ELS Architecture and Urban Design

What ELS Architecture and Urban Design does

ELS Architecture and Urban Design is a privately held architecture and urban design firm founded circa 1965 and headquartered in Berkeley, California. The firm provides professional architecture services across seven practice areas: mixed-use/retail/office design, sports and recreation facility design (with deep specialization in aquatic centers), arts and entertainment venues, historic preservation and adaptive reuse, urban design and master planning, community and education facilities, and hospitality/F&B. Notable clients include UC Berkeley (Legends Aquatic Center), the University of Southern California (Uytengsu Aquatics Center), Brookfield Properties Retail (Stonestown Galleria redevelopment), Sundance Cinemas, Cambridge Seven Associates (International Swim Center and Swimming Hall of Fame), and multiple municipalities including the cities of Santa Ana, South San Francisco, and Piedmont. The firm employs differentiated methodologies such as a community engagement process achieving 500% higher survey completion and a donor development delivery model that compresses university project timelines by 6-8 months.

ELS generates revenue through fee-based professional services engagements, with pricing determined by project scope, complexity, and scale. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, securing projects through RFPs for public sector work, direct invitations from universities and municipalities, and long-term relationships with private developers. The firm maintains four California offices (Berkeley, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego) and serves clients throughout the Western US with selected projects in Illinois, Tennessee, and China. ELS holds sustainability credentials including the AIA 2030 Commitment (signed 2013), Architecture 2030 Challenge participation, LEED-certified projects, and staff with WELL AP accreditation.

The firm employs 11-50 staff and was recognized in Architect magazine's Top 50 Firms in Business & Sustainability in 2019. In April 2025, Kim-Van Truong was promoted to President and CEO after nearly 20 years at the firm, succeeding Clarence D. Mamuyac, Jr., who transitioned to Chairman. The leadership team includes a CFO/COO, Chief Design Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, and a Senior Associate team member who is a 5-time Olympic Gold Medalist providing programming expertise for aquatic facilities.

Name

ELS Architecture and Urban Design

Legal name

ELS Architecture and Urban Design

Website

https://elsarch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ELS Architecture and Urban Design is a Berkeley-based architecture firm founded circa 1965 that specializes in aquatic centers, sports/recreation facilities, mixed-use developments, and historic preservation for municipalities, universities, and commercial developers across the Western US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban design consulting
• Aquatic facility design
• Sports recreation design
• Historic preservation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture and urban design services rendered on a project-by-project basis. Revenue is generated through design fees for new construction, renovation, and master planning projects across multiple building types including aquatic centers, sports facilities, retail/mixed-use developments, and historic preservation projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ELS Architecture and Urban Design is a professional services firm that provides architecture, planning, and urban design services. The firm specializes in aquatic centers, sports and recreation facilities, mixed-use retail and office developments, hospitality venues, historic preservation projects, and community and education buildings for municipalities, universities, and private developers across California.

Product overview

ELS Architecture and Urban Design is an architecture and urban design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services rather than a software product. The firm specializes in six interconnected service areas: mixed-use/retail/office design, sports and recreation facility design (particularly aquatic centers and pools), arts and entertainment venues, historic preservation and adaptive reuse, urban design and planning, and community/education facility design. Many projects blend multiple service types—for example, aquatic centers that also serve community education, or mixed-use developments combining retail, entertainment, and hospitality. The firm operates across California and the Western United States with offices in Berkeley, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquatic Center Architecture
• Sports and Recreation Facility Design
• Mixed-Use Retail and Office Development Design
• Hospitality Venue Architecture
• Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse
• Community and Education Building Design
• Urban Design and Master Planning
• Sustainable and All-Electric Building Design

Quantifiable outcome

• 500% higher survey completion rate through school-based community engagement process versus standard aquatic project engagement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cal Aquatics LegendscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Nonprofit organization founded by UC Berkeley alumni (Ned Spieker, Rick Cronk, Don Fisher, Warren Hellman) to develop the Legends Aquatic Center. The organization served as developer, raised project funding, and donated the completed facility to the university. ELS provided design services while Cal Aquatics Legends managed fundraising and project oversight through a donor development delivery model.
• Brookfield Properties RetailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with Brookfield Properties Retail guiding the redevelopment of Stonestown Galleria from conventional mall to mixed-use district. ELS has been working with Brookfield since the beginning of the redevelopment effort, redesigning former Macy's and Nordstrom anchor spaces and repositioning the property for smaller retailers and food/beverage tenants.
• Vance Brown BuilderscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor engaged through construction manager design-assist delivery method for Legends Aquatic Center project. Provided early design assistance for structural, mechanical systems, cost consulting, and constructability review starting in schematic design phase.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/elsarchitecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/elsarchitecture
• Xx.com/elsarchitecture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elsarchitecture

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 ELS Architecture and Urban Design