Pure Architects
Pure Architects is a Black-owned, JUST-certified architectural design firm founded in 2020 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a Detroit office. It delivers full-service architecture across K-12 education, healthcare, community/nonprofit, workplace, and manufacturing clients statewide and nationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersGrand Rapids, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Pure Architects does
Pure Architects is a privately held, Black-owned architectural design firm founded in December 2020 by Zachary Verhulst and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a secondary office in Detroit. The firm delivers full-service architecture across a five-phase methodology — Inspire (Pre-Design and Development), Envision (Conceptual Design), Ideate (Professional Design), Implement (Construction Administration), and Impact (Sustainability) — serving K-12 education, healthcare, community/nonprofit, workplace, athletic, and increasingly manufacturing clients statewide, regionally, and nationally. Its project portfolio includes the $70M Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital with Mary Free Bed (Michigan's first pediatric rehabilitation hospital), the $158.9M East Grand Rapids Schools bond program, the $70M Autocam Medical 100,000-sq-ft Warsaw facility, $11.2M St. Joseph Public Schools HVAC/electrical work plus 2025 bond planning, the $12M Gateway Center expansion in Holland, MI, and the John Ball Zoo Koala Exhibit, which is being designed for Living Building Challenge Petal Certification.
The firm operates as a professional services business on project-by-project agreements, using standard architectural technology (Autodesk Revit, Enscape, SketchUp, Cove.Tool, Adobe Creative Suite, Bluebeam) and differentiating on sustainability credentials (JUST organization certification from the International Living Future Institute issued April 2023, LEED administration, Living Building Challenge pursuit, WELL Certification being pursued for its own office) and on equity-centered design positioning. As of 2026, Pure Architects employs 22 staff and pursues projects through direct client engagement, RFP responses, and joint ventures with peer firms such as Fanning Howey, JRA, IGNYTE Design, and construction partners including Pioneer Construction, Owen-Ames-Kimball, and Wolverine Building Group. The firm has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no public ticker.
Pure Architects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pure Architects
- Legal name
- Pure Architects
- Website
- https://purearchitects.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pure Architects is a Black-owned, JUST-certified architectural design firm founded in 2020 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a Detroit office. It delivers full-service architecture across K-12 education, healthcare, community/nonprofit, workplace, and manufacturing clients statewide and nationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pure Architects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), ADU Design, Architecture & Engineering (HSAPAMAF)
Keywords
Where Pure Architects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Rapids
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Pure Architects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Professional architecture services across all project phases from pre-design through construction administration, serving diverse sectors including education, healthcare, community, workplace, and athletic facilities
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Pure Architects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pure Architects is a Black-owned architectural design firm providing full-service architectural design across five sequential phases: pre-design, conceptual design, professional design, construction administration, and sustainability. The firm serves K-12 education, healthcare, community, workplace, and athletic facility sectors from offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit, Michigan, and is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).
Product overview
Pure Architects is a Black-owned architectural design firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, offering comprehensive architectural services across five core phases: Pre-Design and Development, Conceptual Design, Professional Design, Construction Administration, and Sustainability Services. The firm's portfolio spans multiple project types including K-12 education facilities (such as East Grand Rapids High School), healthcare facilities (including the Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital), community facilities (like the Grand Rapids Central Station Early Childhood Center), athletic facilities, and workplace/commercial spaces. The firm serves clients statewide, regionally, and nationally with offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pre-Design Services Pre-design and development services for early-stage project planning, programming, and feasibility analysis for institutional and commercial building projects.
- Conceptual Design Services Conceptual design services including schematic design, massing studies, and concept development for client review and approval.
- Professional Design Services Professional design services including design development, construction documentation, and technical specification of building projects.
- Construction Administration Services Construction administration services including on-site observation, submittal review, RFI handling, and project closeout support during construction.
- Sustainability Services Sustainability services including LEED v4 BD+C administration, Living Building Challenge design support, and sustainable design strategy consulting.
- Education Facility Design Architectural design services for K-12 and higher education facilities, including new construction, renovations, and additions for school districts and educational institutions.
- Healthcare Facility Design Architectural design services for healthcare facilities including medical buildings, clinics, and specialized healthcare environments.
- Community Facility Design Architectural design services for community centers, civic buildings, and nonprofit facilities focused on community impact.
- Workplace Design Architectural design services for commercial workplace environments, including offices and corporate facilities.
- Athletic Facility Design Architectural design services for athletic and recreation facilities, including sports venues and fitness facilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Completed $70M Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital - Michigan's first pediatric rehabilitation facility
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pure Architects
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Pure Architects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Pure Architects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- IGNYTE DesigncorePure Architects partnered with IGNYTE Design to provide architectural support for St. Joseph Public Schools, including HVAC upgrades, electrical work, and the 2025 Bond Program planning
- Wolverine Building GroupcoreServed as construction partner for John Ball Zoo Koala Exhibit project, working with Pure Architects on the facility designed for potential Living Building Challenge Petal Certification
- Fanning HoweycorePartnered with Fanning Howey and JRA on Grand Rapids Public Schools Southeast Career Pathways project converting former Sigsbee School
- JRAcoreJoint venture partner on GRPS Southeast Career Pathways project for interior design and architectural services
- Pioneer ConstructionminorConstruction company partner for Autocam Medical Warsaw facility project, valued at $70M investment
- Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO)coreLocal economic development partner supporting Autocam Medical Warsaw facility investment in Kosciusko County, Indiana
- Indiana Economic Development CorporationcoreState-level economic development partner providing support for Autocam Medical's $70M Warsaw, Indiana facility investment
- Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.coreConstruction partner with Pure Architects for East Grand Rapids High School expansion project funded by $158.9M bond
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pure Architects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SmithGroup: Detroit-headquartered national architecture and engineering firm with healthcare, education, and workplace practices. Geographic peer in Detroit with overlapping verticals; significantly larger and competes for premium-fee healthcare and higher education work.
- HKS, Inc. National architecture firm with one of the largest healthcare practices in the U.S. Relevant peer for Pure's healthcare segment (Mary Free Bed-style projects); much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- DLR Group: National integrated design firm with one of the largest K-12 education practices in the U.S. and growing healthcare presence. Competitor for large Michigan school district work; broad incumbent with overlap in Pure's primary verticals.
- CannonDesign: Large national architecture firm with deep K-12 and healthcare practices and a strong DEI program. Competes with Pure Architects for institutional healthcare and education work but operates at materially greater scale and geographic reach.
Direct peers
- Integrated Architecture: Grand Rapids-based architecture firm with comparable practice across education, healthcare, workplace, and community sectors in West Michigan. Competes for the same Michigan institutional RFPs and shares the regional talent pool.
- TowerPinkster: Michigan-headquartered architecture and engineering firm serving education, healthcare, workplace, and community clients across the Midwest. Directly comparable in geography, vertical mix (especially K-12 and healthcare), and project scale to Pure Architects.
- Wight & Company: Midwest-based architecture and engineering firm with strong K-12, community, and civic practices. Comparable in size range, vertical mix, and regional Midwestern operating model to Pure Architects.
- Legat Architects: Illinois-headquartered architecture firm with national K-12 education and community practices. Directly comparable in scale, education vertical specialization, and Midwest regional operating footprint.
- Progressive AE: Grand Rapids-based architecture and engineering firm serving healthcare, education, and workplace clients. Direct geographic and vertical peer competing for many of the same Michigan institutional opportunities.
- Moody Nolan: Largest African-American-owned architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. with multi-sector practice across education, healthcare, sports, and community. Most directly comparable to Pure Architects in values-based positioning, multi-vertical K-12/healthcare focus, and minority-owned identity, though substantially larger in scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pure Architects social profiles
Digital presencePure Architects compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Pure Architects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pure Architects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Pure Architects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pure Architects M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pure Architects
What does Pure Architects do?
Pure Architects is a Black-owned architectural design firm providing full-service architectural design across five sequential phases: pre-design, conceptual design, professional design, construction administration, and sustainability. The firm serves K-12 education, healthcare, community, workplace, and athletic facility sectors from offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit, Michigan, and is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).
Is Pure Architects a public or private company?
Pure Architects is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pure Architects founded?
Pure Architects was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pure Architects based?
Pure Architects is headquartered in Grand Rapids, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pure Architects make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are Pure Architects's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SmithGroup, HKS, Inc., DLR Group and CannonDesign. Direct peers are Integrated Architecture, TowerPinkster, Wight & Company, Legat Architects, Progressive AE and Moody Nolan.
Does Pure Architects have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pure Architects.
What industry is Pure Architects in?
Pure Architects's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131.