CORE architecture + design
CORE architecture + design is a Washington, DC-area integrated architecture and interior design firm founded in 1991 that designs restaurants, hotels, music venues, mixed-use developments, and institutional projects for hospitality operators, developers, and government clients across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CORE architecture + design does
CORE architecture + design is an integrated architecture and interior design practice headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, founded in 1991 by Dale Stewart to serve Washington, DC-area hospitality and real estate clients. The firm operates a single, unified practice rather than siloed modules, delivering architecture and interior design across hospitality-driven environments including chef-driven restaurants (Karravaan, Chai Pani, Buena Vida, Summerbird, Silver Diner, Prato), hotel public spaces and F&B (Hilton/Sheraton prototypes), music venues (The Atlantis), adaptive re-use projects (Sangfroid Distilling, Rosedale Community Center), mixed-use and luxury residential developments (The Silva, 2715 Penn/Miradoro), retail flagships (Tuckernuck, Tatte), and institutional work (the D.C. Correctional Treatment Facility Annex with CGL Cos.).
The firm has executed a planned generational leadership transition since Dale Stewart's retirement in October 2023: partners Allison Cooke (Director of Hospitality Design) and David Cheney (Director of Operations) lead the firm, with three Principals (Christopher Peli, Dean Hutchison, Marie Vogt) promoted in August 2024 alongside elevated Finance, IT, and BD Directors. Notable executional credibility comes from collaborative projects with Pritzker Prize-winner Eduardo Souto de Moura (2715 Penn) and global firm Grimshaw (The Silva), alongside hospitality prototypes scaled across multiple operators.
Revenue is generated through project-based professional fees determined by scope, complexity, and square footage, with no standardized pricing and no public fee disclosure. Go-to-market is sales-led and operates on reputation, repeat-client engagement, and earned media (industry rankings, trade publications, awards, public TV). Geographically, the firm is anchored in the Greater Washington DC and Mid-Atlantic markets with project execution across the Northeast and Southeast United States. The firm is a privately held corporation with no disclosed external funding rounds, no parent company, and no public listing.
CORE architecture + design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CORE architecture + design
- Legal name
- CORE architecture + design, inc.
- Website
- https://coredc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CORE architecture + design is a Washington, DC-area integrated architecture and interior design firm founded in 1991 that designs restaurants, hotels, music venues, mixed-use developments, and institutional projects for hospitality operators, developers, and government clients across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CORE architecture + design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural and Interior Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA), Residential Interior Fit-Out (Multi-Family & High-End) (IMAFANAE)
Keywords
Where CORE architecture + design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CORE architecture + design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Professional fees for architectural design, interior design, and design consulting services for restaurants, hotels, bars, retail spaces, residential developments, and institutional projects. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements with fee structures based on scope and complexity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based professional design services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
CORE architecture + design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CORE architecture + design is an integrated architecture and interior design studio delivering full-service design solutions for hospitality, restaurant, hotel, music venue, retail, mixed-use, and adaptive re-use projects. The firm provides project-based professional design services including concept development, architectural design, interior design, and design consulting for clients across the United States, with deep specialization in hospitality-driven environments.
Product overview
CORE architecture + design is an award-winning design studio that operates as a single, integrated architecture and interior design practice rather than a platform with separate modules. The firm provides comprehensive design services across several interconnected practice areas: hospitality and restaurant design (including notable projects like Karravaan, Chai Pani, Florería Atlántico, Silver Diner, Summerbird, and Buena Vida), hotel public spaces, mixed-use and multifamily residential developments, adaptive re-use of historic structures, music venue design (notably The Atlantis), and retail environments. The portfolio spans the greater Washington metropolitan area with projects across the United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hospitality Design Services
- Restaurant Design
- Hotel Public Spaces Design
- Mixed-Use and Multifamily Residential Design
- Adaptive Re-use Design
- Music Venue Design
- Retail Design
- Institutional and Civic Design
- Restaurant Prototype Design
Quantifiable outcome
- 450-capacity venue achieved through innovative design at The Atlantis
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CORE architecture + design
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CORE architecture + design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CORE architecture + design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Park Lights HospitalityflagshipPark Lights Hospitality is expanding Prato Italian restaurant nationally. CORE architecture + design partnered with ReVite and Culinary Creations to design the first Bethesda Row location as part of the national expansion strategy.
- LegendscoreCORE partnered with Legends, a global premium experiences company, to deliver The Maryland Club at XFINITY Center. Legends handles hospitality operations while CORE provided architectural and interior design for the members-only social club.
- CGL Cos.coreCORE and CGL Cos. (justice facilities planning firm) were hired by D.C. to design the Correctional Treatment Facility Annex. The approximately $1.2-1.5 billion project aims to create a modern facility prioritizing safety, human dignity, and rehabilitation.
- The LEE InitiativecoreCORE collaborated with Chef Edward Lee and The LEE Initiative to deliver SHIA, a 2,690 SF non-profit fine dining Korean restaurant at Union Market. The partnership combined innovative design with sustainable practices and social responsibility.
- EastBanccoreEastBanc is the developer for the 2715 Penn (Miradoro) luxury residential project in Georgetown. CORE serves as executive architect alongside Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. The project includes seven luxury residential units and ground-floor retail.
- Ground LVLflagshipGround LVL partnered with CORE to develop Rialto Marketplace, a predesigned modular grab-and-go program for hotels. CORE provides design services for food and beverage spaces using a 'kit of parts' approach with offsite fabrication.
- Silver Falcon CapitalflagshipSilver Falcon Capital invested in and incubated Summerbird, a fast-casual chicken restaurant concept. CORE collaborated on creating a new dining prototype designed for regional and national expansion, establishing a long-term partnership for scaling the brand.
- Sangfroid DistillingflagshipCORE is designing the conversion of a historic Takoma Park bank into a production facility and cocktail bar for Sangfroid Distilling. The project showcases their 16-foot copper still in the landmark building's 27-foot atrium.
- I.M.P.coreI.M.P. is the owner/operator of the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and Lincoln Theatre. CORE partnered with I.M.P. to design The Atlantis, a $10 million 450-capacity music venue replica of the original 9:30 Club. This was a collaborative design partnership for a flagship entertainment venue project.
- Street Guys HospitalityflagshipStreet Guys Hospitality owns Ambar and Buena Vida restaurants. CORE partnered to redesign Buena Vida as a Mexican gastrolounge prototype with unlimited tasting menu concept, designed for expansion to new locations.
- GrimshawflagshipCORE served as executive architect alongside global architecture firm Grimshaw for The Silva, a 172-unit multifamily development. Grimshaw was the lead designer while CORE handled local execution.
- Souto Moura ArquitectosflagshipPritzker Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura serves as designer for 2715 Penn project in Georgetown, with CORE serving as executive architect for local implementation.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CORE architecture + design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- HKS: Major U.S. architecture firm with significant hospitality, sports, and entertainment venue practice. Competitor on large entertainment venue and hotel commissions; HKS's scale and national reach represent the strategic ceiling CORE could pursue through expansion.
- Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a substantial hospitality practice alongside much broader portfolio across corporate, retail, healthcare, and sports. Competes with CORE on large hospitality commissions but operates at vastly greater scale and global footprint.
Direct peers
- CetraRuddy: New York-based architecture and interiors firm with substantial hospitality, residential, and mixed-use practice. Comparable integrated architecture-and-interiors delivery model and similar scale of project commissions across hotel, residential, and adaptive re-use work.
- Streetsense: DC/Bethesda-based experiential design and branding firm with strong hospitality and restaurant practice. Streetsense's integrated real estate, brand, and design services compete directly with CORE for chef-driven restaurant, hotel, and mixed-use clients in the same DC metro market.
- AvroKO: New York-based hospitality design firm with integrated architecture, interiors, and brand strategy for restaurants and hotels. Closest peer to CORE in terms of design-led hospitality specialization, chef-client focus, and brand-storytelling positioning.
- Wimberly Interiors: Hospitality-focused interior design firm (part of WATG) operating globally with deep hotel, resort, and restaurant practice. Direct competitor for hospitality design commissions and recognized in similar industry rankings (Interior Design Giants, etc.).
- Stonehill & Taylor: New York-based architecture and interior design firm with strong hospitality and mixed-use portfolio. Comparable in offering integrated design services and pursuing hotel, residential, and adaptive re-use commissions at similar scale.
- Rottet Studio: Houston- and Los Angeles-based interior design firm specializing in luxury hotels, restaurants, and residential developments. Comparable to CORE in its hospitality-led design approach, integrated architecture/interiors offering, and award-winning project portfolio.
- Baskervill: Richmond-headquartered architecture and interior design firm with a similar hospitality focus and comparable mid-size team. Both firms blend architecture and interior design under one practice and serve F&B, hotel, and mixed-use developers in the Mid-Atlantic region.
- //FOR (formerly Furneax Gilliland): DC-based architecture and interior design studio with hospitality and residential focus, similar size to CORE. Operates in the same regional market with overlapping client types including restaurants, hotels, and multifamily developers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CORE architecture + design social profiles
Digital presenceCORE architecture + design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CORE architecture + design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
CORE architecture + design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CORE architecture + design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CORE architecture + design
What does CORE architecture + design do?
CORE architecture + design is an integrated architecture and interior design studio delivering full-service design solutions for hospitality, restaurant, hotel, music venue, retail, mixed-use, and adaptive re-use projects. The firm provides project-based professional design services including concept development, architectural design, interior design, and design consulting for clients across the United States, with deep specialization in hospitality-driven environments.
Is CORE architecture + design a public or private company?
CORE architecture + design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CORE architecture + design founded?
CORE architecture + design was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CORE architecture + design based?
CORE architecture + design is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does CORE architecture + design make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are CORE architecture + design's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are HKS and Gensler. Direct peers are CetraRuddy, Streetsense, AvroKO, Wimberly Interiors, Stonehill & Taylor, Rottet Studio, Baskervill and //FOR (formerly Furneax Gilliland).
Does CORE architecture + design have an API?
No public API is recorded for CORE architecture + design.
What industry is CORE architecture + design in?
CORE architecture + design's product category is Architectural and Interior Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 8700.