Design Development Architects

What Design Development Architects does

Design Development Architects is a privately held, full-service architectural firm founded in 1986 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, serving clients across North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama. The firm employs approximately 10 professionals spanning architects, designers, construction administrators, business development, and administration, and delivers the complete architectural lifecycle — pre-design and programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, master planning, interior fit-ups, visualization via BIM (Revit and Enscape), and construction administration. Its revenue model is project-based professional services with scope-dependent pricing, acquired through direct client engagement, industry event participation, and a portfolio-driven digital presence.

The firm specializes in three primary verticals: faith-based facilities (churches and religious organizations), educational environments (K-12 and higher education campuses), and commercial/retail design (franchise restaurants, retail stores, offices, car washes, and performing arts venues). Notable repeat enterprise clients include Tri-Arc Foods/Bojangles (40+ restaurants), Goodwill/GCF (38 stores), First Watch (20+ locations), and American Pride Carwash (8 locations), alongside institutional clients such as Welch College, Meredith College, and multiple charter schools. Customer relationships commonly span 10+ years, and franchise work has produced standardized, repeatable design systems.

Design Development Architects operates with no parent company, no disclosed institutional investors, and no subsidiaries. Leadership is concentrated in long-tenured principals — founder Jim Sherrer (since 1986), Tom Wells (since 1988), and Les Murray (since 1998) — and the firm emphasizes relationship-driven collaboration, transparent communication, and visualization-rich client experiences as core differentiators in a regional professional services market.

Name

Design Development Architects

Legal name

Design Development Architects

Website

https://designdevelopment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Development Architects is a privately held, full-service architectural firm founded in 1986 in Raleigh, NC, serving faith-based, educational (K-12 and higher ed), and commercial/retail clients across the Southeastern United States with approximately 10 team members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Building information modeling
• Campus master planning
• Construction administration
• Commercial architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based professional services encompassing the full architectural design lifecycle from pre-design and programming through schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and permitting, construction administration, and post-occupancy services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Design Development Architects is a full-service architectural firm providing comprehensive building design, pre-design and programming, master planning, interior fit-ups and interior design, BIM-based 3D visualization, and construction administration services. The firm specializes in faith-based facilities, K-12 and higher education campuses, and commercial/retail projects (franchise restaurants, retail stores, offices, automotive facilities) for enterprise clients across Eastern North Carolina and the broader Southeast.

Product overview

Design Development Architects is a full-service architectural firm offering a comprehensive suite of services including Architecture & Building Design, Pre-design & Programming, Land & Master Planning, Interior Fit-Ups & Interior Design, Visualization & Computer Modeling (BIM), and Construction Administration. The firm specializes in three primary project categories: Faith-Based Facilities (churches and religious spaces), Educational Environments (K-12 and higher education), and Commercial & Retail Design (office, restaurant, healthcare, automotive, and hospitality sectors). The company uses Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology for 3D visualization and renderings. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Raleigh, NC, the firm serves clients throughout North Carolina and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture & Building Design Complete architectural services supporting projects from initial concept sketches through construction, creating functional and thoughtful designs that reflect client vision and needs across faith-based, educational, and commercial sectors.
• Pre-design & Programming Architectural programming that sets the foundation for successful design by identifying building goals, space needs, and functional requirements, anticipating future growth to create efficient buildings.
• Land & Master Planning Master planning services shaping long-term growth and development of educational, institutional, and workplace environments through site analysis, program requirements, concept development, circulation planning, and phased implementation.
• Interior Fit-Ups & Interior Design Transformation of raw or existing spaces into interiors reflecting client identity and purpose, from concept development through construction, for franchise restaurants, offices, retail stores, and specialty commercial spaces.
• Visualization & Computer Modeling (BIM) Building Information Modeling creating fully coordinated 3D models combined with 3D renderings, animations, and fly-through videos for project visualization, stakeholder presentations, fundraising, and marketing.
• Construction Administration Construction administration services ensuring smooth transition from design to reality through regular meetings, field visits, change order management, submittal review, and detailed communication with clients and contractors.
• Faith-Based Facilities Design Design services for churches and religious facilities including worship spaces, sanctuaries, fellowship halls, classrooms, children's ministry spaces, and campus master planning with attention to spiritual vision, acoustics, and lighting.
• Educational Environments Design Design of educational environments for K-12 schools, charter schools, and higher education institutions including campus master plans, classroom wings, athletic facilities, performing arts spaces, and specialized learning environments.
• Commercial & Retail Design Commercial and retail environments including office spaces, franchise restaurants, retail stores, museums, medical clinics, fitness studios, car washes, automotive shops, warehouses, and performing arts venues for franchise and enterprise clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 Bojangles restaurants and 38 Goodwill stores designed across multiple franchise markets, demonstrating repeat enterprise client trust
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Tri-Arc Foods (Bojangles Franchise)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing franchise restaurant architect for Tri-Arc Foods, the Bojangles franchise operator. DDA has designed over 40 Bojangles restaurants across NC, VA, and AL markets. The relationship involves recurring new construction and fit-up projects on an ongoing basis.
• Goodwill/GCF (Eastern North Carolina)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate architect for Goodwill/GCF (Guilford County Foundation) in Eastern North Carolina. DDA has constructed, outfitted, and renovated 38 Goodwill retail stores across the region, representing a long-term, recurring engagement.
• First WatchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect for multiple First Watch restaurant fit-ups across Eastern North Carolina and Virginia markets. The relationship involves standardized restaurant design with the firm's signature urban farm aesthetic across 20+ locations.
• American Pride CarwashmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate architect for American Pride Carwash in the North Carolina market. DDA works with American Pride to create attractive buildings incorporating their advanced car cleaning technology and biodegradable solutions, with 8 locations designed.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• EwingCole: EwingCole is an East Coast architecture and engineering firm with practices in education, healthcare, commercial, and cultural sectors. Comparable to DDA as a broader incumbent serving institutional and commercial clients in overlapping Mid-Atlantic and Southeast geographies.
• CannonDesign: CannonDesign is a large national architecture, engineering, and interiors firm with deep K-12 and higher education practices. Comparable to DDA as a broad incumbent in education and commercial design with the scale to handle multi-site franchise and campus rollouts.
• Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a global architecture firm with strong higher education, K-12, and commercial practices. Comparable to DDA as a broad incumbent in the same education and commercial verticals, particularly relevant where sophisticated institutional clients select design partners.
• Little Diversified Architectural Consulting: Little is a larger North Carolina-headquartered architecture and design firm with national reach across workplace, healthcare, education, and retail. Comparable to DDA as a broader incumbent with overlapping NC base, education/retail practice areas, and franchise rollout experience.

Direct peers

• LS3P: LS3P is a Southeast-based architecture, interiors, and planning firm with offices across the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Directly comparable to DDA in its regional Southeastern focus, multi-vertical practice (education, commercial, healthcare), and full-service delivery model.
• Clark Nexsen: Clark Nexsen is a North Carolina-headquartered architecture and engineering firm serving the Southeast with strong K-12, higher education, and civic portfolios. Directly comparable to DDA in its NC base, education emphasis, and Southeast geographic reach.
• Stewart Inc. Stewart is a Southeast architecture, engineering, and planning firm headquartered in Raleigh, NC with strong K-12 and higher education practices. Comparable to DDA in NC base, education vertical depth, and multi-disciplinary full-service approach.
• McMillan Pazdan Smith: McMillan Pazdan Smith is a Southeast architecture firm with offices in the Carolinas and Tennessee focused on education, civic, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Directly comparable to DDA's regional Southeast orientation, education specialization, and multi-vertical mix.
• Ratio Design: Ratio is a design firm with offices across the Midwest and Southeast, including North Carolina, focused on education, civic, and commercial work. Comparable to DDA in its multi-state footprint, education/religious/civic expertise, and relationship-driven culture.
• HagerSmith Design: HagerSmith Design is a small Raleigh, NC-based architecture firm serving the Carolinas with a similar size profile to DDA. Comparable as a direct local peer with overlapping commercial, religious, and education project types in the same Eastern NC market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100092437957611
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-development-architects-raleigh-nc/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/ddarchitects/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Design Development Architects