What Architectural Design Consultants does

Architectural Design Consultants, Inc. (ADCI) is a privately held, full-service architectural and interior design firm founded in 1987 and headquartered in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, with additional offices in Madison and Appleton. The firm operates across approximately 50–99 employees and delivers integrated services spanning master planning, hospitality consulting, architecture, interior design, and construction phase administration. Its sector specialties include hotel and waterpark design, restaurants, multi-family housing, senior living, civic and government facilities, commercial offices, community and nonprofit buildings, manufacturing/industrial facilities, and entertainment venues.

ADCI's primary differentiator is its dominance in themed, immersive hospitality environments in the Wisconsin Dells area, where it has reportedly designed approximately 90% of the area's resorts since its first major commission in 1987. The firm operates a professional-services revenue model with project-based fees tied to construction values typically ranging from $300,000 to $8,000,000 per project, delivered through direct client engagement and design/build partnerships with regional general contractors such as Holtz Builders, Kraemer Brothers, and Friede & Associates. Notable projects include the Dellshire Resort (opening May 2026), OKANA Resort & Indoor Water Park (named to TIME's World's Greatest Places of 2026), Great Wolf Lodge renovations, and civic facilities for the Village of Windsor, City of Reedsburg, and School District of Wisconsin Dells.

The firm has accumulated a strong regional reputation, evidenced by repeated ABC Projects of Distinction awards since 2015, three 2026 IIDA awards, and three consecutive years on Zweig Group's Best Firm to Work For list (ranked 9th in 2024 in the 50–99 employee category). The firm is independently owned with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds; senior leadership includes CEO Bill Ryan, Partner/VP Design Jason Ryan, and Partner/VP Business Operations Justin Nagel. A May 2026 blog post titled "A Farewell to Bill Ryan" indicates a planned CEO transition.

Name

Architectural Design Consultants

Legal name

Architectural Design Consultants, Inc.

Website

https://adcidesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Architectural Design Consultants (ADCI) is a Wisconsin-based, privately held architectural and interior design firm founded in 1987 that specializes in themed hospitality and resort projects in the Wisconsin Dells area, while also serving civic, commercial, manufacturing, and community clients across the state through its Lake Delton, Madison, and Appleton offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Delton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

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: Professional architectural and interior design services billed on a project basis, typically ranging from $300,000 to $8,000,000 in construction value per project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ADCI is a full-service architectural design firm providing integrated services spanning master planning and site analysis, hospitality consulting, architecture, interior design, and construction phase services. The firm delivers architectural design projects for clients across hospitality, civic, commercial, community, manufacturing, and entertainment sectors, with deep specialization in themed immersive hospitality environments. Project construction values typically range from $300,000 to $8,000,000.

Product overview

Architectural Design Consultants (ADCI) is a full-service architectural design firm offering integrated services across Master Planning & Site Analysis, Hospitality Consulting, Architecture, Interior Design, and Construction Phase Services. The firm specializes in diverse market sectors including Hotel & Waterpark (with immersive themed resort design), Restaurant, Multi-Family Housing, Senior Living, Civic (municipal buildings, libraries, fire/EMS, police), Office (commercial buildings and tenant build-outs), Community (churches, schools, nonprofits), Manufacturing/Industrial facilities, and Entertainment venues. ADCI provides comprehensive design services from initial planning through construction administration, with demonstrated expertise in themed immersive hospitality environments such as the fantasy-themed Dellshire Resort featuring the world's largest steel dragon sculpture Golspar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Planning & Site Analysis Strategic planning and site analysis services that support clients' business goals and development projects, typically provided at the front end of architectural engagements.
• Hospitality Consulting Expert consulting services for hospitality projects including hotels, resorts, and waterparks, drawing on ADCI's specialization in themed experiential environments.
• Architecture Full-service architectural design covering various building types and sectors, from initial concept through construction documentation.
• Interior Design Interior design services complementing architectural projects, delivered in an integrated manner with the firm's architecture practice.
• Construction Phase Services Construction administration and phase services to oversee project execution and represent the client during the build phase.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% market penetration in Wisconsin Dells resort market since 1987

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friede & AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerADCI collaborated with Friede & Associates as the general contractor for the Glacier Valley Ford dealership project under design/build delivery method. Friede & Associates provides construction expertise complementary to ADCI's architectural design services.
• Plunkett Raysich ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural partnership between Architectural Design Consultants, Inc. (ADCI) and Plunkett Raysich Architects (PRA) for the Wisconsin Dells High School project. This represents a collaborative architectural partnership on major public projects.
• Vierbicher and AssociatescoreTechnology or IntegrationADCI worked with Neil Pfaff, Engineering Services Manager at Vierbicher and Associates, for civil engineering on the Dellshire Resort project. Vierbicher handles engineering services including site planning and infrastructure design.
• Kraemer BrotherscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor partnership for Dellshire Resort project. Worked closely with ADCI to execute complex roof designs and stone masonry for the fantasy-themed immersive resort project.
• MSA Professional ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationInitial planning partner for Delton Fire & EMS Facility project. MSA Professional Services from Baraboo, WI was retained early on to assist with the initial planning before ADCI was hired for building design and layout.
• Holtz Builders Inc. (HBI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProject partner on multiple Wisconsin Dells resort projects including Wilderness Tree House Cabins, Great Wolf Lodge renovation, and Wilderness Wild West Indoor Water Park. HBI served as general contractor on these award-winning projects.
• Water Technology Inc. (WTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquatic design partner for Woodman Aquatic Center project. ADCI worked with WTI as their aquatic partner to design the facility within project budget while incorporating comprehensive aquatic features.
• Kevin Stone (Metal Sculptor)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned metal sculptor collaborated with ADCI to create Golspar, the world's largest steel dragon sculpture at Dellshire Resort. Kevin Stone gained fame for his full-scale Drogon from Game of Thrones.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LEO A DALY: National full-service architecture firm with hospitality, civic, and commercial practices. Comparable service breadth to ADCI but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• HKS: Large national architecture firm with a major hospitality practice serving global resort, hotel, and entertainment clients. Represents the larger end of the competitive set ADCI faces for marquee themed hospitality commissions.
• DLR Group: National architecture, engineering, and planning firm with civic, hospitality, and community practices. Overlaps with ADCI on civic and community design, while competing at larger scale.

Direct peers

• Plunkett Raysich Architects: Wisconsin-based full-service architecture firm with comparable practice areas including healthcare, education, senior living, and commercial. Listed as an ADCI collaboration partner on the Wisconsin Dells High School project, making it a directly comparable peer in scale and geography.
• Kahler Slater: Milwaukee-based integrated architecture and design firm serving healthcare, corporate, hospitality, and living environments. Directly comparable in full-service integrated design model and Midwest presence.
• Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA): Milwaukee-headquartered full-service architecture, planning, and interior design firm serving workplace, healthcare, education, and community markets in the Midwest. Closely comparable to ADCI in size, integrated services model, and regional focus.
• HGA (Hammel, Green and Abrahamson): Minnesota-headquartered architecture, engineering, and planning firm with strong cultural, civic, and hospitality practices. Comparable in integrated design approach and Upper Midwest geography, though larger in scale.
• Cuningham Group: Minnesota-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm with hospitality, entertainment, and themed-environment experience. Comparable in size, integrated services, and Midwest hospitality focus.
• WATG: Specialist hospitality architecture firm known for resort and immersive destination design globally. Highly comparable to ADCI's themed hospitality and resort design specialization, though larger and international.

Regional players

• RDG Planning & Design: Omaha-based architecture and planning firm with strong hospitality, civic, and education portfolios across the Midwest. Comparable integrated-services approach and Midwest regional focus, though geographically centered further west.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/architectural-design-consultants-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/adcidesign/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Architectural Design Consultants