What Knothe & Bruce Architects does

Knothe & Bruce Architects (KBA) is a privately held architecture firm headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, providing professional architectural design services for ground-up multi-family residential and mixed-use developments. The firm serves real estate developers, property owners, and public entities — primarily in the Madison metropolitan area and across Wisconsin communities including Verona, Fitchburg, Sun Prairie, Shorewood Hills, and Cudahy. KBA was founded in 1974 and has accumulated over 50 years of experience, with a portfolio spanning more than 50 named projects ranging from mid-rise apartments to large mixed-use developments (e.g., Two Points Crossing at 330 units, Adria at 207 units, Luminary Tower at 189 units).

KBA's core services encompass the full architectural design lifecycle: site analysis, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration for multi-family residential, senior housing, affordable/workforce housing, and mixed-use projects. The firm has differentiated via sustainable design credentials, including PHIUS CORE Passive House (252 Dunning — the first for-profit multifamily Passive House project in Madison), Energy Star New Construction (City Row — Wisconsin's first Energy Star-qualified multi-family high-rise), and Wisconsin Green Built / EPA Indoor AirPlus certifications, alongside solar arrays, green roofs, and blue roof stormwater management systems. Notable product offerings span multi-family residential architecture, mixed-use development design, and sustainable/green building specialization.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees, with pricing determined per project based on scope, complexity, and scale (phases include schematic design through construction administration, typically contracted over multi-year timelines). The firm's go-to-market is enterprise field sales — direct engagement with developers through RFPs and longstanding relationships (repeat clients include LZ Ventures, JT Klein Company, Stone House Development, Cascade Development, NorthPointe Development, Village Green, Flad Development, Walter Wayne Development, Kahler Slater, and Virtue LLC). No funding rounds, acquisitions, or technology-platform offerings are disclosed; the firm appears self-sustaining and owner-operated.

Name

Knothe & Bruce Architects

Legal name

Knothe & Bruce Architects

Website

https://knothebruce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knothe & Bruce Architects is a Middleton, Wisconsin-based architecture firm providing ground-up design services for multi-family residential and mixed-use developments. Founded in 1974, KBA serves Wisconsin real estate developers across market-rate, senior, affordable, and workforce housing segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Multi-family residential architecture
• Mixed-use development design
• Sustainable building design
• Ground-up development services
• Passive House certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Middleton

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: KBA generates revenue through professional architectural design fees for multi-family residential and mixed-use development projects. Services include site analysis, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration for ground-up development projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Knothe & Bruce Architects provides comprehensive architectural design services for ground-up multi-family residential and mixed-use developments. Service phases include site analysis, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration. The firm specializes in sustainable building practices including Passive House (PHIUS CORE) certification, Energy Star New Construction, and Wisconsin Green Built Standards, serving real estate developers throughout Wisconsin.

Product overview

Knothe & Bruce Architects (KBA) is an architecture firm offering comprehensive architectural design services for residential and mixed-use developments. Their portfolio spans multi-family apartment communities, senior living facilities, workforce housing, and sustainable/green building projects throughout the Madison, Wisconsin area and surrounding communities. The firm provides ground-up development design services with a focus on ground-up development projects including The Continental, Heritage Hills, Two Points Crossing, The Quarry, Venture, and Lodgic Everyday Community. KBA specializes in multi-family and mixed-use residential architecture with an emphasis on innovative design, efficiency, and sustainable building practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Family Residential Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services for multi-family residential developments including apartment communities, condominiums, and senior living facilities. Projects range from mid-rise to high-rise developments with various amenities and unit configurations, serving real estate developers and property owners in Wisconsin.
• Mixed-Use Development Design Architectural design services for mixed-use developments combining residential and commercial spaces, often featuring ground-floor retail, structured parking, and integrated amenity programs. Includes design for urban infill developments that activate streetscapes and integrate commercial spaces with residential units.
• Sustainable/Green Building Design Specialized sustainable design services incorporating Energy Star certification, Wisconsin Green Built standards, Passive House PHIUS CORE certification, EPA Indoor AirPlus programs, and other environmentally conscious building practices including solar array installations and green roof systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy use reduction of 70-80% with Passive House design (252 Dunning)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Kahler SlatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership between KBA and Kahler Slater on the Adria project - a 10-story, 207-unit residential building prioritizing wellness and sustainability. The partnership combined KBA's architectural expertise with Kahler Slater's design capabilities to deliver a high-end residential development with waterfront views.
• Potter LawsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBA collaborated with Potter Lawson on the NoVo Apartments project - a 162-unit mixed-use development. Potter Lawson provided additional design expertise for sustainable features including solar panels, green roof, and blue roof for stormwater management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB): Chicago-based architecture firm with a recognized practice in large-scale multifamily, mixed-use, and student housing. Comparable to KBA in high-rise and large-format multifamily design for developer clients across the Midwest.
• KTGY Architecture + Planning: National architecture firm specializing in multifamily residential, mixed-use, and master-planned communities. Comparable in product type and developer-customer focus to KBA, but at significantly larger scale and geographic reach.
• BKV Group: Architecture, engineering, and design firm with a multi-family and mixed-use practice serving developers in the Midwest and beyond. Comparable to KBA in segment focus and developer-customer base, but with a broader service offering and larger footprint.
• Humphreys & Partners Architects: One of the largest U.S. multifamily residential architecture firms, with deep expertise in market-rate, affordable, and senior housing. Comparable to KBA in housing-type breadth but operates at a much larger scale across many states.
• Hord Coplan Macht: Mid-Atlantic and Midwest architecture firm with multi-family residential, senior living, and mixed-use practices. Comparable to KBA in housing-type diversity (market-rate, senior, mixed-use) and developer-driven project model.

Direct peers

• KSS Design Group: Architecture and design firm with a substantial multi-family residential and mixed-use practice. Directly comparable to KBA in serving developer clients on ground-up multifamily and mixed-use projects of similar scale and program type.
• Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA): Milwaukee-based architecture and engineering firm with deep multi-family, mixed-use, and developer-services practice across the Midwest. Closest geographic and segment analog to KBA within the Wisconsin/Upper Midwest design market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Knothe & Bruce Architects