service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Wight & Company: Wight & Company is a significantly larger architecture, engineering and construction firm based in Illinois, with breadth across commercial, civic, and transportation work - a broad incumbent that competes for the same commercial-tenant commissions that Becker pursues.
• SmithGroup: SmithGroup is a large national integrated architecture and engineering firm that competes for commercial and institutional commissions across Becker's multi-state licensed footprint; broadly comparable in practice diversity, much larger in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/richardbeckeraia
• Instagraminstagram.com/beckerarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Becker Architects