MCLA Architectural Lighting Design

What MCLA Architectural Lighting Design does

MCLA Architectural Lighting Design, founded in 1996 by Maureen Moran and headquartered at 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street NW in Washington, DC, is a privately held professional services firm that provides specialized architectural lighting design for interior and exterior environments. The firm develops integrated lighting solutions intended to reveal and enhance architecture, working as a consulting member of the design team alongside architects, developers, and facility owners. Service scope spans education, hospitality, museums and exhibits, commercial office, historic preservation, healthcare and science, government and institutional, transportation, and retail projects. Named client work includes the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Department of Justice, Johns Hopkins University, MGM National Harbor, Capital One, Miami Cancer Institute, and Georgetown University, with projects executed across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, South and the firm has completed at least one project in Beijing, China.

The firm's technical stack comprises industry-standard design and simulation tools (AutoCAD for computer-aided drafting, Revit for BIM-based documentation, and AGi32 for lighting calculations and daylight simulations) rather than proprietary technology. The firm holds multiple certifications relevant to institutional procurement: WBENC national certification, District of Columbia Certified Business Enterprise (Small and Local), Maryland DOT Minority Business Enterprise, and MWAA certification. MCLA has accumulated recognition including IES DC Candela Awards, IIDA MAC Awards, NAIOP Best of the Best Interiors, IALD Awards of Merit, and AIA COTE Top Ten Green Projects on LEED Platinum and LEED Gold credentials.

Revenue is generated entirely through project-based professional services fees for lighting design consulting on a per-project basis, with pricing negotiated by scope. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales: MCLA operates as a design-team subcontractor to top architecture firms and responds to project-based RFPs and direct developer and institutional inquiries. The firm is currently led by principals Sarah Wujcik and Frank Feist, both identified as proteges of founder Moran, with an additional senior designer (Kate Fuller, IALD), associate designer, and rotating special-team participants (e.g., Dr. Elif Tural from Virginia Tech). MCLA has no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity. The company has 11-50 employees per firmographic data.

Name

MCLA Architectural Lighting Design

Legal name

MCLA, Inc.

Website

https://mcla-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MCLA Architectural Lighting Design is a Washington, DC-based professional services firm founded in 1996 that provides interior and exterior architectural lighting design consulting for architects, developers, and institutional clients across education, hospitality, government, healthcare, and cultural projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Lighting Design Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Architectural lighting design
• Lighting consulting services
• Interior lighting design
• Exterior lighting design
• Sustainable lighting solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Lighting Design Services: Project-based professional services for architectural lighting design, including interior and exterior lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, and hospitality projects. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for design services on individual projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MCLA is an architectural lighting design firm that creates integrated interior and exterior lighting solutions that reveal and enhance the architecture of buildings. The firm provides professional lighting design consulting services across project types including educational facilities, performing arts buildings, historic preservation, museums and exhibits, retail, restaurants, hotels and resorts, conference centers, libraries, healthcare facilities, and sustainable/LEED projects. Services span the full range of lighting design from concept through implementation, delivered in collaboration with architects, developers, and facility owners.

Product overview

MCLA is an architectural lighting design firm that provides integrated lighting solutions for architectural spaces. The firm offers design services for interior and exterior lighting across diverse project types including educational facilities, performing arts buildings, historic preservation, museums, retail, restaurants, hotels, resorts, conference centers, libraries, and sustainable design projects. Their services encompass the full range of lighting design from concept through implementation, working with architects and development teams to enhance architectural visions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Lighting Design Services
• Commercial Office Lighting Design
• Educational Facility Lighting Design
• Hospitality Lighting Design
• Museum and Cultural Institution Lighting Design
• Historic Preservation Lighting Design
• Healthcare and Science Facility Lighting Design
• Government and Institutional Lighting Design
• Sustainable and LEED Lighting Design

Quantifiable outcome

• LEED Platinum certification achieved for University of Baltimore Law Center (2014)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Perkins+WillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024MCLA collaborated with Perkins+Will on the Georgetown Law Hart Auditorium project, which received IIDA MAC Awards recognition including Higher Ed and Pinnacle Award. This represents an ongoing collaborative relationship with a major global architecture firm.
• SmithGroupJJRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple project collaborations including Canopy by Hilton at The Wharf (LEED Gold), Georgetown University Harvey Amphitheater, and MGM National Harbor projects.
• Studios ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration on projects including Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies (AIA Honor Award winner) and United Nations Foundation (LEED Gold).
• HOKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject collaboration on D.C. Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (LEED Platinum), National Cancer Institute, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (LEED Gold) projects.
• Ayers Saint Gross ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on University of Baltimore Law Center (LEED Platinum, AIA COTE Top Ten) and Salisbury University projects.
• Behnisch ArchitektencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on University of Baltimore Law Center (Design Architect) and University of Baltimore Library projects.
• Hartman-Cox ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on E9 Beijing Class A commercial building project.
• Gallagher & AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on National Museum of Health and Medicine and Tennessee State Museum exhibit design projects.
• Pickard Chilton/Cooper CarryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Avocet Tower project in Bethesda, Maryland.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MCLAlighting
• Facebookfacebook.com/MCLA.Lighting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 MCLA Architectural Lighting Design