What Lea Architecture does

Lea Architecture is a Brooklyn-based, women-led, full-service architecture firm founded in 2017 by Jane Lea, a Columbia-trained, NY/PA-licensed architect and recipient of the AIA Brunner Grant for Architectural Research. The firm operates on a professional services model, earning fees for design, planning, and construction oversight across residential (single-family, townhouses, multi-family), institutional (schools, religious institutions, cultural and community facilities), and master-planning projects. Core expertise spans historic preservation, adaptive reuse of landmarked buildings, and custom millwork/furniture design, with a stated process rooted in listening and constraint-driven, collaborative design.

The firm is organized as an independent private practice with no disclosed parent, investors, or external funding; ownership and creative direction sit with the founder. The core team is small (6 employees per stated headcount), supported by a wider network of named designers on the studio page. Geographic reach centers on New York City, with active projects in Brooklyn neighborhoods (Greenpoint, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Chelsea), and has expanded regionally into Montgomery County and Boyertown in Pennsylvania as well as Dutchess County, New York, via larger institutional work such as the 120-acre Working Together campus master plan.

Customer segments split across residential clients (homeowners seeking renovations and ground-up homes) and institutional clients (nonprofits, schools, religious organizations, and cultural entities), with named work spanning Saint Ann's School, Baba Cool, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the Working Together Campus, Summertime Gallery, and various Brooklyn townhouses. Distribution is primarily direct client engagement sourced through earned media in architectural press, the firm's project portfolio website, and a professional network anchored by Design Advocates, Van Alen Institute, and Urban Design Forum affiliations. Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated entirely through professional service fees on a project-by-project basis.

Name

Lea Architecture

Legal name

Lea Architecture

Website

https://lea-architecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lea Architecture is a Brooklyn-based, women-led, full-service architecture firm founded in 2017 by Jane Lea, delivering residential, institutional, cultural, and master-planning design services with a focus on historic preservation and adaptive reuse across NYC and select Pennsylvania and upstate New York markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Residential Remodelers (236118)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH), Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB), Luxury Whole-Home Renovation (High-End Finishes & Custom Build) (HSAPAEAI)

Keywords

• Architecture services
• Historic preservation
• Adaptive reuse
• Residential design
• Master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

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: Full-service architectural design covering project types from residential (single-family homes, townhouses, multi-family) to institutional (cultural spaces, educational facilities, religious institutions) and master planning. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for design, planning, and project oversight.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Brooklyn-based full-service architecture firm providing design solutions across residential, institutional, and cultural typologies. The firm specializes in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and custom millwork/furniture design, with projects spanning single-family residences, educational facilities, religious institutions, and master plans for large-scale campuses.

Product overview

Lea Architecture is a Brooklyn-based architecture firm offering full-service design solutions across residential, institutional, and cultural typologies. Their portfolio includes projects such as Saint Ann's Maker Space (educational), Greenpoint Townhouse (residential), Baba Cool café (commercial interiors), Heights Casino (historic renovation), Working Together Campus (master plan), and the All Along Project (public art installation). Services span from single-family home renovations to large-scale institutional and cultural projects, including historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and master planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architecture Services
• Institutional Architecture Services
• Master Planning Services
• Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse
• Custom Millwork and Furniture Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple projects have received recognition from NYCxDESIGN Awards, FRAME Awards, and Architizer awards in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Design AdvocatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJane Lea is a founding member of Design Advocates, a collective of design firms. Projects completed through Design Advocates include the Summertime Gallery and Neighborhoods Now initiative. Jane also serves as design partner for The All Along Project, a feminist architectural intervention project.
• Architecture Research Office (ARO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLea Architecture served as Project Architect with Architecture Research Office on the Congregation Beit Simchat Torah project in 2017. Prior to founding Lea Architecture, Jane Lea spent eight years working at ARO, demonstrating ongoing professional relationship.
• Van Alen InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Van Alen Institute and Urban Design Forum on the Neighborhoods Now initiative, which connected design firms with NYC neighborhoods impacted by COVID-19 to create outdoor structures and signage for safe social interaction.
• The All Along ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJane Lea serves as design partner for The All Along Project, a feminist architectural intervention using existing public green infrastructure to honor contributions of women throughout history. This is an ongoing project in development in New York City.
• aanda architectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with aanda architects on the Chelsea Townhouse project, uniting two floor-through apartments for an art-industry couple.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Snøhetta: Global architecture firm with strong cultural, educational, and master planning portfolio. Overlaps with Lea Architecture on the institutional/cultural typology and the historic/adaptive reuse expertise.
• Handel Architects: Large NYC-based architecture firm with broad residential, commercial, and institutional practice. Overlaps in residential and institutional typologies but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• FXCollaborative: Large NYC architecture firm with deep institutional and cultural portfolio. Competes in the same NYC civic and cultural client space but operates at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Selldorf Architects: NYC-based architecture firm focused on cultural, civic, and residential projects with a strong design sensibility. Comparable in typology mix (museums, galleries, residences) and NYC market positioning.
• TenBerke: Women-led NYC architecture firm (formerly Deborah Berke Partners) with comparable cultural, institutional, and residential portfolio. Similar brand identity and award recognition in domestic architecture.
• Architecture Research Office: NYC-based architecture firm with a process-driven, research-oriented approach to residential, institutional, and cultural projects. Jane Lea spent eight years at ARO before founding Lea Architecture, and the firms share typology, methodology, and clientele in NYC.
• Workstead: Brooklyn-based design studio with integrated architecture and interior design practice. Comparable in scale, typology (residential, hospitality, cultural), and Brooklyn design-forward positioning.
• BKSK Architects: NYC-based architecture firm with strong civic, institutional, and adaptive reuse portfolio. Competes in the same cultural and institutional client space and shares NYC-centric geographic focus.
• aanda architects: NYC-based architecture firm with residential and cultural expertise. Directly comparable as a project collaborator on Chelsea Townhouse and shares typology and NYC market focus.

Emerging players

• Michael K. Chen Architecture: Brooklyn-based small architecture firm with similar residential and adaptive reuse focus. Comparable in scale, Brooklyn positioning, and design-forward minimalist approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lea-architecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/lea.architecture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Lea Architecture