Burhani Design Architects

What Burhani Design Architects does

Burhani Design Architects is a Chicago-based architecture firm founded in 2011 by Shabbir Y. Chandabhai, operating as Burhani Design, Inc. with a team of 1–10 professionals across interior design, engineering, architecture, and planning. The firm is organized around three dedicated studios — architecture, interior design, and planning — which allow it to flex across residential, commercial, mixed-use, educational, cultural, and healthcare projects of varying scale, from single-family home renovations to LEED-certified multi-unit towers and an international university campus in Nairobi.

The firm's underlying technology centers on BIM (Building Information Modelling), 3D visualization, and physical architectural modeling, supplemented by design-build delivery capability for small residential and commercial projects. It has executed projects targeting LEED-Gold certification (Winthrop Club, Louisville Children's Museum) and incorporates sustainable features such as green roof systems and energy-efficient MEP design. The firm has invested in a free online consultation tool as a digital lead-capture channel, alongside content marketing, Houzz professional credentials, and BBB accreditation.

Burhani Design Architects generates revenue through project-based professional service fees for architecture, interior design, and planning engagements, with each project quoted individually based on scope and complexity. Its go-to-market is sales-led and direct: enterprise clients (developers, schools, cultural institutions) are engaged for large-scale master planning and commercial work, while SMB and residential clients are reached through the website consultation tool, phone, and word-of-mouth referrals. Some community projects (e.g., A.N. Pritzker Elementary playground) are delivered pro-bono. The firm is approved as a Technical Assistance vendor for the City of Chicago's Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, providing a privileged channel into small business and nonprofit design commissions across Chicagoland.

Name

Burhani Design Architects

Legal name

Burhani Design, Inc.

Website

https://burhanidesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Burhani Design Architects is a Chicago-based architecture firm founded in 2011, delivering architecture, interior design, and planning services across residential, commercial, educational, and cultural projects, serving homeowners, developers, institutions, and community organizations in the Chicago metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design services
• Master planning services
• Urban planning services
• Design-build services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and design professional services: The firm generates revenue through fees for architecture, interior design, and planning professional services. Projects range from small residential additions to large-scale master planning. Some community projects are delivered pro-bono.
2. Design-build services: Design-build services for small residential and commercial projects represent an additional revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Burhani Design Architects provides architecture, interior design, and urban/suburban planning services for residential, commercial, socio-cultural, and educational projects. The firm operates through three dedicated studios and delivers full-service project work spanning feasibility studies, design development, construction documents, construction administration, and design-build delivery for small residential and commercial projects.

Product overview

Burhani Design Architects operates as a multi-studio architecture, interior design, and planning firm with three distinct but coordinated service lines. The core offerings consist of Architecture Services, Interior Design Services, and Planning Services, supported by additional capabilities including 3D Visualization, BIM (Building Information Modelling), Architectural Models, Strategic Planning for Multi-Unit Rental Buildings, Design-Build Services, Public Space Research Solutions, and Project Management Services. The firm's three-studio structure enables focused expertise across these interconnected service areas, working on diverse projects spanning residential, commercial, socio-cultural, and educational design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architecture services spanning feasibility studies, design development, construction documents, and construction administration, helping clients decide on optimal space utilization and building execution. For residential, commercial, socio-cultural, and educational projects.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services including space planning, furniture design, decor, and finish selections to create thoughtfully planned and flawlessly executed interior spaces for residential, commercial, and institutional clients.
• Planning Services Urban and suburban planning services encompassing zoning studies, regulatory analysis, and sustainability planning to help communities thrive and to support real estate development projects.
• Design-Build Services Integrated design-build services for small residential and commercial projects, coordinating both design and construction phases for clients seeking a single point of accountability.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.4 million raised through community crowdfunding for the Play on Pritzker school playground project.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FX Collaborative (New York)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormed a consortium with FX Collaborative (New York), Romines Architecture (formerly Fredrik Schwartz Architects), and landscape consultants Andropogon to participate in the 2012 international design competition for Al Jamea Tus Safiyah University in Nairobi. The consortium won first place and executed the project, completed in 2018.
• Romines Architecture (formerly Fredrik Schwartz Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the winning consortium for the Al Jamea Tus Safiyah University Nairobi international design competition in 2012, working alongside FX Collaborative and Andropogon.
• Andropogon (Landscape Consultants)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape design consultants in the winning consortium for the Al Jamea Tus Safiyah University Nairobi project. Contributed to the 'A campus in a garden' design theme.
• Rivetna Architects, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the 2853 N. Clybourn project for design of a new 4-unit condo building on Chicago's Clybourn mixed-use corridor.
• Neighborhood Opportunity FundcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBurhani Design, Inc. is an approved vendor for Technical Assistance for the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, assisting small businesses and non-profits around the Chicagoland area. This is a formal designation by the City of Chicago's economic development program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Studio Gang: Chicago-headquartered architecture practice with overlapping expertise in sustainability, civic/community-oriented design, and culturally significant projects. Comparable mid-density portfolio including cultural and educational buildings in Chicago.
• FX Collaborative: New York-based architecture firm that partnered with Burhani on the Al Jamea Tus Safiyah University competition. Operates in cultural, educational, and high-rise residential design with comparable sustainability focus.
• BKL Architecture: Mid-sized Chicago-based architecture firm focused on civic, educational, and adaptive reuse projects. Direct competitor for Chicago-area public and institutional RFPs.
• Wheeler Kearns Architects: Chicago architecture firm with comparable mid-scale portfolio across residential, cultural, and community projects. Direct competitor for community-design and adaptive reuse mandates in Chicago.
• Valerio Dewalt Train: Chicago architecture firm of similar size focused on community-oriented, education, and cultural projects. Competes directly for institutional and mixed-use design mandates in the Chicago metropolitan area.
• Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture: Chicago architecture firm recognized for sustainability credentials and LEED-certified towers. Overlaps with Burhani on high-performance building design and large mixed-use projects.
• FitzGerald Associates Architects: Chicago-based architecture firm where Burhani's founder Shabbir Chandabhai worked from 2003-2008. Operates in the same residential, commercial, and institutional design space with comparable mid-scale project portfolio including mixed-use and cultural buildings.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with strong Chicago presence and significant LEED-certified healthcare, education, and cultural practices. Competes for the larger institutional projects Burhani targets, but at greater scale and resources.
• Gensler: Large global design and architecture firm with a major Chicago office. Competes for commercial interior design, mixed-use, and corporate office mandates that overlap with Burhani's commercial and interior design studio.
• SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill): Global architecture and engineering firm with deep Chicago roots. Overlaps with Burhani on large mixed-use, residential tower, and institutional design commissions, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burhani-design-architects

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Burhani Design Architects