What Ward+Blake Architects does

Ward+Blake Architects is a privately held, founder-owned architectural firm established in 1996 by Tom Ward and Mitch Blake in Jackson, Wyoming. The firm delivers full-service architectural design for residential, hospitality/resort, educational, religious, institutional, and commercial projects, with primary customer segments consisting of high-net-worth residential clients, luxury resort developers (notably Aman Resorts with multiple Jackson Hole villa commissions), and institutional clients including Teton County School District, Fort Washakie K-8, St. John Medical Center, and Wyoming Nature Conservancy. Geographic reach centers on the Mountain West (Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Colorado) with additional projects in New York, Virginia, and West Virginia; the firm operates from a single headquarters at 200 East Broadway, Jackson, WY, with 11-50 employees.

The firm's technical core is the EarthWall Post-Tensioned Rammed Earth System — developed by Tom Ward in 2002 and patented in 2004 — which delivers seismically stable, low-carbon rammed earth construction. Complementary proprietary capabilities include sod roof (green roof) technology, biophilic design methodology, and LEED-certified project delivery (the Teton County Children's Learning Center achieved LEED Gold). Beyond architectural services, the firm operates a Custom Furniture & Objects division producing handcrafted steel-and-cherry pieces (tables, stools, beds, benches, hardware) and has published two architectural monographs: "In the Shadow of the Tetons" and "Biophilic Visions" (2025). The team includes two founding principals (Tom Ward, Mitch Blake), Associate Principal SaraLee Lanier, four staff architects, and project management and office support staff.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based architectural design fees, typically structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed scope fees, with projects ranging from $500K to multi-million dollar developments. Secondary revenue streams include custom furniture sales and book sales through an online store. The go-to-market is direct client engagement combined with PR-led brand building: the firm has earned 100+ awards since 1996, including AIA Wyoming Firm of the Year (2011), AIA Western Mountain Region Firm of the Year (2013), and the 2025 Forbes Americas Best-In-State Residential Architects recognition, with consistent editorial coverage in Forbes, Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, and HGTV. The firm is entirely founder-owned, has no external investment, and has no parent company.

Name

Ward+Blake Architects

Legal name

Ward+Blake Architects

Website

https://wardblake.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ward+Blake Architects is a Jackson, Wyoming-based architectural firm founded in 1996, specializing in sustainable mountain architecture, patented rammed earth construction, and biophilic design for high-net-worth residential clients, luxury resort developers, and institutional customers across the Western United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Sustainable architecture
• Rammed earth construction
• Residential architecture
• Hospitality design

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

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: Full-service architectural design for residential, commercial, institutional, and hospitality projects. Revenue generated through project-based design fees typically calculated as a percentage of construction costs or fixed fees for specific service packages.
2. Published Books and Monographs: Sale of architectural publications including 'In the Shadow of the Tetons' and 'Biophilic Visions' through their online store and Amazon.
3. Custom Furniture and Objects: Design and sale of custom furniture pieces including platform beds, dining tables, coffee tables, bar stools, hardware, and park benches.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ward+Blake Architects is a full-service architectural design firm providing custom architectural services for residential, educational, hospitality/resort, religious, institutional, and development/commercial projects primarily in the Western United States. The firm operates its proprietary EarthWall patented post-tensioned rammed earth construction system and offers a custom furniture line and published architectural monographs.

Product overview

Ward+Blake Architects is a full-service architectural design firm based in Jackson, Wyoming, offering residential, educational, hospitality/resort, religious, institutional, and development/commercial architectural services. The firm operates a core architectural design practice complemented by a proprietary EarthWall rammed earth building system (patented in 2004) and a custom furniture division producing handcrafted pieces including tables, beds, and hardware. The firm also publishes architectural monographs documenting their work. The portfolio spans projects across Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New York, and West Virginia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design services for residential, educational, hospitality/resort, religious, institutional, and development/commercial projects across the Western United States, delivered from concept through construction administration.
• EarthWall Rammed Earth Construction System Proprietary patented post-tensioned rammed earth construction system developed by Tom Ward, providing seismically stable walls with reduced carbon footprint for sustainable building projects.
• Custom Furniture & Objects Handcrafted custom furniture pieces and architectural objects designed and produced by the firm, including the Rolling Bar Stool, Triangular Platform Bed, Truss Table, Dining Table, Coffee Table, and Bedroom Console in mild steel and cherry wood.
• Biophilic Visions (Book) Published monograph featuring 24 conceptual projects by Ward | Blake Architects, demonstrating biophilic design and sustainable architecture solutions that utilize nature, sold through the firm's online store and Amazon.
• In the Shadow of the Tetons (Book) Selected works monograph by Ward + Blake Architects featuring architectural projects in the Jackson Hole region, sold through the firm's online store and Amazon.

Quantifiable outcome

• LEED Gold Certification achieved for Teton County Children's Learning Center
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Public Architecture - 1% InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWard+Blake Architects is a participating member of Public Architecture's 1% Initiative, a national movement partnered with the AIA. The firm pledges to contribute 1% of design staff's total project hours toward pro bono design work for non-profit clients serving the public good.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Aidlin Darling Design: San Francisco-based firm with deep residential, hospitality, and institutional practice emphasizing craft, sustainability, and integration with landscape. Comparable on sustainability ethos and high-end residential/hospitality clientele.
• Olson Kundig: Seattle- and Spokane-based architectural firm specializing in highly crafted residential, hospitality, and commercial projects in mountain and natural settings. Direct comparable on luxury custom residences, sustainable design ethos, and Western US hospitality/resort clientele.
• Lake|Flato Architects: San Antonio-based firm recognized for sustainable design and regional modernism across residential, hospitality, and institutional typologies. Comparable on biophilic/sustainable design philosophy and award-winning hospitality/resort portfolio.
• Marmol Radziner: Los Angeles-based architecture and design-build firm known for high-end modern residential and hospitality projects with strong sustainability credentials. Comparable on luxury residential focus and integrated design/furnishings practice (custom furniture as add-on revenue stream).
• Hart Howerton: San Francisco-based multidisciplinary firm doing planning, architecture, and landscape for resort, residential, and institutional projects. Comparable on resort/hospitality master planning and HNW residential clientele.
• Bohlin Cywinski Jackson: Pacific Northwest and Pennsylvania-based firm known for residential, civic, and resort architecture emphasizing site and craft. Comparable on luxury residential, mountain/resort work, and AIA-level design recognition.
• Carney Logan Burke Architects: Jackson, Wyoming-based architecture firm focused on modern mountain residential, resort, and institutional buildings sensitive to landscape. Closest geographic and market peer; competes head-to-head for HNW residential and resort commissions in the Mountain West.
• Studio Ma: Phoenix-based architecture and urban-design firm with sustainability and biophilic principles at its core, working across residential, cultural, and institutional typologies. Comparable on sustainability-driven design philosophy and mid-size studio scale.

Others

• Public Architecture: National nonprofit that convenes the 1% Initiative for pro bono design. Ward+Blake is a participating member; relevant as an ecosystem/organizational peer reflecting the firm's pro bono commitments rather than direct architectural competition.

Broad incumbents

• SWA Group: Large landscape architecture and urban design firm with broad sustainability practice. Comparable on biophilic/sustainable design integration and Western US projects, though at significantly larger scale and landscape-led scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wardblakearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/wardblakearchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ward-blake-architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Ward+Blake Architects