BOTO Design Architects

What BOTO Design Architects does

BOTO Design Architects is a boutique, founder-owned architecture, acoustic, and interior design practice founded in 1983 by Principal Architect Bret Thoeny in Venice, California. The firm operates studios in Los Angeles and Colorado, with Bret Thoeny registered as an architect in both states, and employs approximately four to eight professionals including a senior project manager, interior designer, and project designer. The firm specializes in six core service areas: commercial architecture (adaptive re-use of industrial buildings, new construction, core/shell), post-production and recording studio facilities (Dolby Atmos screening rooms, Foley stages, dubbing theaters), in-house acoustic design integrated with architectural design, creative office tenant improvements, retail design, and high-end residential.

The firm's value proposition rests on specialized acoustic expertise pioneered through the design of technical recording studios, anchored by the iconic Paisley Park complex for Prince (1985-1988) and subsequent marquee projects for Apple Computer Music Studio, Capitol Records Western Studios, Hans Zimmer, and the Colburn School of Music. Its commercial portfolio emphasizes the warehouse conversion and adaptive re-use movement on LA's Westside, with projects spanning 22,000 SF (Venice Post Office), 25,000 SF (Lucky Chap Entertainment for Margot Robbie), 60,000 SF (The Foundation in Culver City), 98,000 SF (Bixby Properties, Tustin), and 120,000 SF (Jet Center at Hawthorne Airport). The firm orchestrates projects from concept through construction administration.

BOTO generates revenue through professional services fees structured as either a percentage of construction cost or fixed-fee project engagements. Client acquisition is driven by the founder's network, repeat relationships, and referrals rather than active outbound sales or paid marketing, with minimal digital presence limited to an Instagram account. The firm maintains an intentionally small team to deliver principal-led attention on large-scale, technically demanding projects across entertainment production, commercial real estate, and luxury residential clients.

Name

BOTO Design Architects

Legal name

BOTO Design Architects

Website

https://boto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Acoustic design studios
• Interior design services
• Adaptive re-use architecture
• Commercial interior design

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 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 services revenue from architecture, interior design, and design consulting services. Projects range from small retail buildouts to large commercial adaptive re-use projects. Revenue is project-based, typically percentage of construction cost or fixed fee structure.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

BOTO Design Architects is a boutique, full-service architecture, acoustic, and interior design firm providing commercial architecture, post-production facilities, recording studio acoustic design, creative office interior design, retail design, and multi-family residential design. The firm orchestrates the design process from concept through construction, specializing in ground-up commercial buildings, warehouse renovations, creative workspaces, post-production studios, and tenant improvements with in-house acoustic expertise integrated from project start.

Product overview

BOTO Design Architects is a boutique, full-service architecture, acoustic, and interior design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services. The firm's offerings span six core service areas: Commercial Architecture (adaptive re-use, commercial buildings, new buildings, project management), Post-Production Facilities (editing suites, screening rooms, sound stages, dubbing theaters), Acoustic Design & Recording Studios (integrated acoustic design for music and film scoring studios), Creative Office Interior Design (tenant improvements), Retail Design (restaurants, boutiques, galleries), and Residential Multi-Family (live-work lofts, single family homes). The firm orchestrates the design process from concept through construction, specializing in ground-up commercial buildings, warehouse renovations, creative workspaces, post-production studios, and tenant improvements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Architecture Full-service commercial architecture including adaptive re-use of industrial and manufacturing buildings into creative offices, commercial building reconstruction and modernization, new core and shell construction, and project management for commercial clients and property developers.
• Post-Production Facilities Design Design of picture editing facilities including D1 theaters and editorial complexes, special effects stages and motion capture, Dolby Atmos Certified screening rooms, film and editorial show production stages, and sound facilities including dubbing theaters, ADR, and Foley studios for film, TV, and music production companies.
• Acoustic Design and Recording Studios In-house acoustic design integrated with architectural design, covering music recording studio complexes, Dolby Atmos Certified mix control rooms, and isolation rooms and voice-over booths. Specialized capability for recording studios, post-production facilities, and music venues.
• Creative Office Interior Design Full tenant improvement services including test fit plans, full TI drawings, furniture and workstation specification, budgeting, specifications, and ordering and installation supervision for creative office and commercial interiors clients.
• Retail Design Design services for restaurants, coffee shops, clothing boutiques, automotive showrooms, event spaces, art galleries, and gyms. Focused on creating distinctive brand experiences and optimizing retail and hospitality spaces for customer engagement.
• Residential Multi-Family Design Design of live-work lofts and contemporary single family homes, including interior design with finishes, fixtures, furniture specification, ordering and installation. Targeted at high-net-worth individuals seeking custom luxury residential architecture.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup Acoustics: Global engineering and consulting giant with an acoustics practice serving entertainment, cultural, and commercial clients. Competes with BOTO on acoustic expertise for large projects but as part of a much broader services portfolio.
• Olson Kundig: Established design firm with broader national footprint working across residential, commercial, and hospitality — overlaps with BOTO in high-end custom residential and adaptive re-use work, but at much larger scale.
• WATG: Global hospitality, residential, and mixed-use architecture firm with significant LA presence. Overlaps with BOTO on high-end residential and commercial architecture but operates at enterprise scale.

Direct peers

• Assembledge+: LA boutique firm with deep experience in creative office, commercial, and adaptive re-use projects for entertainment and tech clients. Comparable in scale and project mix.
• Walker Workshop: LA boutique architecture firm specializing in adaptive re-use, custom residential, and creative commercial projects in the Westside market. Comparable scale, geography, and project typologies.
• Russ Berger Design Group: Specialist acoustics and architecture firm focused on recording studios, listening rooms, and production facilities. Highly comparable to BOTO's acoustic design + studio architecture offering for entertainment clients.
• Standard Architecture: LA-based boutique architecture firm with a strong portfolio of adaptive re-use, commercial, and creative office projects — directly comparable to BOTO's Westside warehouse conversion practice.
• Sam Toyoshima: Long-tenured boutique firm focused on acoustic design and architecture for music recording, broadcast, and post-production facilities — direct competitor for technical entertainment-facility work.
• WSDG (Walters-Storyk Design Group): WSDG is a leading specialist in recording studio and acoustic design, with integrated architectural and acoustic services — the closest direct peer to BOTO's in-house acoustic capability. Comparable in both client profile (music, film, broadcast) and project type (studios, post-production, immersive audio).
• McKay Conant Brook: Acoustics and audio facility design consultancy serving recording, broadcast, and production clients. Comparable in technical capability though narrower than BOTO's full architectural scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/botodesignarchitects

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 BOTO Design Architects