Bounds Gillespie Killebrew Tushek Architects

What Bounds Gillespie Killebrew Tushek Architects does

BGKT Architects, PLLC is a privately held professional architectural firm headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, with a secondary office in Houston, Texas. Founded by Paul D. Gillespie, Sr. in 1977, the firm originated from a longstanding partnership between Gillespie and Danny G. Bounds, Sr. (who joined in 1995 after 14 years with Holiday Inn Worldwide) and was joined by Arthur Killebrew in 2011. The firm is structured as a Tennessee Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC), is privately owned by its partners, and operates without external institutional capital.

The firm's core offering is full-scope architectural services spanning planning, feasibility studies, master planning, space programming, preliminary site studies, cost analysis, pre-construction estimating, architectural design, and construction administration. Its principal specialization is hospitality and franchise-hotel design for owners, developers, and operators of Hilton, Marriott, Choice, and IHG properties, with secondary practices in civic and cultural buildings (including work for the City of Memphis and Shelby County Schools), multifamily residential, and commercial/industrial projects. Project construction costs span from $100,000 to $75,000,000, and the firm is licensed in 30+ states.

BGKT earns revenue on a project-fee basis with no publicly disclosed pricing schedule, supported by preferred-vendor status with four major hotel franchisors that channel project assignments through developer pipelines. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales: direct outreach, industry reputation, and project referrals rather than active digital marketing. The firm has been recognized with the ULI Award of Distinction (Private Redevelopment, 2015), the Hilton Legacy Award for New Build of the Year (2018), and Memphis Business Journal Project of the Year and Best Renovation (2020).

Name

Bounds Gillespie Killebrew Tushek Architects

Legal name

BGKT Architects, PLLC

Website

https://bgktarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BGKT Architects, PLLC is a privately held Memphis-based architectural firm specializing in franchise-hotel design for Hilton, Marriott, Choice, and IHG, with secondary civic and multifamily practices, operating from Memphis and Houston.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Architecture firm
• Building design
• Construction documentation
• Professional services

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: BGKT Architects earns revenue by providing comprehensive architectural services including planning, feasibility studies, master planning, space programming, architectural design, preliminary site studies, cost analysis, pre-construction estimating, and construction administration. Projects range in construction cost from $100,000 to $75,000,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Bounds Gillespie Killebrew Tushek Architects is an architectural design practice that delivers professional architectural services to external clients. The firm appears to operate as a multi-partner named practice, the standard engagement format in the architecture industry, providing design, planning, and project representation services for building projects.

Product overview

BGKT Architects, PLLC is an architectural firm providing comprehensive design services rather than a software product company. The firm operates as a single unified service offering with core competencies in architectural design spanning hospitality/hotels, civic & cultural, and multifamily sectors. Services include planning, feasibility studies, master planning, architectural design, cost analysis, pre-construction estimating, and construction administration. The firm specializes in hotel design for major brands including Hilton, Marriott, Choice, and Intercontinental hotels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EBCO General ContractorsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 April 2015EBCO General Contractors was part of the project team for the Hampton Inn on Lavaca (ULI Award of Distinction winner), working alongside BGKT Architects and Datum Engineers on the conversion of a failed condo project into a viable hotel development in Austin, TX.
• Datum EngineersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 April 2015Datum Engineers was part of the project team for the Hampton Inn on Lavaca (ULI Award of Distinction winner), working alongside BGKT Architects and EBCO General Contractors on the conversion of a failed condo project into a viable hotel development in Austin, TX.
• Hilton WorldwidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBGKT Architects is a preferred vendor of Hilton Worldwide, providing architectural services for Hilton-branded hotels including Curio Collection, Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites, Home2 Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites, Motto by Hilton, and others. This preferred vendor status gives BGKT access to Hilton's development pipeline and positions the firm for hotel franchise architecture assignments.
• Marriott InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBGKT Architects is a preferred vendor of Marriott International, providing architectural design services for Marriott-branded hotels including Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, Springhill Suites, and Moxy hotels.
• Choice HotelscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBGKT Architects is a preferred vendor of Choice Hotels, providing architectural services for Choice-branded hotel properties.
• Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBGKT Architects is a preferred vendor of Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), providing architectural services for IHG-branded hotels including Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cooper Carry: Cooper Carry is a national AE firm with a strong hospitality practice serving hotel developers and major brands. Directly comparable to BGKT in hospitality client mix and franchisor-style engagements, but with broader sector diversity and larger headcount.
• DLR Group: DLR Group is a national AE firm with established hospitality and civic practices serving major hotel brands and government clients. Comparable to BGKT across both hospitality and civic-cultural verticals, with significantly greater scale and integrated design-build capabilities.
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): HBA is a global leader in hospitality interior design and architecture, with deep relationships across major hotel brands. Comparable to BGKT in hospitality focus and brand-prototype expertise, but operating at significantly larger global scale.
• Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG): WATG is one of the largest global hospitality architecture and design firms, serving major hotel brands and developers worldwide. BGKT competes for the same franchise hotel commissions but at a much smaller scale, making WATG a relevant incumbent benchmark for scope and expertise.
• Leo A Daly: Leo A Daly is a large multi-discipline AE firm with an active hospitality and hotel design practice serving major franchisors. Comparable to BGKT in franchise hotel design capability, with substantially larger geographic footprint and service breadth.

Direct peers

• SA Architecture: SA Architecture is a Dallas-based hospitality architecture firm specializing in franchise hotel design for major brands. Closely comparable to BGKT in client base, brand expertise, and Texas presence.
• JPC Architects: JPC Architects is a hospitality-focused architectural firm specializing in franchise hotel design for major brands. Closely comparable to BGKT in target client (hotel developers), service scope (architectural design for franchised hotels), and firm size band.
• Looney Ricks Kiss (LRK): LRK is a Memphis-based AE firm with a hospitality and mixed-use practice serving major hotel brands and developers. Comparable to BGKT in shared Memphis geographic base, hotel franchisor client mix, and project profile.
• Heitzman Architects: Heitzman Architects is a mid-size architectural firm with a strong hospitality and hotel design practice serving major franchisors. Highly comparable to BGKT in client mix, brand-prototype expertise, and firm size.
• PKF Architects / BKF Engineers (combined firm): BKF (formerly PKF) is a mid-size West Coast AE firm with significant hospitality and hotel design practice. Comparable to BGKT in hospitality focus and multi-state operations, with deeper engineering integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Bounds Gillespie Killebrew Tushek Architects