DLA Architects

What DLA Architects does

DLA Architects, Ltd. is a privately held, full-service architectural design firm founded in 1983 by Bruce Dahlquist and Dwain Lutzow, headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. The firm provides end-to-end architectural services spanning design, construction administration, interior design, space planning, and LEED/sustainable design across educational, recreational, cultural, municipal, commercial, and religious building types. Its core specialization is K-12 and higher education facility design, organized around a documented 'Form Follows Learning' philosophy that aligns pedagogy with physical space planning; supporting service lines include facility assessments, master planning, ADA surveys, pre-referendum and CDB grant consulting, and LEED certification support. The firm uses industry-standard design tools, BIM, and sustainable design practices to deliver ground-up construction, additions, and renovations primarily for institutional clients in the Midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana).

DLA generates revenue through project-based professional service fees quoted per engagement, with multi-year contract cadence typical of institutional capital projects. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: partners engage directly with school districts, municipalities, park districts, religious organizations, and private clients from project inception through completion, supported by participation in industry associations (IASBO, ASBO International, AIA, IAPD/IPRA) and conference presence. Customer mix is heavily concentrated in K-12 education, with secondary exposure to municipal, parks & recreation, and faith communities; the firm lists among the Top 300 US architecture firms (Architectural Record, BD+C Giants 300) and Top Midwest Design Firms (ENR Midwest). Leadership transitioned fully from founding partners (Dahlquist retired 2017, Lutzow retired 2020) to current principals Carrie Matlock (President), Eric S. Sickbert (CFO/Director of Operations), Louis F. Noto Jr. (COO), William E. Templin (VP of Quality), and Edward L. Wright (VP of Business Development). The firm has expanded via acquisition (Robert Juris & Associates, September 2023) and capacity expansion (~30% HQ buildout, 2018), with no external funding or public-market activity disclosed.

Name

DLA Architects

Legal name

DLA Architects, Ltd.

Website

https://dla-ltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DLA Architects is a privately held, full-service architectural design firm founded in 1983 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, specializing in K-12 educational facility design under its 'Form Follows Learning' philosophy. The firm serves school districts, municipalities, park districts, and religious organizations across the Midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana) with project-based professional services spanning design, construction administration, and LEED/sustainable design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Educational facility design
• LEED certified design
• Construction administration
• Master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Itasca

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 Design Services: Full-service architectural firm providing comprehensive services from project inception through completion, including design, construction administration, interior design, space planning, and sustainable design services. Revenue generated through professional service fees for renovations, additions, and new construction projects.
2. Assessment & Planning Services: Facility assessments, needs analyses, master planning, feasibility studies, ADA surveys, and educational specifications services. Project-based consulting fees.
3. Funding & Financing Consulting: Pre-referendum services, CDB grant application services, capital campaign planning, and funding opportunity identification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DLA Architects is a full-service architectural firm that designs buildings from concept through completion, including renovations, additions, and ground-up new construction across educational, recreational, cultural, municipal, commercial, and religious sectors. The firm provides design, construction administration, interior design, space planning, sustainable/LEED design, facility assessments, master planning, feasibility studies, ADA surveys, and pre-referendum/funding consulting. Their guiding philosophy, "Form Follows Learning," anchors educational design work, with partners directly involved from inception to project closeout.

Product overview

DLA Architects is a full-service architectural design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of services centered on their core philosophy of 'Form Follows Learning.' The firm provides end-to-end architectural services spanning design, construction administration, interior design, and sustainable/LEED design. Their specialized design categories include Educational Design, Recreational Design, Cultural & Theater Design, Municipal/Governmental Design, Commercial Design, and Religious Design. Supporting services include facility assessments, master planning, ADA surveys, grant writing, pre-referendum services, and a scholarship program for aspiring architects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services End-to-end architectural design for renovations, additions, and new ground-up construction across educational, recreational, cultural, municipal, commercial, and religious sectors, delivered with direct partner involvement from inception through completion.
• Educational Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects frequently receive industry awards and recognition from Learning By Design, American School & University, Illinois Association of School Boards, and AIA
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Robert Juris & Associates Architects, Ltd.major acquisitionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2023Robert Juris & Associates was acquired by DLA Architects, bringing new ideas, skills, and perspectives to the firm. This acquisition expanded DLA's team and capabilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Global architecture and engineering firm with a large Education practice that competes for institutional K-12, higher education, and civic projects nationally. Overlaps with DLA in education but at a much larger scale.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with a large K-12 and higher education practice. Competes for institutional education and municipal design work across the Midwest; substantially larger but with overlapping end markets.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with a nationally recognized Education practice and active K-12 portfolio. Overlaps with DLA on education clients but operates at vastly greater scale and broader geography.
• CannonDesign: Large national architecture/engineering firm with a dedicated Education practice and offices across the Midwest, including Chicago. Competes with DLA on larger K-12 and higher education projects but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth.

Regional players

• Corgan: Texas-based architecture firm with a substantial K-12 practice serving Southwest and national school district clients. Comparable in K-12 specialization but operates in a different primary geography than DLA's Midwest focus.

Direct peers

• Wight & Company: Mid-size Illinois architecture and engineering firm with a substantial K-12 and community education design practice, headquartered in the Chicago suburbs. Comparable in scale and Midwest focus, with similar mixed-segment portfolio.
• LPA Design Studios: Mid-size integrated design firm with a strong K-12 and higher education practice. Comparable in firm size, vertical specialization, and integrated design services to DLA, though geographically focused on the West Coast.
• HMFH Architects: Mid-size New England architecture firm exclusively dedicated to educational facility design. Comparable in size and single-vertical specialization to DLA but serves a different regional market.
• Legat Architects: Illinois-based mid-size architecture firm with a strong K-12 education practice serving Midwest school districts. Most directly comparable peer to DLA in size, geography, vertical specialization, and project delivery model.
• Fanning Howey: Indiana-headquartered architecture firm specializing exclusively in K-12 educational facility design. Closest single-vertical competitor to DLA, with comparable firm size and an established reputation as a Top K-12 design firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dla_architects
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dla-architects-ltd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 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 DLA Architects