University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning

What University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning does

The University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning is a public academic unit within the State University of New York (SUNY) system, founded approximately in 1972 and headquartered at Hayes Hall on UB's South Campus in Buffalo, New York. It delivers professional undergraduate and graduate programs in Architecture (BS Arch, MArch), Urban and Regional Planning (MUP), Real Estate Development (MSRED), and Environmental Design (BAED), plus a PhD in Planning and a Historic Preservation certificate. A combined MUP/MPH degree with the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions extends the credential portfolio into public-health planning. The school's 52 faculty and ~26 professional staff operate specialized facilities including the Fabrication Workshop, Digital Fabrication labs, the Building Environment Visualization Lab, and the Design with Resilient Environments Lab, alongside research centers such as the IDEA Center, the Rudy Bruner Center for Urban Excellence, and the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab. Annual flagship outputs include the Intersight journal of student work (25+ volumes since 1990).

The school's revenue mechanics derive from tuition and fees paid into the SUNY system, external research grants and sponsored programs, continuing education credit programs for licensed professionals, and philanthropic contributions through the university-wide Boldly Buffalo campaign (targeting $1 billion). The school distributes its offerings through direct undergraduate and graduate admissions, with recruitment funnels operating via the school's website, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), email newsletters, public lecture series, and the Intersight journal. Customer segments are segmented horizontally: prospective and current students (primary), a nearly 6,500-strong alumni network (primary), employer/industry partners (secondary), and distinguished visiting speakers (secondary). Notable alumni placements span firms like Studio Gang, Flynn Battaglia, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, and Smith + Associates, plus government roles at HUD, the City of Buffalo, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, and as Minnesota DEED Commissioner.

Name

University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning

Legal name

School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo

Website

https://archplan.buffalo.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning is a SUNY public academic school offering accredited degrees in architecture, urban planning, real estate development, and environmental design to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, supported by specialized fabrication labs, research centers, and a 6,500-alumni network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Architecture and Urban Planning

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAJAG

Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAHAM

Real Estate & Construction Management Schools (within Business Schools)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes

SECONDARYEDAAALAG

Architecture, Planning & Surveying (AIA, Planning, Land Surveyor CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYBPAHAKAD

Urban Planning & Master Planning

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Architecture, Design & Planning Services

Keywords

• Architecture education
• Urban planning degrees
• Real estate development
• Environmental design programs
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: As part of State University of New York system, revenue is primarily derived from student tuition and fees paid to the university.
2. Research Grants and Sponsored Programs: Faculty research funded through external grants and sponsored programs from government agencies and foundations.
3. Campaign for UB / Boldly Buffalo: University-wide fundraising campaign targeting $1 billion to support student scholarships, faculty research, and innovative programs. The school benefits from alumni donations through its dedicated scholarship fund.
4. Continuing Education Programs: Lecture and event series offer continuing education credits for architects and urban planners maintaining professional licensure.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The School of Architecture and Planning delivers accredited degree programs in Architecture (BS Arch, MArch), Urban Planning (MUP), Real Estate Development (MSRED), Environmental Design (BAED), and a PhD in Planning, along with a Historic Preservation certificate and combined MUP/MPH pathway. It supplements instruction with hands-on facilities including fabrication and digital fabrication workshops, multiple research centers (IDEA Center, Food Systems Planning Lab, Rudy Bruner Center, Design with Resilient Environments Lab), and continuing education credits for licensed professionals.

Product overview

The School of Architecture and Planning is an academic institution within the University at Buffalo that offers educational degree programs and does not offer commercial software products or services in the traditional sense. Its offerings consist of undergraduate and graduate academic programs in Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning, research centers, student publications (such as the Intersight journal of student work), and alumni engagement activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Intersight: Annual journal of student work published since 1990, curated and produced by a Master of Architecture student selected as the Fred Wallace Brunkow Fellow.
• Rudy Bruner Center for Urban Excellence
• Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab
• Design with Resilient Environments Lab
• IDEA Center

Products and services

• Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BS Arch)

Quantifiable outcome

• 197 graduates in 2026 commencement across architecture, environmental design, urban planning, and real estate development
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harvard Graduate School of DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Harvard GSD Professor Ann Forsyth delivered the keynote address at the 54th commencement and received the Dean's Medal, the School's highest honor. Her career at the intersection of design and research on healthier, more sustainable cities was recognized as exemplary for UB graduates.
• CannonDesignminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026CannonDesign provides support for the production of the Intersight book publication, the school's annual journal of student work.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026UB students participated in ULI's Urban Plan competition, tasked with planning for redevelopment of an entire neighborhood. Student Tendaji Ya'Ukku referenced this competition as a key collaborative learning experience.
• UB School of Public Health and Health ProfessionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MUP program has aligned with the School of Public Health and Health Professions for a combined MUP/MPH degree, creating an interdisciplinary pathway for students interested in health and planning.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pratt Institute School of Architecture: NYC-based private architecture school offering accredited MArch and undergraduate programs with parallel emphasis on urban engagement and fabrication, competing for the same regional applicant pool.
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture: Another New York State institution offering architecture with a technology/fabrication emphasis; competes directly for the same in-state STEM-oriented architecture students.
• Syracuse University School of Architecture: New York State peer offering accredited MArch and undergraduate architecture programs, with a comparable emphasis on urban engagement and fabrication facilities. Direct competitor for in-state applicants and faculty talent.
• Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture: Mid-size private school combining architecture with urban design and real estate; comparable in scale and emphasis on computational/digital fabrication facilities.
• Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning: Also a New York State institution offering accredited architecture and planning degrees, with comparable faculty scale and SUNY/Cornell peer positioning. The most direct structural peer given overlapping degree portfolios and shared state-university context.
• University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning: Public university architecture and planning school with similar scale, faculty structure, and interdisciplinary research centers; closely comparable as a Big Ten/SUNY peer for talent and grants.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Graduate School of Design: Elite design school whose faculty (e.g., Ann Forsyth) UB actively engages with via commencement and lectures. Operates at the apex of the same applicant pool for top MArch and MUP candidates.
• MIT School of Architecture and Planning: Global leader in architecture and urban studies research; competes for top faculty hires, research grants, and high-caliber graduate applicants in the same disciplines UB specializes in.
• Yale School of Architecture: Elite school whose pedagogical model influences MArch curriculum across the field; competes for top applicants and faculty and operates as an aspirational peer.
• Columbia University GSAPP: Premier New York City architecture and planning school; competes for the same Northeast applicant pool in MArch, MSUP, and MSRED programs and serves as an aspirational benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ubuffaloarchplan
• Facebookfacebook.com/ubuffaloarchplan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ubuffalo-architecture-and-planning
• Instagraminstagram.com/ubuffaloarchplan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning