UrbanLab
UrbanLab is a Chicago-based, founder-owned architecture and urban design firm (founded 2000, 11–50 employees) providing progressive residential, commercial, and large-scale urban planning services to individual homeowners, restaurant operators, cultural institutions, and international clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What UrbanLab does
UrbanLab is a privately held architecture and urban design firm founded in 2000 by Martin Felsen and Sarah Dunn, headquartered in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. The firm operates as a co-founder-led partnership (11–50 employees) providing professional design services across residential, mixed-use commercial, retail/hospitality, and large-scale urban planning categories. Its client base spans individual homeowners, restaurant and coffee operators (Sweetgreen, La Colombe, Hannah's Bretzel, Maillard Tavern, Bridgeport Coffee, Taylor Gourmet, Noodles), cultural institutions (Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Shane Campbell Gallery, Ancona School), and international urban planning engagements (Changde City Master Plan in China).
The firm's core offering is a six-phase architectural service (pre-design, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, construction administration), with a differentiated intellectual positioning around water infrastructure urbanism — a specialization evidenced by the published book "Bowling: Water, Architecture, Urbanism" (2017), speculative projects such as Free Water District and Filter Island, and recognition including the AIA College of Fellows Latrobe Prize (2009) and Venice Architecture Biennale exhibitions (2010, 2012). UrbanLab has no proprietary software platform; its capabilities sit in design talent, research output, and brand equity built through awards, exhibitions, and inclusion in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and MoMA PS1.
Revenue is generated exclusively through professional services fees on residential, commercial, mixed-use, and urban design contracts, priced project-by-project as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fee. The go-to-market relies on direct enterprise client engagements, architecture competitions, university and museum commissions, and reputational marketing via biennials, publications, and lectures. There is no evidence of outside equity investment, no public listing, and no app/SaaS product distribution.
UrbanLab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UrbanLab
- Legal name
- UrbanLab
- Website
- https://urbanlab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- UrbanLab is a Chicago-based, founder-owned architecture and urban design firm (founded 2000, 11–50 employees) providing progressive residential, commercial, and large-scale urban planning services to individual homeowners, restaurant operators, cultural institutions, and international clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UrbanLab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131)
- SIC
- Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)
Keywords
Where UrbanLab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
UrbanLab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Traditional architecture firm revenue through design fees for residential, commercial, mixed-use, and urban design projects. Revenue generated through professional service contracts for architectural design, master planning, and exhibition design.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Architecture and Design Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
UrbanLab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UrbanLab is an architecture and urban design firm providing progressive, site-specific design services spanning residential houses, mixed-use commercial buildings, retail and restaurant spaces, art galleries, schools, and large-scale urban infrastructural projects. The firm specializes in sustainable design and water infrastructure urbanism, integrating architectural craft with environmental systems design for stormwater management, water recycling, and resilient urban development. Services cover the full project lifecycle from pre-design through construction administration.
Product overview
UrbanLab is an architecture and urban design firm offering comprehensive design services across residential, mixed-use, commercial, and urban design categories. The firm provides full architectural services from pre-design through construction administration, alongside specialized urban design and planning services. The portfolio includes built projects (houses, restaurants, galleries, commercial buildings) and speculative infrastructure designs (water management systems, urban agriculture). The firm has published the book 'Bowling: Water, Architecture, Urbanism' and curates architectural exhibitions and installations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture and Urban Design Services
Quantifiable outcome
- First prize winner of History Channel's City of the Future Competition
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use UrbanLab
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
UrbanLab technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
UrbanLab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Chicago Architecture CentercoreUrbanLab collaborated with the Chicago Architecture Center on multiple exhibitions including '50/50/50', 'Between States', 'City in a Snow Globe', and 'REFRAMED: The Future of Cities in Wood' exhibitions. The firm curated and designed exhibits for the CAC's Michigan Avenue gallery, contributing to public education about architecture and urban design.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
UrbanLab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Olson Kundig: Design-driven architecture practice known for residential and cultural work with strong material and craft identity. Comparable boutique scale with similar award-recognition profile in custom residential and civic commissions.
- KieranTimberlake: Research-driven, design-excellence architecture firm of comparable size and reputation. Like UrbanLab, KieranTimberlake blends built work with speculative innovation and publishes intellectual frameworks around sustainability and materiality.
- Studio Gang: Chicago-headquartered architecture and urban design practice with strong civic and cultural-sector work, comparable in scale and prestige. Studio Gang shares UrbanLab's emphasis on urban-scale speculative design and Chicago-anchored identity.
- Bohlin Cywinski Jackson: Design-excellence architecture firm with strong cultural, residential, and civic portfolio. Comparable in boutique scale and recognition profile, with overlapping client base in museums, higher education, and custom residential.
- MOS Architects: Small, research-driven architecture practice recognized for speculative and built work alike. Comparable to UrbanLab in boutique scale, academic affiliations, and willingness to invest heavily in unbuilt design research.
- wHY Architecture: Architecture and design firm with strong cultural-sector portfolio (museums, galleries, creative workspaces) and urban design capability. Comparable boutique scale with overlapping institutional client base.
- Lake|Flato Architects: Award-winning residential and civic architecture firm with strong sustainability orientation. Lake|Flato is comparable in scale, regional identity, and emphasis on design excellence across residential and masterplanning work.
Broad incumbents
- Snøhetta: International architecture and design research practice known for cultural buildings, masterplans, and exhibitions. Snøhetta overlaps with UrbanLab on large-scale urban design and biennale-level curatorial identity.
- Perkins&Will: Large global architecture practice with strong urban design and institutional portfolio. Perkins&Will competes for the same cultural, healthcare, and higher-education commissions UrbanLab targets, but with significantly more capacity.
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture, engineering, and urban planning firm with deep masterplanning practice. SOM competes with UrbanLab for large-scale civic and infrastructure commissions but at vastly greater scale and resource base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
UrbanLab social profiles
Digital presenceUrbanLab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UrbanLab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
UrbanLab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UrbanLab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UrbanLab
What does UrbanLab do?
UrbanLab is an architecture and urban design firm providing progressive, site-specific design services spanning residential houses, mixed-use commercial buildings, retail and restaurant spaces, art galleries, schools, and large-scale urban infrastructural projects. The firm specializes in sustainable design and water infrastructure urbanism, integrating architectural craft with environmental systems design for stormwater management, water recycling, and resilient urban development. Services cover the full project lifecycle from pre-design through construction administration.
Is UrbanLab a public or private company?
UrbanLab is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was UrbanLab founded?
UrbanLab was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is UrbanLab based?
UrbanLab is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does UrbanLab make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are UrbanLab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Olson Kundig, KieranTimberlake, Studio Gang, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, MOS Architects, wHY Architecture and Lake|Flato Architects. Broad incumbents are Snøhetta, Perkins&Will and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).
Does UrbanLab have an API?
No public API is recorded for UrbanLab.
What industry is UrbanLab in?
UrbanLab's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAD, Urban Planning & Master Planning, with a secondary code of BPAIACAF, Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities). Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 7340.