Design Collective

What Design Collective does

Design Collective is a 55-year-old, privately held, full-service architecture and interior design firm founded in 1969 and headquartered at 151 E. Nationwide Blvd in Columbus, Ohio. The firm delivers multi-disciplinary design services spanning architecture, interior design, 3D visualization/rendering, and master planning to clients in commercial real estate markets including hospitality (hotels, country clubs, event centers), restaurants (casual dining, fast casual/QSR, multi-unit rollouts), workplace (corporate offices, building repositioning), industrial (warehouses, manufacturing, tilt-ups, PEMB construction), and retail/multi-use environments. The team comprises four principals (Gene McHugh, Brent LaCount, Ryan Geiser, Debra McLaughlin) plus a Director of Architecture and approximately 15 additional project architects, designers, project managers, and interns, with credentials spanning AIA, NCARB, NCIDQ, and WELL AP certifications.

Design Collective's core capability set centers on integrated architectural design supported by in-house 3D visualization for stakeholder buy-in prior to construction, foodservice equipment design expertise for restaurant ROI optimization, and multi-unit rollout prototyping for brand consistency across geographies. Revenue is generated entirely through project-based professional services fees negotiated with clients via a principal-led, consultative engagement model. Customer acquisition is driven by direct principal outreach, a portfolio-driven website, social media presence, and referrals through the ONE Global Design network — a strategic alliance of 23 independent architecture and design firms across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia, in which Design Collective serves as the Columbus, Ohio partner. Notable enterprise clients include Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Velvet Taco (10+ locations), BrewDog, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Pepper Construction, Arrive Logistics, Epstein Becker & Green, Easton Town Center, and a roster of central Ohio private clubs (Muirfield Village, Scioto, Brookside, Lakes).

Name

Design Collective

Legal name

Design Collective

Website

https://dcollective.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Collective is a 55-year-old, Columbus-based full-service architecture and interior design firm serving hospitality, restaurant, workplace, industrial, and retail clients across the U.S. via principal-led project engagements and a global partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture & Interior Design 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

• Commercial architecture services
• Interior design firm
• Hospitality design services
• Workplace design solutions
• Master planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

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. Architecture Services: Full-spectrum architectural services from conceptualization to project completion, providing innovative, functional, and sustainable designs for commercial environments
2. Interior Design Services: Interior design services including concept development, space planning, color palettes, finishes, and furnishings for commercial spaces
3. Visualization Services: 3D rendering and visualization services for project presentation and stakeholder buy-in
4. Master Planning Services: Strategic master planning services for creating places that foster belonging and community

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Design Collective is a full-service architecture and interior design firm providing end-to-end design services including architecture, interior design, 3D visualization, and master planning for commercial environments. The firm serves hospitality, workplace, industrial, retail, and restaurant clients with multi-disciplinary teams delivering project-based professional services from conceptualization through project completion.

Product overview

Design Collective is an architecture and interior design firm founded in 1969, offering a comprehensive suite of design services including Architecture, Visualization, Interior Design, and Master Planning. The firm operates across five market segments: Restaurants (casual dining, fast casual/QSR, prototyping, multi-unit rollout), Hospitality (hotels, country clubs, event centers), Workplace (programming, space planning, branding, building repositioning), Industrial (warehouses, manufacturing, tilt-ups/precast/PEMB), and Retail/Multi-Use. Services are delivered through a multi-disciplinary team providing end-to-end design from conceptualization through project completion. The firm is also part of ONE Global Design, a network of 23 architecture and design firms across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services encompassing the entire spectrum from conceptualization to project completion, focused on innovation, functionality, and aesthetics for commercial environments including hospitality, workplace, industrial, and retail projects.
• Visualization

Named customers25 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ONE Global DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONE Global Design is a network of 23 architecture and design firms across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Design Collective serves as the Columbus, Ohio partner within this global network, enabling cross-regional project collaboration, referrals, and shared expertise across hospitality, workplace, and commercial design disciplines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Shook Kelley: Restaurant, retail, and hospitality design firm with deep brand-driven environment expertise — directly comparable for Design Collective's restaurant and hospitality rollout work.
• CORGAN: Architecture and interior design firm with strong workplace, hospitality, and retail practices, including multi-unit rollout capabilities — comparable multi-disciplinary competitor with a similar service mix to Design Collective.
• Moody Nolan: Columbus, OH-headquartered architecture firm with comparable size, multi-disciplinary practice (architecture, interior design, master planning), and commercial/hospitality portfolio — directly comparable as a local peer with similar service breadth.
• WD Partners: Columbus, OH-based design firm specializing in restaurant, retail, and hospitality environments with multi-unit rollout capabilities — directly comparable to Design Collective in geography, scale, and core vertical focus.
• Baskervill: Hospitality-focused architecture and interior design firm of similar size serving hotels, restaurants, and commercial clients — closely aligned with Design Collective's hospitality, restaurant, and workplace verticals.
• Neumann Monson Architects: Mid-sized architecture firm offering integrated architecture and interior design services across commercial, hospitality, and workplace projects — comparable in scale and multi-disciplinary model.

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: Integrated design firm with architecture, interior design, and engineering practices serving hospitality, workplace, and industrial sectors at greater scale — a broader incumbent competing for similar commercial mandates.
• Gensler: World's largest architecture and design firm with deep hospitality, workplace, and retail practices — represents the broader-incumbent competitive set Design Collective competes against for enterprise clients.
• Stantec: Large global design and engineering firm offering architecture and interior design across hospitality, workplace, industrial, and retail — a broader incumbent that competes for enterprise-scale commercial projects.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design firm with significant workplace, hospitality, and healthcare practices — broader incumbent that competes for the same enterprise and institutional mandates as Design Collective.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/designcollective

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Collective