David Hotson_Architect

What David Hotson_Architect does

David Hotson_Architect D.P.C. is a New York City-based architectural design firm founded by David Hotson in 1991. The firm operates as a boutique professional services practice specializing in shaping figural volumes of architectural space filled with natural light, serving ultra-high-net-worth residential patrons, cultural and religious institutions, and select commercial developers. Its portfolio includes the award-winning SkyHouse Manhattan penthouse, the Saint Sarkis Armenian Church and Community Center in Carrollton, Texas, the Pinnacle Penthouse at the Woolworth Building, and proposals such as the Cascade Gardens Cultural Center in Yerevan, Armenia. Projects span Manhattan, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Berkshires, Princeton, Saint Barthelemy, Texas, Armenia, and other international locations.

The firm's core technical capabilities center on digitally-driven spatial design and fabrication rather than traditional architectural drafting. Documented proprietary techniques include terrestrial LiDAR point-cloud scanning combined with drone-deployed photogrammetry for mapping complex interior and exterior spaces, doubly-curved Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum (GFRG) fabrication with concealed overlapping joints, and computer-scripted design generation of large numbers of unique ornaments (such as the 1.5 million unique elements on the Saint Sarkis memorial facade). Fabrication partners include Formglas for GFRG and Fiandre for high-resolution UV-resistant porcelain printing, while design associations extend to Maya Lin Studio, Legorreta+Legorreta, and Swiss collective INLAY.

The business model is project-based professional services with custom fees quoted per engagement. There are no standardized pricing tiers; each commission is scope-dependent. Customer acquisition runs through direct principal-led relationships with patron-clients, supplemented by earned media coverage in publications such as The New Yorker, New York Times, Architectural Record, Interior Design, Domus, and Fast Company, and through international design award recognition (Interior Design Best of Year, Architizer A+, AIANY, International Architecture Awards). The firm is privately held and founder-owned with no external institutional investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and approximately 11-50 employees organized around three named principals.

Name

David Hotson_Architect

Legal name

David Hotson_Architect D.P.C.

Website

https://hotson.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

David Hotson_Architect is a New York City-based boutique architectural design firm founded in 1991, serving ultra-high-net-worth residential patrons, cultural and religious institutions, and select developers with digitally-driven spatial design and bespoke fabrication including LiDAR scanning, GFRG construction, and computer-scripted porcelain facades.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Luxury Whole-Home Renovation (High-End Finishes & Custom Build) (HSAPAEAI)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential architecture
• Cultural institution design
• Luxury residential design
• Spatial design

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Custom architectural design services for residential, cultural, and institutional projects. Revenue generated through project-based professional fees for design, construction documents, and construction administration services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

David Hotson_Architect provides custom architectural design services for residential, cultural, and institutional projects, with a focus on shaping figural volumes of architectural space filled with natural light. Projects span luxury residences (penthouses, townhouses, duplexes, villas), religious and cultural institutions (churches, community centers), and art galleries/museums. The firm applies emerging digital fabrication technologies — including terrestrial LiDAR scanning, GFRG doubly-curved construction, and computer-scripted porcelain facade design — to realize spatially complex and previously impossible architectural visions.

Product overview

David Hotson_Architect is a New York City-based architectural design firm offering comprehensive architectural services rather than a unified software product. The firm operates two primary service lines: Residential Architecture (penthouses, townhouses, villas, lofts including award-winning projects like SkyHouse and the Woolworth Building Penthouse) and Cultural/Institutional Architecture (churches, community centers, galleries, and museums including the Saint Sarkis Armenian Church and Cascade Gardens proposal). The firm specializes in sculpting figures of architectural space filled with natural light, using emerging technologies such as LiDAR spatial scanning and Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum (GFRG) fabrication to realize complex spatial designs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services for luxury residences including penthouses, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, villas, and loft conversions. Features innovative spatial design, natural light manipulation, and sculptural space creation. Projects span Manhattan, Long Island, Hudson Valley, Berkshires, Saint Barthelemy, and other locations. For high-net-worth individuals and developers commissioning signature private residences.
• Cultural and Institutional Architecture Services Architectural design services for religious institutions, museums, galleries, and cultural centers, including churches, community centers, and alternative art spaces. Notable projects include the Ordovas Gallery, Sculpture Center, Eyebeam Atelier, and United Nations General Assembly Suite renovation. For congregations, art institutions, civic organizations, and government bodies.
• SkyHouse Penthouse Residence A four-story penthouse residence constructed within the summit of one of the earliest surviving skyscrapers in New York City. Features a mirror-polished stainless steel slide traversing all four levels, a sculptural stairwell, structural glass floors, and award-winning design recognized as the single most iconic apartment from the entire 20-year history of Interior Design Magazine's Best of Year Awards program (2025).
• Saint Sarkis Armenian Church A 250-seat Armenian church in Carrollton, Texas, modeled on the ancient Church of Saint Hripsime (618 AD). Features a memorial facade with 1.5 million unique porcelain ornaments representing genocide victims, interior spaces sheathed in Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum (GFRG), and displacement climate control for silent acoustics. Awarded AIANY Honor Award and designated US Building of the Year.
• Pinnacle Penthouse at the Woolworth Building A six-story raw shell penthouse at the summit of the landmarked 1913 Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan, for which David Hotson_Architect provided an alternate vision involving additional floor additions and an encircling terrace, ultimately supporting the successful 2023 sale of the property.
• Cascade Gardens Cultural Center A proposal for a museum complex at the top of the Cascade in Yerevan, Armenia, featuring a public garden datum extending the existing terraced structure, galleries, cafes, restaurants, and continuous publicly accessible escalators connecting downtown to the hilltop monument terrace.
• Saint Sarkis Community Center A three-building campus on five acres in Carrollton, Texas housing an athletic facility, community center with clerical offices, Sunday school classrooms, a reception hall, and a 400-person event hall, all clad in uniform monochrome gray with surrounding magnolia and cypress tree borders.

Quantifiable outcome

• SkyHouse selected as most iconic apartment from 20-year history of Interior Design 'Best of Year' Awards (2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered key, major and minor.

• Existing Conditions (GPRS Company)keyTechnology or IntegrationIndustry leader in 3D laser scanning and existing conditions surveys; provided terrestrial LiDAR point cloud scanning of the complex tapering interior and drone-deployed photogrammetry for the Woolworth Building penthouse project.
• FormglaskeyTechnology or IntegrationGFRG fabrication partner; divided doubly-curved surfaces from digital design model into interlocking segments cast in glass fiber reinforced gypsum with concealed overlapping joints for Saint Sarkis Church sanctuary.
• FiandrekeyTechnology or IntegrationItalian manufacturer of porcelain finishes; developed groundbreaking process of high-resolution UV-resistant printing on exterior-grade porcelain rain-screen panels for the Saint Sarkis memorial facade.
• Maya Lin StudiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Sculpture Center project in Long Island City; designed first phase of new compound for exhibiting innovative contemporary sculptural work.
• Legorreta+LegorretamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign association on Central Park West duplex penthouse project.
• Thomas Croft ArchitectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon-based architect; collaborated on Ordovas Gallery rapid build-out project in New York.
• INLAY (Swiss Artists/Architects)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeam of young Swiss artists and architects who won national competition to design Swiss Government's gift to United Nations; DH_A served as executive architect for UN office suite renovation.
• Alchemy PropertieskeyOthersDeveloper client; retained DH_A to provide alternate vision for Pinnacle Penthouse at Woolworth Building; property sold in 2023.
• Elie AkiliankeyOthersPrimary patron of Saint Sarkis Armenian Church and Community Center in Carrollton, Texas; visionary funding enabled project completion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Roman and Williams: NYC-based architecture and design firm practicing luxury hospitality, residential, and cultural interiors for HNW patrons and institutions. Comparable to DH_A in clientele (cultural institutions, private residences) and craft-driven spatial sensibility.
• Peter Marino Architect: NYC-based boutique architecture firm specializing in ultra-luxury residential, retail, and hospitality interiors for HNW and brand clients. Closest comparable in scale, client type, and project ambition to David Hotson_Architect's residential practice.
• Selldorf Architects: NYC-based firm designing galleries, cultural institutions, and high-end residential projects with a restrained, material-driven aesthetic. Directly comparable to DH_A's blend of art-world clients (Ordovas, Sculpture Center, Eyebeam) and luxury residences.
• Morris Adjmi Architects: NYC boutique firm practicing luxury residential lofts, adaptive reuse, and select cultural work, often within landmarked buildings. Directly comparable to DH_A's specialty in converting complex/landmark interiors into high-end residences.
• Olson Kundig: Founder-led boutique firm renowned for one-of-a-kind luxury residences and signature cultural projects with bespoke fabrication. Comparable to DH_A in principal-driven brand, custom residential commissions, and material-driven design ethos.
• TenBerke (formerly Deborah Berke Partners): New York architecture firm with parallel practices in cultural/institutional buildings and bespoke residential commissions. Overlaps with DH_A in serving art institutions, cultural foundations, and HNW residential clients.
• Steven Holl Architects: NYC principal-led practice with a global portfolio of cultural, institutional, and select high-end residential projects grounded in light and spatial experience. Comparable to DH_A in spatial-light design philosophy and cultural-institutional client base.
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects: New York firm practicing luxury residential, cultural, and institutional architecture with a strong principal-led brand. Comparable to DH_A in serving HNW residential clients and signature institutional commissions such as libraries and cultural buildings.
• Richard Meier & Partners Architects: Founder-led New York firm known for museums, civic, and high-end residential projects with a signature modernist vocabulary. Comparable to DH_A in principal-driven identity, cultural-institutional client base, and award-recognized portfolio.

Emerging players

• Studio Gang: Founder-led practice working across cultural, civic, and select residential projects with a strong emphasis on innovative spatial and material experimentation. Comparable to DH_A in principal-driven identity and signature cultural commissions, though operating at larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/davidhotson-architect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about David Hotson_Architect