What SGW Architecture & Design does

SGW Architecture & Design is a private, Chicago-headquartered architecture, planning, and interior design firm founded in 1994, with a secondary office in New York at 79 Madison Avenue. The firm delivers integrated architectural, interior, and entitlements/zoning services across residential, commercial, and adaptive-reuse projects, with deep specialization in self-storage facility design (38+ projects for Metro Self-Storage alone) and complex land-use approvals across multiple jurisdictions. Its client base spans national self-storage operators (Metro, ExtraSpace, Life Storage, Safeguard), franchise systems in healthcare and cannabis retail (The Joint Chiropractic, Greenlight Cannabis), multi-family developers (Belgravia Group), and enterprise corporates (Mars Wrigley long-term HQ engagement), with project work executed under fee-based engagements tied to construction value or fixed project scope.

The business operates on a project-by-project professional services model: revenue is generated through design and architecture fees, entitlement consulting, and interior design services, with no disclosed productized or recurring-revenue component. Geographic reach is supported by architectural registration across 28 states, enabling multi-state franchise rollouts. The firm is recognized through 70+ industry awards and publications in national outlets including Architectural Record, and is led by principals who hold board positions in industry organizations.

The firm's competitive position rests on entitlements expertise, franchise-prototype design capabilities, and long-tenured operator relationships. Notable recent strategic activity includes simultaneous nationwide rollouts — 27 The Joint Chiropractic clinics in 5 markets within one year and 23+ Greenlight Cannabis dispensaries across 6 states — alongside the completion of the CA-X project (delivery early 2024) and continued enterprise work for Mars Wrigley. The firm does not publicly disclose revenue, and no funding, acquisition, or AI/technology initiatives are noted in the available data.

Name

SGW Architecture & Design

Legal name

SGW Architecture & Design

Website

https://sgwarch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SGW Architecture & Design is a Chicago- and New York-based architecture firm founded in 1994, specializing in self-storage facilities, entitlements, and commercial, residential, and franchise-prototype design for enterprise clients across 28 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design firm
• Self-storage facility design
• Multi-family residential architecture
• Urban master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture & Design Services: SGW generates revenue through professional architecture and interior design fees for residential, commercial, mixed-use, and hospitality projects. Services span master planning, entitlements, architectural design, construction documents, and interior design. Projects range from single-family custom homes to large-scale multi-building developments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SGW Architecture & Design is a professional services firm that delivers architecture, planning, and interior design services for residential, commercial, mixed-use, hospitality, and self-storage projects. Services span master planning, entitlements and zoning variance navigation, architectural design, construction documents, and interior design, executed for enterprise developer clients, corporate users, and individual custom-home owners.

Product overview

SGW Architecture & Design is a Chicago-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services. The firm operates three primary service lines: Residential Design Services (custom single-family homes, multi-family apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and mixed-use developments), Commercial Design Services (specializing in self-storage facilities, corporate interiors, and retail spaces), and Interior Design Services (hospitality venues, corporate offices, and residential interiors). Notable projects include the Water Street Naperville mixed-use district ($100 million), Peoria Green luxury condominiums, and CA6/CX-X condominium buildings for the Belgravia Group. The firm is recognized as an industry specialist in self-storage facility design with projects spanning multiple states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Design Services Comprehensive residential architecture services for single-family custom homes, multi-family apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and mixed-use developments serving developers and private clients across Chicago and surrounding markets.
• Commercial and Self-Storage Design Services Commercial architecture services specializing in self-storage facilities (new construction, conversions, retrofits), corporate interiors, and retail build-outs. Includes entitlements navigation, design development, and construction document services for self-storage operators and corporate tenants.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services for hospitality venues, corporate offices, multi-family residential units, and single-family homes, including space planning, finish selection, and custom millwork design.
• Master Planning and Urban Design Services Urban planning and master plan development services for mixed-use districts, downtown redevelopment corridors, and new urbanist communities such as the Lemont Canal Redevelopment along the I & M Canal corridor.
• Greenlight Dispensary Design Services Design services for cannabis retail dispensary locations and cultivation facilities, with 23+ completed locations for the Greenlight brand across six states.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered 27 new clinic locations within one year for The Joint healthcare provider
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brininstool + Lynch: Chicago architecture firm working across custom residential, multi-family, and commercial adaptive reuse. Similar scale and design sensibility to SGW, with overlapping clientele in Chicago's urban neighborhoods.
• Antunovich Associates: Chicago architecture firm with strong portfolio in luxury residential, multi-family, and mixed-use developments. Competes directly with SGW for high-end condo and boutique developer mandates in Chicago.
• Studio ARQ: Chicago architecture firm focused on residential, multi-family, and commercial work of similar character to SGW. Comparable size and target client base of developers and private clients.
• Eckenhoff Saunders: Mid-sized Chicago architecture firm with deep multi-family residential, mixed-use, and urban infill expertise. Comparable in size and developer-client base to SGW.
• Pappageorge Haymes Partners: Chicago-based architecture firm of comparable size, focused on multi-family residential, mixed-use, and urban infill projects across the Midwest. Directly competes with SGW for developer mandates in the same geographic and project-type sweet spot.
• Booth Hansen: Established Chicago architecture firm specializing in mixed-use, residential, hospitality, and commercial projects. Similar size and project profile to SGW, competing for many of the same West Loop and downtown Chicago developer clients.
• OKW Architects: Chicago architecture firm with multi-family residential, mixed-use, and commercial expertise. Similar size and developer-client orientation as SGW, frequently competing for Midwest urban infill projects.
• LB Architects: Chicago-based architecture firm with experience in mixed-use, residential, and commercial projects. Similar size and project mix to SGW.
• Wheeler Kearns Architects: Chicago architecture firm with strong custom residential, multi-family, and interiors practice. Comparable in size and creative approach to SGW, often competing for the same luxury residential and small developer mandates.
• bKL Architecture: Chicago architecture firm with a focus on multi-family residential, mixed-use, and urban development. Comparable scale and developer relationships to SGW.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sgw-architecture-design
• Facebookfacebook.com/SGWArchitecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/sgwarch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXqzIJlN-ZxjU9B8W0lRm-Q

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 SGW Architecture & Design