OWA

What OWA does

OWA (Open Workshop for Architecture) is a full-service architecture and interior design firm founded in 2015 by Fadi Garcia (Design Principal) and Jessie Shell (Managing Principal), headquartered at 109 N Brush St Suite 160, Tampa, Florida. The firm delivers integrated architecture and interior design across the full project lifecycle — pre-design, feasibility, master planning, historic rehabilitation, additions and renovations, tenant improvement, and construction administration — for commercial, residential, multifamily, hospitality, aviation, and institutional clients. Named enterprise engagements include the University of South Florida On-Campus Stadium (730,000 sf, completion 2027), Hillsborough County Aviation Authority work at Tampa International Airport (Airside C and Airside A&F restroom renovations; Cintas America's Best Restroom Award 2022), multiple multifamily developments (The Woodrow Townhouses, Sur Club, The Josephine, The Buckeye, Tampa Heights Townhouses, Crosstown Center), and hospitality/adaptive reuse work (Meatyard Ybor, The Citrus Factory, Masonite Ybor, Amigos Tortilla). Underlying technology is BIM-led digital delivery under Senior Architect and BIM Director Jean-Frederic Monod, with a small team of approximately six named professionals supplemented by active hiring for Project Manager and Project Architect roles.

The business model is project-based professional services: revenue is generated through design and project-management fees negotiated per engagement rather than via disclosed pricing tiers or productized offerings. GTM is enterprise field sales — direct, relationship-driven engagement with developers, government entities, and private individuals in the Florida market — supplemented by portfolio marketing (owarchitecture.com), Instagram (@owarchitecture), earned media (Architectural Digest coverage), and LinkedIn recruiting. The firm is privately held with no outside investment, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and operating geographies limited to Florida. Notable positioning shifts in 2024-2025 include AD 100 inclusion by Architectural Digest (January 2025), a Gensler collaboration on a Tampa Convention Center scheme, and movement into large-scale collegiate athletics architecture via the USF stadium role, all indicating an evolving pipeline mix beyond the firm's historic infill and adaptive reuse core.

Name

OWA

Legal name

Open Workshop for Architecture

Website

https://owarchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OWA (Open Workshop for Architecture) is a Tampa-based, full-service architecture and interior design firm founded in 2015 that serves commercial, residential, hospitality, aviation, and institutional clients across Florida, with notable enterprise work for the University of South Florida and Tampa International Airport.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Interior Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

ADU Design, Architecture & Engineering (HSAPAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

ADU Permitting, Zoning & Code Compliance (HSAPAMAG), ADU Interior Build-Out & Finishes (HSAPAMAI), ADU Project Management & General Contracting (HSAPAMAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design services
• Adaptive reuse architecture
• Master planning services
• Historic rehabilitation design

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Interior Design Services: OWA provides comprehensive architecture and interior design services from pre-design through project completion. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for design, documentation, and project management services on a per-project basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OWA is a full-service architecture and interior design firm providing comprehensive design solutions from pre-design and feasibility through project completion and construction administration. Services span commercial, residential, multifamily, hospitality, aviation, and institutional project types, with specialized expertise in adaptive reuse, historic rehabilitation, master planning, and Florida vernacular architecture.

Product overview

OWA (Open Workshop for Architecture) is a full-service architecture and interior design firm based in Tampa, Florida, founded in 2015. The firm provides integrated architecture and interior design services delivered as a unified practice rather than as separate products or modules. Services span the full project lifecycle from pre-design and concept development through project completion, encompassing commercial, residential, multifamily, hospitality, aviation, and interior design disciplines. The firm also offers specialized services in additions and renovations, historic rehabilitation, master planning, feasibility studies, tenant improvement, and urban infill development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architecture providing comprehensive solutions from pre-design through project completion, including concept development, feasibility studies, and construction administration for commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services delivered as part of comprehensive project work, including space planning, material selection, and interior coordination with architectural elements.
• Additions and Renovations Renovation and expansion services for existing structures, including adaptive reuse of historical buildings and urban infill projects.
• Master Planning Comprehensive planning services for large-scale developments and urban design projects.
• Historic Designation and Rehabilitation Historical preservation services including designation consultation and adaptive rehabilitation of contributing structures.
• Feasibility Studies Feasibility study services supporting pre-design evaluation of project viability, site conditions, and programming considerations.
• Urban Infill Design Urban infill design services addressing urban densification through new construction or redevelopment on underutilized land within existing urban areas.
• Hospitality Design Architectural and interior design services for hotels, restaurants, and hospitality venues, focused on creating spaces with hospitality-like atmosphere that balance functional requirements with aesthetic excellence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tampa International Airport Airside C project eliminated need for $2 million annex expansion through more efficient design layout
• +1 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GenslerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWA collaborated with Gensler on the Tampa Convention Center Renovation & Future Expansion Project runner-up design scheme proposal. The project consisted of 18 new meeting rooms, site and interior renovations, and a 50,000 sf flex space addition concept.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm; OWA partnered with Gensler on the Tampa Convention Center proposal, confirming direct overlap in the Tampa aviation, convention, and commercial markets. Represents the large-incumbent competitive pressure on OWA's institutional pursuits.
• HOK: Global architecture and design firm with aviation, education, and commercial practices that directly overlap with OWA's TPA and USF work. Represents incumbent competition for large institutional RFPs in Florida.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with strong education, healthcare, and aviation practices overlapping with OWA's USF and TPA engagements. Represents the large-incumbent tier of competition for institutional and aviation-sector work.

Regional players

• Arquitectonica: Miami-headquartered architecture firm with a similar focus on Florida vernacular, multifamily, hospitality, and commercial work. Comparable on climate-responsive design philosophy and Florida market specialization, though at larger scale.
• Storyn Studio for Architecture: Tampa-area boutique architecture studio working across commercial, residential, and adaptive-reuse projects at a similar scale. Closely comparable on design language, project size, and Florida regional positioning.
• Alfonso Architects: Tampa-headquartered architecture firm of similar size, focused on commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects across Florida. Direct regional peer in scale, design ethos, and Florida market focus.
• Baker Barrios Architects: Tampa-based full-service architecture firm with comparable scale and a portfolio spanning commercial, multifamily, hospitality, and institutional work in the Florida market. Closest direct regional competitor in size, sector mix, and geography.
• Zyscovich Architects: Miami-based architecture and urban design firm with a portfolio in multifamily, hospitality, and mixed-use work. Comparable on Florida urban-infill, climate-responsive design, and multifamily sector exposure.
• Behar + Peteranecz Architecture: Tampa-based architecture practice with a comparable mix of commercial, residential, and adaptive-reuse projects. Direct regional peer at similar boutique scale in the same metro market.
• Fawley Bryant Architecture: Tampa-based architecture and interior design firm with a similar multi-sector portfolio including commercial, hospitality, and multifamily. Comparable boutique scale and Florida concentration make it a strong direct regional peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-workshop-for-architecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/owarchitecture
• Facebookfacebook.com/owarch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 OWA