SGA Companies

What SGA Companies does

SGA Companies (legal entity SGA COS, LLC) is a full-service architecture firm founded in 1996 by Sassan (Sas) Gharai and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. The firm was originally called SGA Architects and rebranded to SGA Companies in 2004 to reflect a broader service offering. SGA specializes in transit-oriented multifamily residential and mixed-use retail developments across the Washington, DC metro area, with a portfolio of 400+ completed projects spanning mixed-use apartment buildings, age-restricted housing, senior living facilities, historic restorations, luxury single-family homes, and LEED-certified commercial projects.

The firm operates on a project-based professional services model, earning architectural design and project management fees from property developers, investors, and property owners. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement, maintaining relationships with clients, consultants, builders, and communities from project inception through completion. Notable projects include Butterfield House (2009 Brick in Architecture Best-in-Class award winner), Takoma Central, The Rushmore, The Mercury, and a LEED Certified self-storage facility. More recently, SGA has extended into owner-developer activity, with three active development projects (22 West Jefferson, 325 Vine St, 810 Crain Highway) signaling a shift from pure design services toward capturing development economics.

SGA is privately held and founder-owned, with no institutional investors or external capital disclosed. The firm maintains a single Bethesda office and a small team, operating without disclosed technology platforms, AI capabilities, or software products beyond conventional architectural design tools.

Name

SGA Companies

Legal name

SGA COS, LLC

Website

https://sgacos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SGA Companies is a Bethesda-based full-service architecture firm founded in 1996, specializing in transit-oriented multifamily residential and mixed-use retail developments across the Washington, DC metro area, serving property developers and investors on a project-based professional services model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Transit-oriented development
• Mixed-use architecture
• Multifamily residential design
• Historic restoration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based architectural design and project management services for residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments throughout the DC metro area.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SGA Companies is a full-service architecture firm providing architectural design and project management services for property developers, investors, and property owners in the Washington, DC metro area. The firm specializes in transit-oriented multifamily residential developments, mixed-use retail projects, historic restoration, senior living facilities, and LEED-certified sustainable buildings. SGA also operates as a developer on selected urban infill projects.

Product overview

SGA Companies is a full-service architecture and development firm offering architectural design and development services. The company specializes in transit-oriented multifamily residential properties and mixed-use retail developments throughout the DC metro area. Their portfolio spans multiple product types including mixed-use apartment buildings (The Rushmore, Takoma Central), senior living facilities (Maple Heights Senior Living), luxury single-family homes (Bradley Boulevard, Onondaga Shingle House), multifamily developments (Jackson Place, 700 Roeder Road/The Elan), age-restricted housing (The Mercury), historic restorations (Alexander Hall, Brookes Ridge), and specialized facilities (LEED Self Storage). The company also develops urban infill projects and has ongoing development projects at 22 West Jefferson, 325 Vine St, and 810 Crain Highway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Rushmore A 117-unit mixed-use development in the heart of historic Capitol Hill, Washington DC, designed and developed by SGA. Positioned less than a five-minute walk from Metro stations along Pennsylvania Avenue, offering an amenity-rich, car-free lifestyle.
• The Mercury A mixed-use development in Bethesda, MD featuring 11,000 sq ft ground floor retail and 95,000 sq ft multi-family residential with 60 age-restricted (55+) units and 8 MPDUs, designed in art deco style.
• 700 Roeder Road (The Elan) A 35-unit residential building with lower-level office/retail space in Downtown Silver Spring, MD; an adaptive-reuse conversion of a 1980s office building into residential condominiums.
• Shotgun House A unique two-unit luxury townhouse incorporating a rebuilt historic shotgun house located in Capitol Hill, Washington DC.
• Maple Heights Senior Living An assisted living and memory care facility in the 16th Street Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC.
• Alexander Hall Historic restoration and conversion project in Georgetown, DC including a renovated 5,250 sq ft semi-detached home (2715 N Street NW) and three luxury condominiums in a converted church building (2709 N Street NW) totaling over 8,000 sq ft.
• Jackson Place A 34-unit contemporary multifamily development in Brookland, DC with 2-bed/2.5-bath two-level units featuring sustainable elements including Energy Star appliances, partial green roofs, and permeable paving.
• Bradley Boulevard A 5,000 sq ft single-family residence in Bethesda, MD on a wooded lot with contemporary design featuring cedar siding, stucco, Carrara Marble flooring, and espresso maple cabinetry.
• Brookes Ridge A luxury development in Bethesda, MD comprising renovation of an 8,400 sq ft 1930s manor house (formerly owned by ABC news anchor Howard K. Smith) plus 11 new luxury townhouses.
• Takoma Central A 140,000 sq ft transit-oriented building completed in 2015 in Washington, DC with 150 residential units, 6,000 sq ft retail space, four levels plus penthouse with roof garden, and sustainable systems including green roof.
• Butterfield House A 28-unit, 50,000 sq ft condo building completed in 2008 in Washington, DC inspired by 19th century Gothic Revival architecture; awarded 2009 Brick in Architecture Awards Best-In-Class Winner in Multi-Family Category.
• Onondaga Shingle House A shingle-style single family home with approximately 6,000 sq ft (4,800 sq ft above grade) featuring four bedrooms, double master suite, and contemporary details blending traditional form with modern design.
• Otis Street Apartments A mixed-use project in Brookland, DC featuring renovation of a 2,800 sq ft auto body shop into retail space plus new construction of 16 residential units (eight 2-bed/2-bath apartments and eight 2-bed/2.5-bath two-story flats).
• LEED Self Storage A 112,000 sq ft LEED Certified self-storage facility in Washington, DC with two below-grade levels and five levels above grade, featuring intensive green area for stormwater management.
• 22 West Jefferson A development project under development.
• 325 Vine St A development project under development.
• 810 Crain Highway A development project under development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 projects completed since founding

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with DC office and strong multifamily, healthcare, and commercial practice. Larger and more diversified than SGA but competes for similar developer-driven multifamily and mixed-use commissions in the DC metro.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with significant DC presence. While much larger and broader in scope than SGA, Gensler competes for institutional and large multifamily commissions in the same DC metro market.

Direct peers

• Lessard Design: DC-area architecture firm specializing in multifamily residential and mixed-use developments. Comparable in scale and market focus to SGA, serving similar developer clients in the DC metro region.
• SK+I Architecture: Washington DC-based multifamily architecture specialist with deep experience in urban high-rise and mid-rise residential design. Comparable client base of DC-area developers and similar transit-oriented project focus.
• Davis Carter Scott: DC-area architecture firm with multi-decade history in commercial, multifamily, and institutional projects. Comparable in size, longevity, and DC metro market focus to SGA Companies.
• Torti Gallas + Partners: DC-area urban design and architecture firm specializing in mixed-use, multifamily, and town planning projects. Comparable in scale and mission to SGA, with similar focus on transit-oriented and urban infill developments.
• KGD Architecture: DC-area architecture firm focused on multifamily residential, mixed-use, and senior living projects. Directly comparable in product type and target client base to SGA's core multifamily and senior living work.
• Hickok Cole: Washington DC-based architecture and interior design firm with comparable multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial project focus. Operates in the same DC metro market with overlapping client base of developers and similar project types.
• Bonstra Haresign ARCHITECTS: DC-based architecture firm with comparable portfolio in urban infill, multifamily residential, and mixed-use projects. Operates in the same DC metro market with similar developer client base and design philosophy.
• STUDIO 39 Architecture: DC-area architecture and interior design firm with comparable multifamily and mixed-use project focus. Operates in the same DC metro market with overlapping client base of property developers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sgacompanies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sga-cos-llc

Compliance2 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 SGA Companies