Holly Street Studio

What Holly Street Studio does

Holly Street Studio is a Phoenix-based architecture practice founded around 2000, dedicated to design in the public realm. The firm is privately held, founder-operated, and operates with approximately 10 team members led by Founding Principal Diane Jacobs (FAIA, NOMA) and Managing Principal Michael Jacobs. Its practice is rooted in a philosophy that meaningful public spaces emerge through community engagement, public participation processes, and stewardship of civic dialogue, applied across civic, educational, cultural, and recreational facility types throughout Arizona and the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.

The firm's service portfolio is organized into three core practice areas: Community Architecture (recreation centers, civic facilities, community centers), Education Architecture (university buildings, libraries, STEAM centers), and Planning Services (urban master plans, civic campus strategies, public realm frameworks). Notable projects include the $89.9 million Glendale Civic Campus Renovations, the ASU MIX Center, Clark Park Community Center & Pool, Mesa City Center Plaza, the Downtown Mesa Restaurant Incubator & Food Hall, and the GCC S.T.E.A.M. Center. The firm also collaborates with national peers such as Lake | Flato on master planning engagements outside Arizona.

The business model is fee-for-service professional services, with project-specific, quote-based pricing on engagements procured primarily through RFQ/RFP processes, direct inquiries, and long-tenured municipal relationships. The client base is concentrated in Arizona municipalities and educational institutions, with the firm holding working relationships with cities including Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Glendale, Tempe, Peoria, and Buckeye, alongside institutional clients such as Arizona State University, Phoenix College, and Glendale Community College. Marketing and demand generation rely on award recognition (AIA, ENR, Arizona Forward), professional organization participation, a portfolio website, and social channels (Instagram, LinkedIn). The firm has accumulated a substantial record of industry recognition, including AIA Firm of the Year (2017), multiple AIA Distinguished Architecture awards, ENR Best Projects, and Elevation to the AIA College of Fellows for the founding principal in 2021.

Name

Holly Street Studio

Legal name

Holly Street Studio

Website

https://hollystreetstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Holly Street Studio is a Phoenix-based architecture practice of approximately 10 people, founded in 2000, specializing in civic, educational, and community facility design for municipalities, institutions, and nonprofits throughout Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Architecture: Fee-for-service architecture and planning engagements for public sector clients including municipalities, educational institutions, and non-profits. Projects range from master planning to full architectural services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Holly Street Studio is an architecture practice providing design, planning, and interiors services for public sector clients. The practice is organized around three core service areas: Community Architecture (recreation centers, civic facilities, community centers), Education Architecture (university buildings, libraries, STEAM centers), and Planning Services (urban master plans, civic campus plans, public space strategies). Projects range from master planning engagements to full architectural services for municipalities, educational institutions, and non-profits primarily in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area and Arizona.

Product overview

Holly Street Studio is an architecture and design practice offering a unified portfolio of services across three core practice areas: Community Architecture (recreation centers, civic facilities, community centers), Education Architecture (university buildings, libraries, STEAM centers), and Planning Services (urban master plans, public space strategies). Their featured projects include the Glendale Civic Campus Renovations ($89.9m), ASU MIX Center, Clark Park Community Center, Mesa City Center Plaza, the Downtown Mesa Restaurant Incubator & Food Hall ($3.9m), GCC S.T.E.A.M. Center ($4.7m), and various master planning engagements for Scottsdale, Tempe, and Buckeye municipalities. The practice emphasizes design in the public realm with a philosophy rooted in community-building and shared ownership of the built environment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Architecture Services Design and delivery of community-serving facilities including recreation centers, community centers, civic buildings, parks, pool facilities, and public gathering spaces for municipalities and non-profits.
• Education Architecture Services Planning and design of educational facilities including university buildings, libraries, STEAM centers, student centers, and academic campus infrastructure for higher education clients.
• Planning Services Urban planning, master planning, and public space design services including civic campus master plans, library master plans, and public realm strategies for municipal clients.
• Interiors Services Interior architecture and design services for public-sector projects including civic buildings, community centers, educational facilities, and cultural institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Visitor numbers at McCormick Stillman Railroad Museum grew 4-fold since the building's opening in 2010
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered key and supporting.

• 180 Degrees Design + BuildkeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign-Build Partner for Mesa Downtown Food Hall & Restaurant Incubator project. First collaboration between Holly Street Studio and 180 Degrees.
• Venue ProjectskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Mesa Downtown Food Hall & Restaurant Incubator project, working on restaurant incubator featuring open public dining, commissary, and flexible vendor spaces.
• Energy Systems DesignsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMEP Engineering partner for Mesa Downtown Food Hall project.
• Landmark Kitchen DesignsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFood Service Consultant for Mesa Downtown Food Hall project.
• Rudow + BerrysupportingTechnology or IntegrationStructural Engineering partner for Mesa Downtown Food Hall project.
• Danson ConstructionsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction Manager at Risk for GCC S.T.E.A.M. Center project.
• Dibble EngineerssupportingTechnology or IntegrationCivil Engineering partner for GCC S.T.E.A.M. Center project.
• Lightvox StudiosupportingTechnology or IntegrationAssociate Architect for Glendale Civic Campus Renovations project.
• Colwell ShelorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationLandscape Architecture partner for Glendale Civic Campus Renovations project.
• OklandkeyImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction Manager at Risk for Glendale Civic Campus Renovations project ($89.9m project).
• Kimley HornsupportingTechnology or IntegrationStructural Engineering partner for Glendale Civic Campus project.
• NV5 Technology & DesignsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAV / IT / Acoustics partner for Glendale Civic Campus project.
• Schuler ShooksupportingTechnology or IntegrationAmphitheater Consultant for Glendale Civic Campus project.
• Gavin & Barker InckeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating landscape architects with Holly Street Studio for Cesar Chavez Community Center Master Plan project.
• Margaret Sullivan StudiokeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational library planning consultants collaborating with HSS on Buckeye Library Master Plan.
• Colwell Shelor Landscape ArchitecturesupportingTechnology or IntegrationLandscape Architecture partner for Velma Teague Library Re-Envisioning Study.
• Dig StudiosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating landscape architect for Rio Salado North Activity Zones Master Plan.
• Lake | FlatokeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Antonio based architects co-leading Riparian Education Center Master Plan with Holly Street Studio. HSS leads public engagement process.
• Floor AssociatessupportingTechnology or IntegrationCollaborating architects for Scottsdale Civic Center Master Plan.
• Logan SimpsonsupportingTechnology or IntegrationUrban planning consultant for Tempe Downtown Civic Campus Master Plan.
• LSW EngineerssupportingTechnology or IntegrationM.E.P. Engineering consultant for Tempe Downtown Civic Campus Master Plan.
• Caruso Turley Scott StructuralsupportingTechnology or IntegrationStructural Engineering consultant for Tempe Downtown Civic Campus Master Plan.
• HR&A AdvisorssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEconomic Development Consulting partner for Tempe Downtown Civic Campus Master Plan.
• Local First ArizonakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner collaborating on Mesa Downtown Food Hall & Restaurant Incubator, funded through American Rescue Plan Act to support culinary entrepreneurship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: Integrated architecture/engineering firm with a major civic practice and active presence in the Southwest. Competes with HSS on master planning and civic campus projects at scale.
• Moody Nolan: Large U.S. architecture firm with deep civic and institutional practice, including significant K-12 and higher-ed work. Overlaps with HSS in education-sector clients (e.g., community colleges, universities).
• CannonDesign: National integrated design firm with significant civic, education, and healthcare practices. Competes with HSS for university and civic-sector engagements, particularly in higher education.
• SmithGroup: Large national architecture/engineering firm with a strong civic and institutional practice. They compete with Holly Street Studio for municipal and higher-education projects across the Southwest.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with significant civic, education, and cultural practices. They compete for institutional clients like ASU and would be considered for larger civic campuses.

Direct peers

• Leers Weinzapfel Associates: Boston-based architecture firm with a focused civic and educational practice, similar in scale and specialization to HSS. Comparable business model as a small studio serving public-sector clients.
• Jones Studio: Phoenix-based architecture firm working on civic, cultural, and community projects in the Arizona market. Comparable geographic focus and project types (cultural centers, civic buildings) make it a direct local competitor.
• Wendell Burnette Architects: A small, design-focused Phoenix architecture firm of comparable scale with a portfolio of high-design civic and residential work. Overlaps with HSS in local prestige projects and Arizona-based practice.
• Lake|Flato Architects: San Antonio-based architecture firm with a comparable civic/community design practice. They are already partnered with Holly Street Studio on the Riparian Education Center Master Plan, confirming direct overlap in public-sector community-focused work.
• Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects: Bay Area architecture firm with a specialized civic and educational practice, comparable in size and public-sector focus to Holly Street Studio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hollystreetstudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/hollystreetarchitects
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Holly Street Studio