Derivi Castellanos Architects

What Derivi Castellanos Architects does

Derivi Castellanos Architects (DCA) is a privately held California architecture firm founded in 1979 by Steve Castellanos and Linda Derivi, specializing exclusively in the education sector. The firm operates two offices — one in San Jose (Silicon Valley) and one in Stockton (Central Valley) — and delivers three core service lines: Architecture, Project Management, and Consulting. Its primary customer segments are public TK-12 school districts, community colleges, and universities across California, with secondary experience in healthcare, commercial, and institutional facilities.

DCA's technical differentiation centers on decades of regulatory process expertise, particularly navigating California Division of State Architect (DSA) approvals, designing LEED- and CHPS-certified sustainable facilities, and executing design-build and lease-leaseback project delivery methods. Notable projects include the $42 million Ocean View Elementary School and the $38 million Marin Elementary School for Albany Unified School District, and the San Jose City College Interdisciplinary and Fine Arts Building delivered on time and under budget. The firm has completed hundreds of projects since its founding, with Managing Partner Juan Barroso personally involved in 200+ projects over the past decade.

DCA earns revenue through professional service fees on architecture, project management, and consulting engagements, with pricing custom-quoted per project based on scope and complexity. The go-to-market motion is direct enterprise sales targeting school district superintendents, chief business officials, and facilities directors, supported by two dedicated Directors of Client Relations for K-12 and Higher Education. The firm has a sister company, Valley Construction Services, Inc., enabling coordinated architecture-and-construction delivery. DCA has never raised external funding, has no parent company, and remains under founding-family and managing-partner ownership.

Name

Derivi Castellanos Architects

Legal name

Derivi Castellanos Architects

Website

https://dcaaia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Derivi Castellanos Architects is a California-based architecture firm founded in 1979 that provides architecture, project management, and consulting services exclusively to public TK-12 school districts, community colleges, and universities, with deep expertise in DSA regulatory navigation and LEED-certified sustainable school design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Comprehensive architectural services including planning, designing, and constructing public and private buildings for educational sector clients. Revenue generated through professional service fees for design, documentation, and construction administration.
2. Project Management Services: Project management services where DCA is responsible for initiating, planning, executing, and properly closing projects. Revenue earned through project management fees based on milestone achievement and success criteria defined by clients.
3. Consulting Services: Expert advisory services leveraging unique relationships with state agencies and network of building professionals. Provides consultation to public and private building sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Derivi Castellanos Architects (DCA) is a California-based architectural services firm that plans, designs, and provides construction administration for public and private educational buildings. The firm offers three integrated service lines—Architecture, Project Management, and Consulting—specializing in TK-12 schools, community colleges, and universities, with additional work in healthcare, commercial, and institutional facilities.

Product overview

Derivi Castellanos Architects (DCA) operates as a single unified architectural services firm rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company offers three core service lines—Architecture, Project Management, and Consulting—specialized for the California education sector. DCA's expertise spans TK-12 schools, community colleges, and universities, with additional experience in healthcare, commercial, institutional, and religious facilities. The firm is led by Managing Partner Juan Barroso and serves clients statewide from offices in Silicon Valley and Central Valley. DCA has been in operation since 1979 and completed hundreds of projects across California, with a focus on responsiveness, teamwork, high-quality design solutions, and customer service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services for public and private buildings and physical structures, with expertise in developing best processes for planning, designing, and constructing educational facilities. Targets California public and private building sector clients, primarily in education.
• Project Management Services Project management services responsible for initiating, planning, executing, and properly closing projects, ensuring delivery teams achieve specific milestones and meet client-defined success criteria. Engaged on a project-by-project basis with California educational clients.
• Consulting Services Expert consulting services leveraging unique relationships with state agencies and a strong network of building professionals to provide best advice to public and private building sector clients, primarily in California education.
• TK-12 Education Design Services Specialized architectural and project management services for kindergarten through 12th grade public school districts, including new construction, modernization, classroom renovations, Prop 39 energy efficiency projects, design-build projects, and master planning across California.
• Community College Services Architectural and consulting services for California community college districts, including master planning, new campus development, and individual project implementation such as career technical education facilities and modernization.
• Higher Education Services Director of Client Relations–led architectural services for higher education institutions, including university facility design and institutional buildings, leveraging 35+ years of experience in the education sector at all levels from faculty to superintendent/president.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ successful projects led by Managing Partner Juan Barroso over 10 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• EKC Enterprises, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 June 2024EKC Enterprises, Inc. sponsored the 2024 CALSA Conference workshop coordinated by DCA on creating safe school environments. Partnership demonstrates collaborative approach to educational facility safety initiatives.
• Otto ConstructionmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 20 May 2024Otto Construction is a construction partner working alongside DCA on the North Salinas High School new two-story classroom and admin building project.
• JL ModularmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 20 May 2024JL Modular partnered with DCA on the North Salinas High School project to bring the vision to life for the Salinas Union High School District.
• Acme ConstructionmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 14 May 2024Acme Construction team played a critical role alongside DCA in executing John C. Fremont Elementary School's vision for campus upgrades including new multipurpose room and administration building.
• Valley Construction Services, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValley Construction Services, Inc. is DCA's sister company, sharing staff (Marketing Coordinator Sandra Curiel works for both). This affiliation allows coordinated architecture and construction services for clients.
• State Agencies NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCA maintains unique relationships with California state agencies that have become a tremendous asset for clients' projects, helping navigate regulatory requirements.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• HMC Architects: California-based architecture firm with a strong education sector practice serving K-12 and community college districts. Overlapping geographic footprint and client base make it one of DCA's closest direct competitors.
• WLC Architects: California-focused architecture firm specializing in K-12 school design and DSA-regulated projects. Closely comparable in scale, niche focus, and California public-school client base.
• TMP Architecture: Architecture firm with a longstanding K-12 specialty serving public school districts. Comparable in education-only positioning and project-based delivery model.
• Legat Architects: Midwest-based architecture firm with a dedicated K-12 education practice and DSA-equivalent public-school experience. Comparable in education-only specialization and district-client model.
• LPA Design Studios: California-headquartered integrated design firm with a substantial K-12 and higher-education practice across the state. Directly competes with DCA for California school district RFQs and shares a similar education-vertical specialization.
• NAC Architecture: West Coast architecture firm with a dedicated education practice spanning K-12 and higher education. Comparable in education-sector focus and California presence.

Broad incumbents

• SmithGroup: Integrated design firm with a sizable education practice serving K-12 and higher-education clients. Competes on larger California higher-education and modernization engagements.
• DLR Group: Large national AEC firm with a substantial K-12 and higher-education practice, including California district work. Competes on larger, multi-site programs where its scale and integrated services give it an advantage.
• CannonDesign: National architecture and engineering firm with a significant education practice across K-12 and higher ed. Overlaps with DCA on California school district pursuits, particularly larger bond-funded programs.
• Perkins&Will: International architecture firm with a strong education practice and West Coast presence. Competes for higher education and large K-12 modernization work in California.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/derivi-castellanos-architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Derivi Castellanos Architects