Donaldson + Partners

What Donaldson + Partners does

Donaldson + Partners is an architecture, interior design, and planning studio operating from three California offices in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Orange County, with the firmographic indicating founding in 1990 and a current headcount of 28 employees. The studio organizes its work into three core service lines: Homes (luxury residential architecture and interiors, including landscape integration), Buildings (commercial and multi-unit building architecture), and Commercial Interiors (workplace environments, spatial planning, and branded interior solutions). The studio's methodology is described as transdisciplinary, balancing imagination and reality, art and science, with explicit focus on the relationship between architecture, art, and the landscape.

The firm's go-to-market is direct commission-based: projects are engaged individually with property owners, developers, and corporate clients in high-end residential and commercial markets, concentrated in Beverly Hills, Montecito, and Santa Barbara. Revenue is generated through project-based professional-services fees that are quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution relies on earned media in prestige architectural publications — Wallpaper, AN Interior, Elle Deco, GA Houses, Designboom, The Plan, Detail Magazine, and inclusion in Thames & Hudson's California Houses — plus word-of-mouth within the luxury residential segment. Lead designer Robin Donaldson is the named creative principal on signature projects, with collaborator John Mike Cohen on selected works.

Customer segments are weighted toward luxury residential (primary), with secondary exposure to commercial buildings and commercial interiors. The company is privately held with no disclosed investors, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, no AI/ML capabilities, no proprietary software product, and no API or app surface. Operations are California-anchored, although the firm states it engages in projects of varying types and sizes around the world.

Name

Donaldson + Partners

Legal name

Donaldson + Partners

Website

https://donaldsonplus.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Donaldson + Partners is a 28-person transdisciplinary architecture, interior design, and planning studio with three California offices (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange County), serving high-end residential and commercial clients through direct commissions led by designer Robin Donaldson.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Luxury residential architecture
• Commercial interior design
• Architectural design services
• Transdisciplinary design studio
• Custom home design

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

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: Project-based fees for architectural design, interior design, and planning services for residential homes, commercial buildings, and commercial interiors

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Donaldson + Partners is a transdisciplinary design studio providing architectural, interior design, and planning services for high-end residential and commercial clients. Its portfolio is organized into Homes (custom residential architecture and interiors), Buildings (commercial and multi-unit building architecture), Commercial Interiors (workplace and commercial interior design), and Planning Services (research-driven site and project planning). Projects are commissioned directly with property owners, developers, and corporate clients in markets including Beverly Hills, Montecito, and Santa Barbara.

Product overview

Donaldson + Partners is a transdisciplinary design studio offering an integrated portfolio of architectural and interior design services organized into three primary offerings: Homes (residential architecture and interiors), Buildings (commercial architecture), and Commercial Interiors (workplace design). Their services are grounded in a research-driven approach that balances imagination and reality, art and science, with particular focus on the relationship between architecture, art, and the landscape. The studio engages in projects of varying scales and types worldwide, providing end-to-end design services from concept through completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Homes Residential architecture and interior design services for private homes, encompassing custom home design, landscape integration, and bespoke interior solutions for high-end residential clients.
• Buildings Commercial and multi-unit building architecture services, including structural design, façade engineering, and workplace environments for commercial property developers and corporate clients.
• Commercial Interiors Interior design services for commercial spaces, focusing on workplace environments, spatial planning, and branded interior solutions for business settings.
• Planning Services Strategic design planning services accompanying architectural and interior design projects, integrating research-driven approaches to site planning and project development.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Walker Workshop: LA-based architecture studio of comparable size (small boutique) with a published focus on high-end residential and selective commercial projects. Competes for the same HNW clients in the LA market.
• Studio Sofield: New York-based luxury residential interior design practice serving private clients and developers on high-end residences. Comparable pricing tier and design-led positioning for the interiors arm of D+P's business.
• Studio McGaha: California-based luxury interior design and architecture studio serving HNW residential clients. Comparable boutique scale and focus on high-end residential commissions with strong design press presence.
• ShubinDonaldson: Robin Donaldson's prior partnership (referenced in the Facet House credits as 'ShubinDonaldson'). Direct creative lineage and overlap on LA luxury residential makes this the closest historical comparable.
• Standard Architecture: LA-based architecture firm working across residential and cultural projects with strong design-philosophy positioning. Directly competes in the same Southern California HNW and developer pool.
• Marmol Radziner: Los Angeles-based architecture and interiors studio specializing in luxury residential and commercial projects with a high-profile published portfolio. Most directly comparable peer in terms of geography, client base, and design ethos.
• Olson Kundig: Seattle-based design practice renowned for design-forward luxury residential and commercial architecture with strong press pedigree (Architectural Digest, Dwell). Operates at premium price points with similar methodology emphasis.
• Commune Design: Los Angeles-based interiors and architecture studio serving luxury residential, hospitality, and commercial clients with strong publication profile. Directly competes for D+P's interior design engagements.
• EYRC Architects: Los Angeles-based architecture firm working across residential, commercial, and interiors with a long publication track record. Comparable size and breadth across the same three service categories D+P offers.

Broad incumbents

• Peter Marino Architect: New York-based global luxury architecture firm specializing in retail, hospitality, and ultra-high-end residential with several hundred staff. Larger and broader portfolio but draws from the same ultra-high-net-worth client pool internationally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donaldsonandpartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Donaldson + Partners