Dialogue + Design Associates

What Dialogue + Design Associates does

Dialogue + Design Associates is a multi-disciplinary, public-interest design firm headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded in 2005 and operating with approximately five core team members. The firm delivers four professional service lines: Collaboration/Facilitation (community visioning, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, consensus-building), Architecture (multi-disciplinary environmental design for private, commercial, and institutional clients), Permaculture Design (three-tiered offerings for urban, rural, and community sites), and Illustration (rendering and visual communication). It has also productized two growth assets: The Collective Resilience: We Rise podcast (launched 2022) and The Collective Course, an eight-week online program scheduled to begin February 9, 2026.

The firm's customer base is dominated by government agencies and non-profit organizations operating primarily in Virginia and the Appalachian region, with additional exposure to international work (e.g., Castelvecchio, Verona, Italy). Notable engagements include the Three Rivers Destination Center with Russell County Administration and the Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority, the Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia guidebook for the Appalachian Regional Commission, facilitation of the Upper and Middle James Riparian Consortium for the James River Association, and a $4.8 million headquarters project for Lighthouse Instruments. The firm executes primarily through direct engagement and through referral partnerships with the Institute for Environmental Negotiation at UVA, San Luis Sustainability Group, Downstream Strategies, Pennsylvania State University, UVA-Wise, Appalachian Voices, People Inc., and the Just Transition Fund. There is no disclosed public funding, no parent company, and no platform or software product — the business model is custom-quote-based professional services fees plus a small course-revenue stream.

Name

Dialogue + Design Associates

Legal name

Dialogue + Design Associates

Website

https://dialogueanddesign.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dialogue + Design Associates is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based multi-disciplinary public-interest design firm offering facilitation, architecture, permaculture, and illustration services primarily to government agencies and non-profits in Virginia and the Appalachian region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-disciplinary Community Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Community facilitation services
• Environmental architecture design
• Permaculture design planning
• Stakeholder consensus building
• Sustainable community planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlottesville

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. Professional Services - Facilitation & Consulting: Fees for facilitation, strategic planning, and collaboration services to government agencies, organizations, and communities. Includes community visioning, stakeholder engagement, consensus-building, and project evaluation.
2. Architecture Services: Multi-disciplinary architecture services to private, commercial, and institutional clients. Includes site analysis, master-planning, design, and construction administration.
3. Permaculture Design Services: Three service levels: site visits, schematic designs, and detailed permaculture plans for residential and commercial properties.
4. Illustration Services: Professional illustration and rendering services for publications, marketing materials, and private clients as part of design and facilitation processes.
5. Educational Courses: The Collective Course - an eight-week online course for community leaders on facilitation, consensus building, project management, and community engagement. Scholarships available.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dialogue + Design Associates is a multi-disciplinary, public-interest design firm delivering collaboration/facilitation, multi-disciplinary architecture, permaculture design, and professional illustration services. The firm works with government agencies, non-profits, and communities — particularly in Virginia and the Appalachian region — on consensus-building, sustainable environmental design, and economic transition planning for coal-impacted communities.

Product overview

Dialogue + Design Associates is a multi-disciplinary, public-interest design firm offering four core service lines: Collaboration/Facilitation Services, Architecture Services, Permaculture Design Services, and Illustration Services. Additionally, the firm offers The Collective Course (an eight-week online program launching February 2026) and produces The Collective Resilience: We Rise Podcast. The company operates as a services firm rather than a software product company, delivering design, facilitation, and planning services to government agencies, organizations, and private clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Collective Resilience: We Rise Podcast: A podcast featuring solutions-seekers, change-makers, and those creating a resilient future, sharing stories and strategies to inspire action for community transformation

Products and services

• Collaboration and Facilitation Services Facilitation, strategic planning, and consensus-building services for individuals, organizations, and government agencies, focused on collaborative problem-solving, community visioning, stakeholder engagement, and project evaluation.
• Architecture Services
• Permaculture Design Services
• Illustration Services
• The Collective Course Eight-week online course for community leaders, organizers, and partners covering facilitation, consensus building, project management, and effective community engagement. The course begins February 9, 2026, and scholarships are available.

Quantifiable outcome

• National Economic Transition Platform developed with leaders from coal-impacted communities across the country
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Highlander CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Worked with Highlander Center from 2020-2021 to develop Beyond Transition Report examining just transition values and principles in Central Appalachia.
• James River AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Consortium convener for Upper and Middle James Riparian Consortium. D+D serves as Consortium facilitator. Also partner in Living Shoreline Collaborative.
• Downstream StrategiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Project partner for Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia project sponsored by Appalachian Regional Commission. Provided quantitative analysis for economic resilience research.
• Pennsylvania State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Research partner for Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia project with The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.
• San Luis Sustainability GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner organization based near San Luis Obispo, California, focused on environmentally friendly building design since 1976. Co-authored Fractal Architecture: Design for Sustainability book. Provides sustainable planning, research, and consultant services.
• Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (UVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1980 and based at University of Virginia's School of Architecture, provides mediation and consensus-building services. Seven staff members specializing in urban planning, public administration, conflict management, and environmental policy. Coordinates Clinch River Valley Initiative.
• Just Transition FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided support and leadership for National Economic Transition Platform development with leaders from coal-impacted communities across the country.
• Heart of Appalachia Tourism AuthoritymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in Three Rivers Destination Center project. D+D provides architectural services, project management, construction administration, and facilitation services.
• Russell County AdministrationmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in Three Rivers Destination Center project for seven coalfield counties of Southwest Virginia.
• Virginia Department of Environmental QualitymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in EPA Small Community Grants implementation for Buchanan and Powell River Region brownfield revitalization.
• CardnominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering firm partner that conducted environmental assessment for Blue Ridge Discovery Center and prepared reports for EPA brownfield projects.
• University of Virginia-Wise Office of Economic Development & EngagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convener of Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia, working to develop renewable energy industry cluster in seven coalfield counties.
• People Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convener of Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia, nonprofit and community action agency partner.
• Appalachian VoicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convener of Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia, environmental advocacy organization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WXY architecture + urban design: Community-centered architecture and urban planning practice combining design, public engagement, and policy work. Highly comparable to Dialogue + Design's blend of architecture + community facilitation, with a larger urban-scale footprint.
• RESOLVE: Independent mediation and dispute-resolution organization working on environmental, public-policy, and community issues. Closely comparable to Dialogue + Design's environmental facilitation and stakeholder-engagement work, particularly on coal-transition and brownfield projects.
• BNIM Architects: Architecture firm with a regenerative-design philosophy and deep sustainability/building-science credentials. Comparable in mission and architectural approach (passive solar, natural materials) but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Consensus Building Institute: Non-profit specializing in facilitation, mediation, and consensus-building for public-policy and environmental disputes. Directly comparable to Dialogue + Design's Collaboration service line, with a national rather than regional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• KieranTimberlake: Research-driven, sustainability-focused architecture firm with deep building-science expertise. Comparable to Dialogue + Design's environmental-architecture credentials (LEED, passive solar, building science) but operates nationally and at much larger scale.
• Lake|Flato Architects: Established sustainable-architecture firm with regional and national project portfolios. Comparable on sustainable/environmental design philosophy, but serves a much broader geographic and typology mix than Dialogue + Design.
• Mithun: Integrated design firm practicing architecture, interior design, landscape, and urban design with a sustainability and resiliency focus. Overlaps with Dialogue + Design's multi-disciplinary environmental design ethos at a larger scale.

Emerging players

• Just Transition Fund: Philanthropic fund and policy platform focused exclusively on coal-impacted community transitions. Directly comparable mission and beneficiary base to Dialogue + Design's coal-community work, but functions as a funder/convener rather than a service provider.

Others

• Highlander Center: Appalachian-rooted social-justice education and organizing center that Dialogue + Design partnered with on the Beyond Transition Report. Aligned mission and regional base, but operates as an advocacy/education organization rather than a design and facilitation firm.
• Van Alen Institute: Design organization funding and producing community-centered projects at the intersection of design, equity, and public space. Adjacent to Dialogue + Design's public-interest design mission, particularly on community engagement and place-based work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dialogueanddesign.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dialogueanddesign

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 Dialogue + Design Associates