What Cho Benn Holback + Associates does

Cho Benn Holback + Associates is a Baltimore-headquartered architecture practice founded in 1979 that delivers full-service architecture, interior design, master planning, urban design, and historic preservation to educational, cultural, community, governmental, housing, and mixed-use clients across the Mid-Atlantic region, with documented project work in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, and Delaware. The firm's core capabilities center on adaptive reuse, historic preservation, sustainable design (LEED), master planning, and urban design, supported by Building Information Modeling (BIM) as its primary digital design and documentation platform. The practice has accumulated more than 200 design awards since inception and operates under recognized MBE, WBE, and M/WBE certifications, which are explicitly leveraged for public-sector and institutional procurement. The principal team consists of seven leaders, including co-founders David Benn, George Holback, and Diane E. Cho, alongside Mark A. Nook, Brian Oster, Anath Ranon, and Brandon Schultz, with senior staff holding AIA and LEED AP credentials and deep specialty expertise in preservation-led design.

The practice is differentiated by its preservation and adaptive-reuse emphasis rather than new construction, and has built a multi-decade portfolio spanning Smithsonian cultural facilities, Johns Hopkins and Montgomery College academic work, Maryland DOT infrastructure, and partnerships with developers such as Struever Bros. and Eccles & Rouse. In 2025 the firm announced it has joined Quinn Evans Architects, transitioning from a 46-year-old independent Mid-Atlantic boutique into a larger integrated platform. The combination is the single most consequential strategic event in the firm's recent history and reframes its operating scale, geographic reach, and back-office capacity relative to its prior 11-50-person independent footprint.

The business model is project-based professional services fees on architecture and design commissions, typically procured through institutional, governmental, and developer RFPs where MBE/WBE status, preservation credentials, and award history are qualifying criteria. Revenue is generated on a project-by-project basis across six core service segments (Education, Community & Cultural, Housing, Art & Culture, Commercial & Mixed-Use, and Planning & Urban Design), with long-tenured developer and institutional relationships functioning as the primary repeat-client pipeline. Geographic focus is intentionally concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic, leveraging cross-jurisdictional licensure and diversity-certification advantages as barriers-to-entry in adjacent regional markets.

Name

Cho Benn Holback + Associates

Legal name

Cho Benn Holback + Associates, Inc.

Website

https://cbhassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cho Benn Holback + Associates is a Baltimore architecture firm founded in 1979 delivering architecture, interior design, master planning, and historic preservation to educational, cultural, government, and non-profit clients across the Mid-Atlantic. The firm recently joined Quinn Evans Architects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Historic preservation design
• Master planning services
• Urban design consulting
• LEED certification consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based fees for architecture, interior design, master planning, urban design, historic preservation, and sustainable design services for institutional, commercial, residential, and community clients.
2. Fundraising and Tax Credit Assistance: The firm assists clients with fundraising and historic tax credit certification, which may generate supplementary revenue tied to project approvals and financing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cho Benn Holback + Associates (CBH+A) is a multi-disciplinary architecture and design firm delivering full-service architectural design, interior design, master planning, urban design, historic preservation/adaptive reuse, and sustainable/LEED-certified design for educational, community, cultural, housing, commercial, and governmental clients. The firm operates primarily across the Mid-Atlantic region, with certified woman/minority-owned business (MBE/WBE) status enabling access to public sector projects.

Product overview

Cho Benn Holback + Associates is a multi-disciplinary architecture and design firm offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around architectural design, interior design, master planning, urban design, and sustainable design. The firm's core service is its full-service architecture practice, supported by specialized offerings including campus planning for educational institutions, historic preservation and adaptive reuse (with historic tax credit certification), LEED certification services, 3D modeling and BIM capabilities, and urban design/planning services. The firm operates across six market focus areas: Art & Culture, Education, Community, Housing, Commercial, and Planning. CBH+A is a woman/minority-owned business with MBE, WBE, or M/WBE certification in numerous jurisdictions. The company is joining Quinn Evans Architects as noted in recent announcements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture & Design Services Full-service architecture and design services including architectural design, interior design, master planning, urban design, and sustainable design for institutional, commercial, educational, and community projects across the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Campus Planning Campus planning services including facilities master plans, space needs assessments, site analysis, and phased development strategies for educational institutions.
• Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse Historic preservation and adaptive reuse services including historic tax credit certification, preservation studies, and renovation of historic structures for modern programmatic use.
• LEED Certification and Sustainable Design LEED certification services and sustainable design consulting for new construction and renovation projects, including energy-efficient systems, green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and renewable energy integration.
• Urban Design and Transit-Oriented Development Planning Feasibility studies, neighborhood revitalization plans, urban design guidelines, and transit-oriented development master plans for cities, transportation agencies, and community development projects.
• Fundraising and Historic Tax Credit Assistance Assistance with fundraising strategies and historic tax credit certification for clients undertaking preservation and community revitalization projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• LEED Silver certification achieved on multiple projects including Light House Shelter, Glen Echo Park, and Brewers Hill
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Quinn Evans ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBH+A announced it is joining Quinn Evans Architects, a significant strategic combination. A letter from principals and a press release were issued. Downloadable PDFs of the announcement are available on the CBH+A website. The combined entity will continue to serve clients under the Quinn Evans Architects brand.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McKissack & McKissack: National minority-owned architecture, engineering, and program management firm. Comparable M/WBE-led model serving public-sector and institutional clients across education, transportation, and community development—direct competitor for set-aside and diversity-driven RFPs.
• GWWO Architects: Baltimore-based architecture firm focused on educational and cultural facilities with strong portfolio in adaptive reuse and historic preservation. Directly comparable in geography, client segments (education, museums, community), and project types.
• Marks Thomas Architects: Mid-Atlantic architecture firm serving K-12, higher education, and community clients with similar master planning and renovation capabilities. Comparable in client mix and emphasis on collaborative, community-focused design.
• Ziger/Snead Architects: Baltimore architecture firm specializing in cultural, educational, and institutional design with comparable regional footprint and adaptive reuse portfolio. Direct peer in Mid-Atlantic non-profit and institutional market.
• Ayers Saint Gross: Mid-Atlantic architecture and planning firm specializing in higher education, campus master planning, and adaptive reuse. Comparable in target clients (universities, institutions), service breadth (architecture, planning, interiors), and award-winning regional positioning.
• MTFA Architecture: Washington DC architecture firm specializing in educational facilities, civic buildings, and historic preservation. Comparable in services, scale, geographic focus, and emphasis on adaptive reuse for institutional clients.
• Design Collective: Baltimore-based architecture, interior design, and planning firm with comparable Mid-Atlantic institutional client base. Direct competitor for higher education, cultural, and community projects in the same regional market.
• Wiebner Architecture: Mid-Atlantic firm specializing in K-12 and higher education architecture with strong portfolio in community-driven design. Comparable in scale, segment focus (education), and award-winning approach.
• BCT Design Group: Mid-Atlantic architecture and interior design firm serving higher education, healthcare, and community clients. Comparable in service offerings, client mix, and regional positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Quinn Evans Architects: Parent company of CBH+A following the 2025 acquisition; a national architecture and historic preservation firm with broader geographic reach and similar adaptive reuse and institutional design expertise. Highly comparable in services, client mix, and design philosophy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cbha

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Cho Benn Holback + Associates