Holst Architecture
Holst Architecture is a women-owned B Corp architecture firm with 50+ professionals across Portland and Minneapolis studios, designing affordable housing, healthcare, civic, and educational buildings with specialized mass timber and trauma-informed design expertise for public, nonprofit, and institutional clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Holst Architecture does
Holst Architecture is a women-owned, queer-led architecture firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with a second studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1991-1992, the firm employs over 50 professionals and operates as a B Corporation certified since 2023. Holst provides comprehensive architectural design services across four primary verticals: affordable and supportive housing (including Permanent Supportive Housing), healthcare and behavioral health facilities, civic and educational buildings, and adaptive reuse / historic preservation. Notable projects include Oregon's tallest mass timber building (Julia West House, a 12-story, 90-unit PSH development), the 95,000 sq ft East County Library targeting LEED Gold, the 49,000 sq ft Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts at Oregon State University, and the 53,400 sq ft Fora Health addiction treatment campus.
The firm's core technical differentiator is mass timber construction expertise, including cross-laminated timber (CLT), glulam beams, and an innovative split laminated timber (splitlams) method used for large dimensional columns and beams. This is combined with Type IV-HT heavy timber construction allowing exposed structural elements without additional fire protection, and hybrid structural systems pairing mass timber with concrete shear walls. The firm also applies trauma-informed design and biophilic principles drawn from Pacific Northwest forests across its housing and healthcare portfolio.
Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees on multi-year contracts, secured via design competitions, RFPs, and direct client relationships. Clients are predominantly public agencies, nonprofit developers, and educational institutions. The firm does not disclose revenue publicly, operates without venture capital or institutional ownership, and is led by four principals/owners: Kim Wilson, Renée Strand, Dave Otte, and Kevin Valk. Distribution is direct sales-led, with no intermediaries, and marketing relies on industry awards, conference presentations (Living Future, International Mass Timber Conference), professional publications, and a values-driven brand emphasizing community engagement, sustainability certifications (B Corp, Just 3.0, Oregon DBE), and the NOMA Call to Action pledge.
Holst Architecture firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Holst Architecture
- Legal name
- Holst Architecture Inc.
- Website
- https://holstarc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Holst Architecture is a women-owned B Corp architecture firm with 50+ professionals across Portland and Minneapolis studios, designing affordable housing, healthcare, civic, and educational buildings with specialized mass timber and trauma-informed design expertise for public, nonprofit, and institutional clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Holst Architecture industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
Keywords
Where Holst Architecture is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Holst Architecture business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Full-service architecture firm providing design services for civic, healthcare, education, housing, and commercial projects. Revenue generated through project-based fees for design, construction administration, and consulting services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based professional services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Holst Architecture product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Holst Architecture is a full-service architectural and interior design firm providing design services across housing, healthcare, education, civic, commercial, and hospitality typologies. The firm specializes in community-centered, sustainable design with deep expertise in mass timber construction (CLT, glulam, splitlams) and trauma-informed design principles for vulnerable populations. Projects are delivered as project-based engagements with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and developers.
Product overview
Holst Architecture is a women-owned B Corp architecture firm with studios in Portland, OR and Minneapolis, MN, providing comprehensive architectural design services across multiple building typologies. The firm operates as a single unified service practice rather than a platform-plus-modules structure, offering specialized design services including library design, performing arts and educational facility design, healthcare and addiction treatment design, permanent supportive housing design, affordable housing design, community space design, mass timber construction expertise, and trauma-informed design services. Each project engagement is tailored to client and community needs, with notable projects including East County Library, Oregon State University's PRAx, Fora Health, Julia West House, and Glisan Landing. The firm's portfolio spans housing, health, education, civic, commercial, hospitality, and interiors sectors, united by commitments to sustainability, inclusivity, and community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Library Design Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Oregon's tallest mass timber building at 12 stories, 145 feet
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Holst Architecture
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Holst Architecture technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Holst Architecture partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- KPFFcoreStructural engineering partner for Julia West House mass timber project, providing engineering expertise for Oregon's tallest mass timber building with Type IV-B construction
- PAEcoreMEP engineering partner delivering sustainable engineering solutions including pre-conditioned fresh outdoor air and heat recovery systems for affordable housing projects
- Walsh Construction Co.coreGeneral contractor for Julia West House, specializing in mass timber construction on tight urban sites with just-in-time delivery approach
- Community Development PartnerscoreDeveloper partner for Julia West House and other affordable housing projects; certified B Corporation focused on creating vibrant affordable housing communities with art, parks, and cultural programming
- Related NorthwestcoreDevelopment partner for Glisan Landing project, creating unified campus with continuum of housing options including affordable family housing and PSH
- Catholic CharitiescorePartner for Glisan Landing providing housing services and support for people transitioning out of houselessness at Beacon PSH building
- Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)corePartner for Glisan Landing hosting IRCO Early Beginnings Preschool and providing culturally specific services for immigrant and refugee communities
- Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA NW)coreService provider partner for Julia West House and other projects, providing culturally specific recovery programs and services rooted in traditional Native American culture for BIPOC residents
- Northwest Pilot Project (NWPP)coreCase management services provider for Julia West House, targeting social determinants of health and housing stability for seniors
- TimberlabcorePartner for East County Library mass timber project, providing expertise in glulam beams and CLT panel systems for sustainable civic architecture
- Carpentry Plus Inc.coreMass timber installation specialist with 30+ years experience, delivering 80+ projects totaling over 2.1 million square feet
- Adjaye AssociatesmajorDesign collaborator with Holst on East County Library project through design development phase
- Hoffman Construction CompanycoreGeneral contractor for OSU Rehearsal Classroom Building renovation project
- Acoustic Design StudiocoreAcoustics consultant for OSU Rehearsal Classroom Building and other performing arts projects
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Holst Architecture competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SHoP Architects: New York-headquartered architecture firm with major mass-timber projects (e.g., 9 Dekalb) and a strong innovation reputation. Comparable to Holst in mass-timber leadership and design-forward approach, but operates at substantially greater scale and geographic reach.
- Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with major healthcare, civic, and education practices and active mass-timber work. Comparable to Holst in typology overlap (healthcare, civic, education), but competes at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- ZGF Architects: Large Portland-headquartered architecture firm with national reach across healthcare, civic, higher education, and workplace. Comparable to Holst in PNW base and typology overlap, but operates at substantially greater scale and competes for the same institutional commissions Holst pursues.
Direct peers
- Hacker Architects: Portland-based architecture firm with strong multifamily housing, civic, and adaptive reuse portfolios. Comparable to Holst in PNW base, housing and civic typologies, and client base of regional developers and public agencies.
- SRG Partnership: Portland architecture firm with strong civic, library, and higher education portfolios including mass-timber expertise. Comparable to Holst in geographic base, civic/institutional client focus, and demonstrated capability on award-winning mass-timber projects.
- KieranTimberlake: Architecture firm widely recognized for research-driven, sustainability-focused design including mass-timber innovation (e.g., the Tall Wood Building Competition). Comparable to Holst in values-driven positioning, R&D culture, and specialization in advanced timber construction.
- Ankrom Moisan: Portland- and Seattle-based architecture firm with significant affordable housing, multifamily, and mixed-use portfolios. Directly comparable to Holst in regional focus, building typology, and developer-client base, particularly in PNW affordable housing.
- LEVER Architecture: Portland-based architecture firm widely recognized as a national pioneer in mass-timber design, including the Timber Innovation Center and Carbon12 projects. Highly comparable to Holst given shared Portland base, mass-timber specialization, and civic/institutional client focus.
- Mithun: Seattle-based architecture, urban design, and interiors firm with deep civic, housing, and education portfolios and a strong sustainability mission. Directly comparable to Holst in PNW geography, B Corp-equivalent values, and typology mix across housing and civic work.
Others
- PAE Consulting Engineers: Portland-based MEP engineering firm with deep sustainability focus and a stated core partnership with Holst on affordable housing projects. Comparable as a values-aligned PNW partner in the same ecosystem, but operates as an engineering firm rather than an architecture competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Holst Architecture social profiles
Digital presenceHolst Architecture compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Holst Architecture financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Holst Architecture leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Holst Architecture funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Holst Architecture M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Holst Architecture
What does Holst Architecture do?
Holst Architecture is a full-service architectural and interior design firm providing design services across housing, healthcare, education, civic, commercial, and hospitality typologies. The firm specializes in community-centered, sustainable design with deep expertise in mass timber construction (CLT, glulam, splitlams) and trauma-informed design principles for vulnerable populations. Projects are delivered as project-based engagements with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and developers.
Is Holst Architecture a public or private company?
Holst Architecture is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Holst Architecture founded?
Holst Architecture was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Holst Architecture based?
Holst Architecture is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Holst Architecture make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are Holst Architecture's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SHoP Architects, Perkins&Will and ZGF Architects. Direct peers are Hacker Architects, SRG Partnership, KieranTimberlake, Ankrom Moisan, LEVER Architecture and Mithun. PAE Consulting Engineers is listed as an others.
Does Holst Architecture have an API?
No public API is recorded for Holst Architecture.
What industry is Holst Architecture in?
Holst Architecture's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131.