What clark | huesemann does

clark | huesemann is a boutique architecture and design studio headquartered at 927 1/2 Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, Kansas, specializing in planning, programming, visioning, and architectural design for educational, civic, and community facilities. The firm is co-founded and operated by principals Steve Clark and Jane Huesemann, supported by two additional principals (David Vance and Jared Bertels), approximately 8-9 project designers, two student interns, and an office manager, totaling 17-18 staff. Its core methodology combines ethnographic on-the-ground research with a proprietary facilitation approach called 'Connective Planning' that aligns organizational stakeholders, a process applied to every project since the firm's inception.

The studio's service portfolio spans architectural design, master planning, programming and space planning, and construction administration, with projects across higher education (business schools, nursing schools, research facilities, libraries, student wellness), K-12 schools, public libraries, civic and government buildings, and religious institutions. Technical execution relies on Revit and Enscape for design documentation and visualization. Sustainability is integral: the firm has delivered LEED-certified solutions since 2006 (Silver, Gold, and Platinum certifications across multiple projects) and is a member of the 2030 Challenge, embedding energy-reduction strategies in all designs.

Revenue is generated through custom-scoped, project-based professional service fees negotiated per engagement, with multi-year contract cadences typical of institutional architecture. Go-to-market is principal-led and relationship-driven, sourced via competitive RFPs, direct referrals, and repeat institutional clients across 10+ U.S. states (concentrated in the Midwest but extending to Utah, Florida, Minnesota, and the East Coast). The firm has no external investors and operates as a founder-controlled partnership, collaborating on larger projects with national firms such as Kahler Slater, BWBR, CannonDesign, and Method Studio as Business Education Specialists or programming/visioning leads. The studio's recognition profile includes multiple national and regional AIA awards (2010–2024), LEED certifications, and features in Architectural Digest, Bloomberg Businessweek, NYT, and Fast Company.

Name

clark | huesemann

Legal name

clark | huesemann

Website

https://clarkhuesemann.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

clark | huesemann is a Lawrence, Kansas-based boutique architecture and design studio specializing in master planning, programming, visioning, and sustainable (LEED-certified) architectural design for universities, K-12 schools, public libraries, and civic institutions across 10+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Planning Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG), Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Master planning services
• LEED certified design
• Higher education architecture
• Civic facility design

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional fees for architectural design, planning, programming, visioning studies, and construction administration services. Revenue is project-based, earned through phased design and construction delivery. Clients are primarily institutional (universities, schools, public entities, churches).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clark | Huesemann is an architecture and design studio that provides architectural design, master planning, programming, visioning studies, and construction administration services for educational, civic, and community facilities. The firm applies a research-based methodology built on on-the-ground ethnography and a proprietary "Connective Planning" facilitation approach, with sustainability and LEED-certified design integrated into every project since 2006.

Product overview

Clark | Huesemann is a full-service architecture and design studio offering architectural design, master planning, programming, and space planning services. Their portfolio spans multiple project categories including higher education facilities (business schools, nursing schools, libraries, research centers), K-12 schools, community and civic buildings, public libraries, and religious institutions. The firm employs a distinctive research-based methodology called 'Connective Planning' that uses ethnographic research to inform design decisions. Sustainability is integral to their practice, with LEED certification expertise since 2006 and membership in the 2030 Challenge for energy reduction. Projects range from new construction to adaptive reuse and phased renovations, with many completed for university clients across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services
• Master Planning and Visioning Comprehensive campus and facility master planning services that analyze space utilization, deferred maintenance, accessibility, and future growth needs. Includes stakeholder workshops and development of phased implementation strategies for institutional clients.
• Programming and Space Planning Facilities programming and space planning service that includes ethnographic research, utilization studies, and needs assessments to determine optimal spatial arrangements for institutional and community clients.
• Connective Planning Facilitation Proprietary facilitation approach that bridges people within organizations to enable collective direction and alignment during the planning and design process. Brings Principal-level involvement to stakeholder visioning and consensus-building for institutional clients.
• Interior Renovation and Adaptive Reuse Interior renovation and adaptive reuse service that transforms existing spaces while preserving historic character. Applies to older institutional, civic, and community buildings requiring modernization, accessibility upgrades, and energy efficiency improvements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy usage reduced by 50% or more in multiple projects (Douglas County Public Works, Lawrence Public Library, Ottawa Recreation Center)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Method StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark Huesemann was partnered with Method Studio as local architects on the Utah Valley University School of Business new facility. Clark Huesemann provided programming and visioning services while Method Studio provided full architectural services from Programming through Construction Administration.
• BWBRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark Huesemann was hired as Business Education Specialists in partnership with BWBR (local architects) for the $35M University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management interior transformation project to better serve business and management students and faculty.
• EDA Architecture / CannonDesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDA Architecture in association with CannonDesign was the design architect for the award-winning Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Clark Huesemann headed the Institute's visioning study prior to the design phase.
• Kahler SlatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark Huesemann worked with Kahler Slater on the Pittsburg State University McPherson Nursing School project, serving as the design architect for the state-of-the-art simulation hospital expansion.
• Kahler SlatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark Huesemann worked with Kahler Slater on the Emporia State University Nursing & Student Wellness Center, designing a building incorporating WELL Building guidelines inspired by the Roy Adaptation Model.
• Dake Wells ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark Huesemann was selected in association with Dake Wells Architecture of Springfield, Missouri to create the transformation of the Brentwood Branch Library in the Springfield-Greene County Library district.
• Vecino GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Vecino Group to design the renovation of the existing Foundry building at Block 22 in Pittsburg, Kansas into a collaboration zone and entrepreneurial epicenter for the university and local community.
• Lewis + Whitlock ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Lewis + Whitlock Architects on Florida State University's Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science programming and master planning project to bring together multiple distinct departments into a modern collaborative facility.
• Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark Huesemann was a member of the master planning team for the University of Kansas in association with Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company. Clark Huesemann led specific scopes including campus accessibility, deferred maintenance, and campus storm safety.
• Kahler SlatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark Huesemann worked with Kahler Slater, WSU, WSU Tech, and KU to create planning and programming solutions for a new 400,000-square-foot medical education campus serving multiple institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wight & Company: Illinois-based architecture and engineering firm with a large K-12 and higher education practice. Comparable in segment focus and mid-market positioning, with similar emphasis on integrated planning and design.
• BWBR: Saint Paul, MN-based architecture firm with a long-standing higher education and healthcare practice. Direct peer on institutional design and a known project partner (Carlson School of Management) of clark | huesemann.
• BNIM: Kansas City-based architecture and planning firm with a strong sustainability and education/civic portfolio. Closest geographic and methodological peer — also a 2030 Challenge signatory with deep university and public-sector clients, making it the most direct comparison for clark | huesemann.
• Kahler Slater: Milwaukee-based architecture and interior design firm with a strong higher education, healthcare, and workplace practice. Directly comparable in mission and client base, and a known project partner of clark | huesemann on multiple nursing, business, and wellness facilities.
• Moody Nolan: One of the largest US architecture firms focused on education, sports, and civic projects. Comparable client mix (universities, K-12, libraries, community facilities) and similar commitment to research-driven, mission-aligned design.
• PGAL: Houston-based architecture firm with deep public-sector, civic, and education practice. Comparable in serving institutional clients with project-based professional services across multiple states.
• LPA Design Studios: California-based integrated design firm with one of the largest K-12 and higher education practices in the US. Directly comparable mission, segment focus, and design research orientation for educational and civic clients.
• Dake Wells Architecture: Springfield, MO-based firm serving higher education, libraries, and civic clients in the Midwest. Direct comparison on segment, scale, and regional footprint; also a known project partner of clark | huesemann.

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: Integrated design firm with a substantial K-12, higher education, and civic practice. Competes for the same institutional projects as clark | huesemann but offers in-house engineering and a much larger geographic footprint.
• CannonDesign: Large national architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a major higher education practice. Overlaps with clark | huesemann on signature university projects (Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute) and competes for the same institutional RFPs at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clark_huesemann
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClarkHuesemann
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clark-huesemann
• Instagraminstagram.com/clark_huesemann

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 clark | huesemann