What Lewis Group Architects does

Lewis Group Architects (LGA) is a privately held commercial architecture firm founded in 1982 by Jerry W. Lewis, AIA in Knoxville, Tennessee, operating two offices in Knoxville (headquarters, 611 King Street Suite 250) and Cleveland, TN (63 North Ocoee Street). The firm employs approximately 20 professionals, with four principals—Craig Lewis, Todd Brang, Paul McCall, and Jake Thomas (promoted December 2024)—and a Managing Principal in Cleveland (Doug Caywood). LGA delivers architectural services spanning master planning, interior architecture, and interior design across K-12 and higher education, healthcare, civic and commercial, senior living, and multi-family residential project types; representative work includes the 268,000 SF Strong Hall Research Facility (University of Tennessee), the 107,950 SF Bradley County Tennessee State Veterans' Home, the 47,000 SF Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Regional Consolidated Facility in Jackson ($22 million project), and Sterchi Elementary School renovations in Knoxville.

The firm's underlying delivery model centers on an Integrated Project Delivery Approach (IPD) integrating key team members across design, fabrication, and construction administration, augmented by LEED-certified professionals for sustainable design and a unique Educational Planner role (Dr. Brian Bell, former Director of Alcoa City Schools) that translates educational pedagogy into architectural requirements—a domain specialization that has contributed to TSBA School of the Year recognition (2016) and the Maximus Award for the TBI Knoxville forensic laboratory. Distinctive technical differentiators include IPD methodology, LEED expertise, and a healthcare planner role (Ken Phillips) supporting specialized care environments.

LGA's revenue model is project-based professional services: fees are determined per project based on scope, complexity, square footage, and service requirements, billed across multi-year contract cadences. The go-to-market is consultative and relationship-led, with principals driving direct engagement alongside competitive bidding on public-sector RFPs. The customer base is concentrated in institutional clients across East Tennessee and the Southeast—school districts (Knox County Schools, Cocke County Schools, Hamilton County Schools), universities (University of Tennessee, Carson-Newman University), government agencies (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Jefferson County Government), and healthcare organizations (Tennessee State Veterans Homes, Cempa Community Care)—with 100% repeat-clientele positioning and multiple named industry awards supporting brand positioning within the regional market.

Name

Lewis Group Architects

Legal name

Lewis Group Architects

Website

https://lewisgroup.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lewis Group Architects is a privately held, ~20-person commercial architecture firm founded in 1982 in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a second office in Cleveland. The firm delivers K-12, higher education, healthcare, civic, senior living, and multi-family projects for institutional clients across East Tennessee and the Southeast via project-based professional services fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Educational facility design
• Healthcare architecture
• Commercial building design
• Master planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture services including design, master planning, interior architecture, and interior design for commercial, institutional, and residential projects. Revenue generated through project-based fees for design services from project inception through construction administration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lewis Group Architects (LGA) is a commercial architecture firm providing comprehensive architectural design services including master planning, interior architecture, and interior design. The firm specializes in K-12 education, higher education, healthcare, civic and commercial, multi-family residential, and senior living facility projects across East Tennessee and the Southeast. Services span from initial vision and programming through design, documentation, and construction administration, delivered through an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach.

Product overview

Lewis Group Architects (LGA) is an architectural firm offering a unified service portfolio centered on architecture, master planning, interior architecture, and interior design. The firm specializes in distinct project categories including K-12 education facilities (elementary through high schools), higher education (universities and colleges), healthcare (hospitals and medical offices), civic and commercial buildings, multi-family residential, and senior living facilities. Projects range from new construction to renovations and additions, with the firm providing integrated services from design through construction administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services

Quantifiable outcome

• TBI Knoxville forensic lab project earned Maximus Award recognizing exceptional operational performance, efficiency, financial stewardship, and scientific excellence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MTa ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGA partnered with MTa Architecture as Architect-of-Record on the $34 million Soddy Daisy Middle School Additions & Renovations project, the first project in a $260 million schools facility initiative for Hamilton County Schools. MTa serves as the prime architect while LGA provides design services.
• S/L/A/M CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGA designed the UT Strong Hall Research Facility in conjunction with The S/L/A/M Collaborative for the University of Tennessee's ambition to become a Top 25 research university.
• Christman ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerChristman Construction served as general contractor for the 107,950 SF Bradley County Tennessee State Veterans' Home project, working closely with LGA to bring the facility to completion.
• McSpadden ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMcSpadden Construction partnered with LGA and Jefferson County Government to complete the 13,000 SF Jefferson County Clerk and Election Complex project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Earl Swensson Associates (ESa): Nashville-based architecture firm with a nationally recognized healthcare design practice and broad institutional portfolio. Comparable healthcare specialization to LGA's claimed Top 10 Healthcare Architect positioning, operating across a wider Tennessee and Southeastern footprint.
• BarberMcMurry Architects: Knoxville-based architecture firm of comparable scale, focused on education, healthcare, civic, and commercial projects in East Tennessee. Direct overlap with LGA in target client base (K-12 districts, universities, healthcare systems) and project typology.
• HHM Architects: Chattanooga-based architecture firm serving healthcare, education, and civic clients across the Southeast. Comparable boutique scale, vertical mix, and Tennessee regional footprint to LGA, often competing on similar institutional work.
• Johnson + Pace Architects: Tennessee-based architecture firm with education, healthcare, and civic portfolios. Comparable regional scale and vertical focus to LGA, operating across additional Tennessee markets including Memphis and Middle Tennessee.
• Chapman Sisson Architects: Tennessee architecture practice with institutional and healthcare experience comparable to LGA's portfolio. Similar boutique positioning and Southeast regional focus, competing for similar institutional clients.
• Sanders Pace Architecture: Knoxville architecture firm with a portfolio spanning education, healthcare, civic, and adaptive reuse projects. Comparable boutique scale and regional Tennessee focus, competing with LGA on similar institutional RFPs.
• McCarty Holsaple McCarty: Established Knoxville, TN architecture firm with deep institutional and education portfolio across East Tennessee. Most direct local competitor to LGA, competing for the same school district, university, and healthcare RFPs in the same regional market.
• MTa Architecture: Tennessee architecture firm serving as Architect-of-Record alongside LGA on the Soddy Daisy Middle School and broader Hamilton County Schools $260M initiative. Direct collaborator and peer in K-12 education architecture, with deeper capacity for large-scale institutional prime contracts.
• TWH Architects: Chattanooga-based architecture firm serving education, healthcare, civic, and commercial clients across the Southeast. Comparable firm size and vertical mix, competing for regional institutional work in adjacent Tennessee markets to LGA.

Broad incumbents

• Gresham Smith: Large Nashville-based architecture and engineering firm with substantial healthcare, education, and civic practices across the Southeast. A scaled incumbent competing for larger institutional programs where LGA typically serves as design sub-consultant rather than prime.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lewisgrouparch
• Facebookfacebook.com/LewisGroupArchitects
• Instagraminstagram.com/lewisgrouparchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-lewis-group-architects

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Lewis Group Architects