What Murakami/Nelson Architectural does

murakami/Nelson Architectural Corporation is a privately held California corporation founded in 1955 and headquartered in Oakland, with a secondary address in South Lake Tahoe. The firm delivers fee-based architectural services spanning urban planning, new building design, adaptive re-use, historic preservation, programming, space planning, seismic strengthening, and tenant improvements. Its practice is concentrated in the East Bay and greater Bay Area (including Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, San Leandro, Alameda County, Sacramento, and Marin County), with engagements secured through competitive public-sector bidding, design-build collaborations, direct commissions, and repeat client relationships.

The firm's competitive position rests on credentialed expertise in sustainable design (LEED Platinum, Gold, and Silver certified projects; CHPS-compliant K-12 work), historic rehabilitation to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, HAER documentation for major infrastructure (notably the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge), and seismic strengthening techniques that allow occupied buildings to remain in use during construction. Notable completed projects include the $68M Piedmont Unified School District seismic bond program, the LEED Platinum REACH Ashland Youth Center, UC Berkeley's Barrows Hall rehabilitation, and a portfolio of luxury automotive dealerships for the Niello Auto Group. The team is led by Principal Michael T. Murakami following the retirement of Principal John Nelson, supported by a Business Manager and three associates.

The business model is professional-services project-based: engagements are individually quoted depending on scope and complexity, billed under multi-year contracts, and delivered through direct client relationships. Public-sector and education work (school districts, county and municipal agencies, UC Berkeley, Caltrans, Merritt College) competes alongside private-sector commissions in luxury automotive retail, residential/mixed-use development, and non-profit/community facilities. No external funding, M&A activity, or public listing is indicated; ownership appears closely held.

Name

Murakami/Nelson Architectural

Legal name

murakami/Nelson Architectural Corporation

Website

https://murakaminelson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

murakami/Nelson is a privately held Oakland-based architectural firm in continuous practice since 1955, delivering fee-based design, historic preservation, seismic strengthening, and urban planning services to public agencies, schools, luxury automotive retailers, and developers across the Bay Area and Sacramento region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH), Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Historic preservation design
• Seismic strengthening services
• Sustainable LEED building design
• Urban planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Fee-based professional services for architectural design, urban planning, historic preservation, programming, space planning, and tenant improvements. Revenue is project-based with engagements secured through competitive bidding, direct commissions, and repeat client relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

murakami/Nelson is an architectural design firm in continuous practice since 1955, providing urban planning, new building design, adaptive re-use, historic preservation/rehabilitation to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, seismic strengthening, programming, space planning, and tenant improvement services. The firm specializes in sustainable design incorporating LEED certification (Platinum, Gold, and Silver levels) and serves governmental, educational, commercial, and automotive retail clients across the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento region.

Product overview

Murakami/Nelson Architectural is an established architectural firm (in practice since 1955) offering architectural design, urban planning, adaptive re-use, historic preservation, programming, space planning, and tenant improvement services. Their portfolio spans multiple project categories including automotive retail facilities (such as Porsche, BMW, Audi, Volvo, MINI, Jaguar/Land Rover dealerships), civic buildings (libraries, youth centers, boathouses), commercial spaces (nonprofit offices, retail), educational facilities (K-12 schools, colleges), residential developments (mixed-use apartments, lofts, single-family homes), transportation infrastructure, and urban planning. Their core offering consists of architectural design and consulting services, with projects ranging from small-scale renovations to large new construction, many incorporating sustainable/LEED design principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Core professional service encompassing new building design, programming, space planning, and tenant improvements for institutional, governmental, commercial, and private clients across the Bay Area and Sacramento region.
• Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of historic structures, conforming to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Rehabilitation, including LEED certification integration. Suitable for public-sector agencies, educational institutions, and private owners of designated or eligible historic buildings.
• Seismic Strengthening Services Seismic strengthening and rehabilitation of existing buildings using thick steel-reinforced concrete walls and collector beams, allowing buildings to remain occupied during construction while transforming facades. Developed through extensive work with school districts and university buildings.
• Sustainable Design / LEED Certification Services LEED-targeted sustainable design delivered across Platinum, Gold, and Silver certification levels for civic, educational, residential, and automotive facilities, including integration with CHPS standards for K-12 schools.
• Urban and Master Planning Services Master planning and urban design consulting for public parks, waterfronts, and downtown districts, including the Lake Merritt Master Plan and Oakland Waterfront Trail planning studies.
• HAER Documentation Services Lead consultancy for Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation, including narrative, photographs, and original 2D and 3D drawings for major transportation and infrastructure projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• LEED Gold certified 110,000 sq ft science building at Merritt College with DNA-inspired design elements
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Group 4 ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Group 4 Architecture on the expansion and rehabilitation of the San Lorenzo Library for Alameda County. The result is a colorful, warm and light filled landmark with strong indoor-outdoor connections.
• NTD ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of a Design-Build team with NTD Architects for the REACH Ashland Youth Center, a sustainably designed LEED Platinum building.
• Clark & Sullivan / WalshcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Clark & Sullivan design build team for Solano Community College Automotive Technology Center project.
• JK ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with JK Architecture on automotive layout for Solano Community College Auto-tech Building and on Merritt College Barbara Lee Science & Allied Health Building.
• YM ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Y&M Architects on Civic Center 14 Transit-Oriented Development project in downtown Oakland.
• WRTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServed as consultant to WRT landscape architecture firm on Lake Merritt Master Plan, part of a team including landscape architects, architects, city planners and traffic engineers.
• Golden Link ConcessionairescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs architect of record for the Golden Link design team, responsible for meeting Architectural Criteria Report for Presidio Parkway project - a unique public-private partnership first of its kind in California.
• Clark & Sullivan / WalshcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPart of design build team of Clark & Sullivan / Walsh and JK Architecture for new 110,000 sq ft LEED Gold science building at Merritt College.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with significant Bay Area presence serving commercial, civic, and automotive-retail clients. Comparable on automotive-dealership design and large civic commissions, but operates at vastly greater scale than murakami/Nelson.
• SmithGroup: Large national architecture, engineering, and planning firm serving civic, education, and cultural clients nationwide. Overlaps with murakami/Nelson's education and civic practice but at significantly greater scale, breadth, and geographic reach.
• HOK: Global design, architecture, and engineering firm active in civic, education, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Comparable to murakami/Nelson on project types (libraries, schools, civic buildings) but as a broad incumbent rather than regional specialist.

Direct peers

• EHDD: San Francisco architecture firm with a strong civic, education, and community-focused portfolio. Comparable to murakami/Nelson on project type (libraries, schools, civic buildings), sustainable-design credentials, and Bay Area public-sector relationships.
• Ratcliff Architects: Bay Area architecture firm serving healthcare, education, and civic clients with a long regional history. Comparable to murakami/Nelson in firm size, Bay Area focus, public-sector orientation, and emphasis on sustainable, mission-driven design.
• Page & Turnbull: San Francisco-based architecture and preservation firm specializing in historic rehabilitation, adaptive re-use, and Secretary of the Interior's Standards work. Direct comparable to murakami/Nelson's historic-preservation niche and Bay Area footprint, with overlapping public-sector clients.
• Group 4 Architecture: Bay Area architecture firm that partnered with murakami/Nelson on the San Lorenzo Library for Alameda County. Directly comparable on library, civic, and community architecture with shared sustainable-design expertise.
• NTD Architecture: Architecture firm that has collaborated with murakami/Nelson on the Ashland Youth Center and similar civic/community projects. Direct peer in education, civic, and community facility design with comparable project scale and LEED orientation.
• Leddy Maytum Stacy: San Francisco architecture firm recognized for sustainable and civic design. Comparable to murakami/Nelson on LEED credentials, civic/education client base, and Bay Area regional positioning.
• Siegel & Strain: Bay Area architecture firm with a strong sustainability and civic portfolio. Comparable to murakami/Nelson on green-building credentials, regional focus, and public-sector institutional work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/murakami-nelson

Compliance12 records

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 Murakami/Nelson Architectural