Holst Architecture

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.

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

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Mass timber construction
• Affordable housing design
• Trauma-informed design
• Civic architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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

Named customers7 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• KPFFcoreTechnology or Integration · 15 October 2025Structural engineering partner for Julia West House mass timber project, providing engineering expertise for Oregon's tallest mass timber building with Type IV-B construction
• PAEcoreTechnology or Integration · 15 October 2025MEP engineering partner delivering sustainable engineering solutions including pre-conditioned fresh outdoor air and heat recovery systems for affordable housing projects
• Walsh Construction Co.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 February 2024General contractor for Julia West House, specializing in mass timber construction on tight urban sites with just-in-time delivery approach
• Community Development PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper 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 NorthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for Glisan Landing project, creating unified campus with continuum of housing options including affordable family housing and PSH
• Catholic CharitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Glisan Landing providing housing services and support for people transitioning out of houselessness at Beacon PSH building
• Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerService 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCase management services provider for Julia West House, targeting social determinants of health and housing stability for seniors
• TimberlabcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner for East County Library mass timber project, providing expertise in glulam beams and CLT panel systems for sustainable civic architecture
• Carpentry Plus Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMass timber installation specialist with 30+ years experience, delivering 80+ projects totaling over 2.1 million square feet
• Adjaye AssociatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaborator with Holst on East County Library project through design development phase
• Hoffman Construction CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for OSU Rehearsal Classroom Building renovation project
• Acoustic Design StudiocoreTechnology or IntegrationAcoustics consultant for OSU Rehearsal Classroom Building and other performing arts projects

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holst-architecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/holstarchitecture
• Xx.com/holst_arch
• Facebookfacebook.com/holstarchitecture

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Holst Architecture