Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects

What Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects does

Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects, P.C. (FFAE) is a full-service architecture firm headquartered in Orchard Park, New York, operating as a professional corporation with origins dating to 1961 and incorporated in its current form in 1985. The firm provides architectural design, master planning, feasibility studies, contract documents, and construction administration services across multiple building sectors — with primary depth in healthcare and long-term care facilities (over 6,000 beds designed with all NYSDOH C.O.N. applications approved), behavioral health and addiction recovery facilities, corporate and high-tech industrial facilities (notably aerospace and defense clients including Moog Inc. and Cobham), municipal government buildings, hospitality, housing, religious institutions, and recreational/cultural facilities.

The firm's core technology stack consists of conventional architectural design tools including 3D modeling, photomontages, and renderings for visualization, augmented by LEED-certified sustainable design practice (LEED AP BD+C credentialing on staff) including energy modeling and vegetative roof design. No proprietary software platform or AI/ML capabilities are evidenced; the firm's intellectual property resides in domain expertise around regulatory-intensive sectors (NYSDOH, OASAS, historic preservation).

FFAE operates a principal-led engagement model in which every project is overseen by a dedicated partner, supported by a co-partner, Project Architect, and technical personnel. The firm employs 11–50 staff including four registered architects (Paul A. Ernst, Ivan N. Garcia, Raymond A. Murphy, William A. Heidt) plus technical and administrative support. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees billed over multi-year contract durations, with services scoped per project based on complexity and scale. The go-to-market motion is direct enterprise field sales, with the firm serving municipalities, healthcare systems, behavioral health providers, industrial/manufacturing clients, hospitality operators, religious institutions, and residential developers across Western New York and broader New York State. Marketing relies on a website portfolio, newsroom, and earned media through Buffalo Business First and regional press, rather than paid digital acquisition.

Name

Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects

Legal name

Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects, P.C.

Website

https://ffae.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FFAE is a full-service architecture firm in Orchard Park, New York, providing design, master planning, and construction administration services across healthcare, behavioral health, industrial, municipal, hospitality, religious, and residential sectors throughout Western New York, with deep expertise in long-term care facility design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Orchard Park

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. Architectural Design Services: FFAE generates revenue through professional architectural and design service fees for projects spanning healthcare, behavioral health, corporate/commercial, hospitality, municipal, industrial, housing, religious, and recreational sectors. Services include feasibility studies, master planning, design, contract documents, and construction administration, billed on a per-project basis as professional service engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FFAE is a full-service architecture firm providing feasibility studies, master planning, architectural design, contract documents, and construction administration for new construction, additions, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects. Services are organized across healthcare, behavioral health, corporate/commercial, industrial, municipal, hospitality, religious, housing, and recreational/cultural sectors, with documented specialization in regulated facilities such as skilled nursing, assisted living, and OASAS-licensed addiction recovery campuses.

Product overview

FFAE Architects is a full-service architecture firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of architectural design and consulting services. The firm operates as a unified service practice rather than a platform-plus-modules structure. Core service offerings span multiple building sectors including behavioral health, corporate/commercial, healthcare/medical, hospitality, housing, high-tech industrial, municipal, recreational/cultural, and religious facilities. The firm also provides specialized consulting services including feasibility studies, master planning, sustainable/LEED design practice, and historic preservation. Projects range from large-scale municipal centers and healthcare campuses to single-family residences and religious facilities. The firm has particular expertise in long-term and adult care facilities, having completed over 6,000 beds in nursing and senior living projects, as well as significant experience with behavioral health treatment facilities and aerospace/industrial manufacturing facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services — Healthcare & Long-Term Care Full architectural design of skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care, CCRC, wellness, and medical research facilities including campus master planning and NYSDOH C.O.N. application preparation; serves healthcare operators and government medical clients.
• Architectural Design Services — Behavioral Health & Addiction Recovery Design of outpatient clinics, OTP clinics, detoxification facilities, residential treatment homes, and community residences for substance use disorder and mental health programs; serves nonprofit behavioral health providers.
• Architectural Design Services — Corporate, Commercial & High-Tech Industrial Design of corporate headquarters, tenant build-outs, credit union branches, manufacturing and aerospace/defense facilities, and industrial additions; serves enterprise corporations and commercial tenants.
• Architectural Design Services — Hospitality Design of branded hotels (new construction and adaptive reuse), corporate cafeterias, and food service facilities; serves hospitality operators and corporate clients.
• Architectural Design Services — Municipal & Public Sector Design of municipal centers, fire stations, EMS facilities, and government offices including historic building reuse; serves town, village, fire district, VA, and SUNY clients.
• Architectural Design Services — Housing & Residential Design of multi-family housing, senior housing, single-family custom homes, residential subdivisions, and mixed-use developments.
• Architectural Design Services — Recreational & Cultural Design of YMCA facilities, children's museums, community centers, performing arts venues, and veterans memorials.
• Architectural Design Services — Religious Institutions Design of new sanctuaries, church additions, multi-phase renovations, accessibility upgrades, and educational spaces for religious congregations.
• Feasibility Studies Preliminary assessment services evaluating project viability from design, site planning, and financial investment perspectives for healthcare, industrial, and community clients.
• Master Planning Comprehensive campus planning services spanning nursing facility campuses, industrial campuses, commercial developments, and residential communities.
• Sustainable Design & LEED Certification Practice LEED certification process support, energy modeling, vegetative roof design, and sustainable design strategy implementation integrated into architectural projects.
• Historic Preservation, Renovation & Adaptive Reuse Historic building rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and renovation services, including evaluation of existing structures for reuse and preservation-conscious modernization; serves clients with historic and adaptive-reuse requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 beds designed and implemented in long-term care facilities/campuses, with all NYSDOH C.O.N. applications approved.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers34 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EatonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFAE is participating in the Eaton Orchard Park expansion — an $18.5M investment adding 50,000 sq ft of new manufacturing, warehouse, and operations space for aerospace and defense technologies.
• Tesla Gigafactory BuffalominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFAE designed the central cafeteria buildout for the Tesla Gigafactory in Buffalo, working in conjunction with Encorus Group. Construction was anticipated to begin in Spring 2024.
• Burns and Roe Enterprises, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFFAE was engaged as a design consultant for Burns and Roe Enterprises, Inc. for the SUNY at Buffalo Mackay Heating Plant modernization project.
• SUNY at GeneseominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFFAE served as Design Consultant providing comprehensive ADA/elevator accessibility evaluations and upgrades across seven campus buildings.
• NY Forward ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFAE provided support during the submission process for the Town of Aurora and West Falls community grant application through the NY Forward Program for West Falls revitalization.
• Erie Canal Harbor Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFAE was awarded the design contract for South Aud Block (Explore & More Children's Museum) through a highly publicized competition by the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation. This is a flagship project in the Canalside/Inner Harbor redevelopment.
• NYSDOH Statewide Transformation GrantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe UConnectCare Women's with Children Residential Treatment Facility (25-bed) in Albion, NY was made possible via a NYSDOH Statewide Transformation Grant, for which FFAE provided architectural design.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CannonDesign: Buffalo/NY-headquartered architecture and design firm with a strong healthcare practice and broader sector reach. Comparable to FFAE in geographic roots, healthcare/long-term care expertise, and project scale, but materially larger in headcount and national footprint.
• LaBella Associates: Rochester, NY-headquartered architecture and engineering firm serving healthcare, education, municipal, and industrial clients across the Northeast. Comparable to FFAE in Upstate New York geography, healthcare and institutional focus, and multi-disciplinary project delivery.
• LPA Design Studios: Integrated architecture, planning, and interiors firm with sector practices in healthcare, civic, education, and corporate environments. Comparable to FFAE in sector mix and design-led approach but materially larger and operating across multiple U.S. regions.
• Popli Design Group: New York-based architecture and engineering firm delivering healthcare, education, municipal, and transportation projects. Comparable to FFAE in New York State focus, institutional client mix, and full-service design and construction administration offerings.
• Clark Patterson Lee: Upstate New York architecture and engineering firm with offices across the region serving municipal, education, healthcare, and commercial clients. Comparable to FFAE in regional footprint, multi-sector practice, and public/institutional client base.
• Kideney Architects: Buffalo-based architecture firm offering design services across healthcare, education, municipal, and commercial sectors. Directly comparable to FFAE as a regional Western New York practice with a similar multi-sector portfolio and similar scale of public/institutional clients.

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm with strong healthcare, science & technology, and civic practices. Comparable to FFAE across several of its core sectors but serves enterprise-scale clients well beyond the regional/institutional mid-market FFAE addresses.
• Perkins&Will: Globally recognized architecture firm with one of the largest dedicated healthcare practices in the industry. Comparable to FFAE in healthcare and long-term care design expertise but operates at significantly larger scale with a national/international footprint.
• Stantec: Global design and engineering firm with a sizable North American architecture practice spanning healthcare, education, commercial, and industrial markets. Comparable to FFAE in the breadth of its building-sector portfolio but at vastly greater scale and geographic diversification.

Regional players

• WATG: International hospitality-focused architecture and design firm with deep experience in adaptive reuse and branded hotel projects. Comparable to FFAE in the hospitality adaptive-reuse segment (e.g., One Canalside Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn) but operates from a primary base outside New York.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100063761191448
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fontanese-folts-aubrecht-ernst-architects-p.c.

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 Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects