What Material Design Architects does

Material Design Architects is a San Diego-based architecture and interior design firm, founded in 1998 (originally as Spiegel Nance Design) and rebranded under its current name in 2023. The firm is exclusively focused on healthcare environments, providing six integrated service lines: architecture services, healthcare planning, interior design, infrastructure and equipment modernization, fire protection engineering, and seismic compliance (SPC/NPC under California's SB 1953). Its client base consists of major California hospital systems and healthcare networks, including Sharp HealthCare, Rady Children's Hospital, Scripps Health, Palomar Health, El Camino Health, Loma Linda University Health, Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Health, and several community health organizations. The firm's value proposition centers on deep regulatory expertise (HCAI permitting, OSHPD compliance, seismic standards), experience with phased construction in occupied facilities, and Lean methodology integration for design efficiency.

The firm operates a professional services model, generating revenue through project-based architectural fees for healthcare projects ranging from small clinic remodels ($1.7M construction value) to large hospital programs (up to $800M at Sharp Grossmont). Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: principals and leadership engage directly with healthcare organization leadership, clinicians, and facility teams. The firm has no disclosed external investors, no venture capital, and no public listing, operating as a partner-owned private practice. Geographic footprint now spans San Diego (headquarters), Northern California, and a Los Angeles office opened in 2026 under Principal Pilar Mendez. Key strategic partnerships include a joint venture with PMB (development) and LifePoint Health (operations) for rehabilitation hospitals, and a design-build relationship with Align Builders for Sharp projects.

The firm grew from six employees in 2022 to approximately 20 by 2025, with leadership comprised of three principals: Suzanne Mayes (design expertise, original 2000 junior designer who assumed ownership in 2020), Matt Teichner (owner-side healthcare experience, partner since 2020), and Joe Lowe (operations, joined 2023). The firm employs two licensed Fire Protection Engineers as a notable differentiator for a small architecture firm. No AI/ML capabilities, software products, or technology IP are disclosed; the technology stack is conventional for an architecture practice (BIM, visualization tools) with a dedicated Design Technology Leader.

Name

Material Design Architects

Legal name

Material Design Architects

Website

https://mdarc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Material Design Architects is a San Diego-based healthcare-focused architecture and interior design firm serving California hospital systems through six integrated service lines including architecture, healthcare planning, fire protection, and seismic compliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Healthcare architecture
• Healthcare facility design
• Seismic compliance consulting
• Fire protection engineering
• Interior design services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full-service architectural design for healthcare environments, supporting projects from early programming through construction. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for architecture, healthcare planning, interior design, infrastructure modernization, fire protection engineering, and seismic compliance services. Projects range from renovations to ground-up construction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Material Design Architects provides full-service architectural design and interior design exclusively for healthcare environments, supporting projects from early programming through construction. Its services span needs assessments, department programming, clinical space planning, interior design, infrastructure and equipment modernization, fire protection engineering, and seismic compliance (SPC/NPC under California SB 1953). The firm specializes in phased construction within occupied hospitals and navigating HCAI/OSHPD regulatory requirements for hospital systems, clinics, behavioral health, and skilled nursing facilities.

Product overview

Material Design Architects is a San Diego-based architecture and interior design firm offering a unified suite of professional services for healthcare environments. The core offering consists of Architecture Services, Healthcare Planning, Interior Design, Infrastructure & Equipment Modernization, Fire Protection Engineering & Consulting, and Seismic Compliance SPC & NPC services. These services work together to support healthcare projects from early programming through construction, with a focus on clinical operations, regulatory requirements, and phased construction within occupied facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design for healthcare environments, supporting projects from early programming through construction. Services include needs assessments, department programming, test fits, adjacency studies, and scenario planning for hospital systems and healthcare organizations.
• Healthcare Planning Healthcare space planning services translating clinical needs and operational goals into efficient, functional environments, including site capacity evaluation, infrastructure assessment, and regulatory compliance planning for healthcare organizations.
• Interior Design Interior design services creating functional, welcoming, and durable environments that support patient care, staff efficiency, and operational needs, integrating materials, finishes, lighting, furnishings, and color for healthcare facilities.
• Infrastructure & Equipment Modernization Infrastructure and equipment update services for healthcare facilities, including evaluating existing systems, planning for equipment replacement and technology upgrades, and coordinating architectural requirements.
• Fire Protection Engineering & Consulting Fire protection engineering design services supporting life safety, regulatory compliance, and efficient project delivery, including fire alarm, fire sprinklers, and egress requirements coordination for healthcare facilities.
• Seismic Compliance SPC & NPC Seismic compliance services helping healthcare facilities meet California's Seismic Performance Category (SPC) and Nonstructural Performance Category (NPC) requirements under SB 1953.

Quantifiable outcome

• Design efficiency through Lean methodology

Named customers12 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Align BuilderscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign-build partnership on Sharp Grossmont Hospital Pneumatic Tube Connection to Neurosciences project. MDA provides architectural design while Align Builders handles construction delivery.
• PMB (Development Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership with PMB for development and design of rehabilitation hospitals including UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital and Palomar Rehabilitation Hospital. PMB handles development and funding while MDA provides architectural services.
• LifePoint HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner operating rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals designed by MDA. LifePoint provides operational expertise for hospital facilities developed in partnership with PMB and MDA.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HGA (Hammel, Green and Abrahamson): HGA is a national architecture and engineering firm with a substantial healthcare practice serving hospital systems, medical office buildings, and ambulatory facilities. It is a direct peer in healthcare architecture and engineering services.
• Taylor Design: Taylor Design is a California-based architecture and interior design firm focused on healthcare, with offices in San Diego and other California cities. It is a direct regional peer competing for the same Southern California hospital system clients.
• CannonDesign: CannonDesign is a national architecture and design firm with a substantial healthcare practice covering acute care, ambulatory, and behavioral health facilities. It directly competes with MDA for hospital system clients in California and beyond.
• SmithGroup: SmithGroup is an integrated design firm with a nationally recognized healthcare practice covering hospitals, medical office buildings, and behavioral health facilities. It is a direct peer in healthcare architecture with broader scale and geographic reach.
• CO Architects: CO Architects is a Los Angeles-based healthcare architecture and planning firm with deep expertise in academic medical centers, hospitals, and healthcare facilities — a direct competitor to MDA in the California healthcare design market.
• EwingCole: EwingCole is a Philadelphia-based architecture and engineering firm focused on healthcare, higher education, and science facilities. It is a directly comparable healthcare architecture peer with integrated engineering services similar to MDA's fire protection offering.

Regional players

• designBridge: designBridge is a Southern California architecture and planning firm with healthcare experience. It is a smaller regional peer in the same geographic market, though with a less concentrated healthcare focus than MDA.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a global architecture and design firm with a major healthcare practice. It competes for hospital system clients with a broader portfolio of building types and a much larger national footprint than MDA.
• HKS: HKS is a large national architecture firm with a top-ranked healthcare practice serving hospital systems across the US. It is a broad incumbent — overlapping on healthcare design but with far greater resources, scale, and geographic reach than MDA.
• HDR Architecture: HDR is a global architecture and engineering firm with a large healthcare design practice. It competes with MDA on hospital architecture engagements and brings integrated engineering capabilities as a broader incumbent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/material-design-architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Material Design Architects