PHAROS ARCHITECTS
Pharos Architects is a Nairobi-based architectural practice delivering integrated architectural design, project management, and interior design services across East Africa for institutional, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, data center, residential, and education clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PHAROS ARCHITECTS does
Pharos Architects is a Nairobi-headquartered architectural practice delivering integrated architectural design, project management, and interior design services across East Africa. Founded in 1998 by Andrew Gremley, who has practiced in the region since 1993, the firm operates with a 19-person team of registered architects, technicians, and project managers from its Westlands, Nairobi office. The practice is structured around three core services — architectural design, project management, and interior design — applied across seven vertical specializations: healthcare, hospitality/leisure, residential, commercial offices, institutional/educational, retail/restaurant, and data centers. Project delivery is enabled by BIM-based modeling that includes coordinated 3D representations of MEP services, alongside LEED and Green Star SA sustainable design capabilities held by the founder.
The firm serves institutional and commercial clients through direct professional engagement rather than a sales-led GTM. Marquee engagements include the World Bank office and housing developments, the new French Diplomatic Campus in Nairobi, the ICRC regional headquarters, UNICEF South Sudan, AAR Hospital, Porsche Center East Africa, Java House, Dormans Coffee, and Nova Pioneer Schools — spanning diplomatic, NGO, healthcare, hospitality, automotive, F&B, and education sectors. The firm operates across Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees with no publicly disclosed pricing structure, no funding history, and no disclosed ownership beyond the founder.
Pharos carries BORAQS registration for architectural practice in Kenya and is differentiated by the founder's Green Star SA accreditation, LEED design expertise, and BIM integration capabilities. The firm has no disclosed parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no public ownership records; ownership and operational leadership appear concentrated in the founder. Marketing is primarily conducted through a project portfolio website and direct client relationships within the East African architecture and construction network.
PHAROS ARCHITECTS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PHAROS ARCHITECTS
- Legal name
- Pharos Architects
- Website
- https://pharosarchitects.co.ke
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pharos Architects is a Nairobi-based architectural practice delivering integrated architectural design, project management, and interior design services across East Africa for institutional, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, data center, residential, and education clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PHAROS ARCHITECTS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural 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
Where PHAROS ARCHITECTS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
PHAROS ARCHITECTS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Full range of architectural design services for institutional and commercial building projects in East Africa.
- Project Management: Project management and supervision services for construction projects.
- Interior Design Services: Interior design, fit-out design and project management services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
PHAROS ARCHITECTS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pharos Architects is a Nairobi-based architectural practice providing integrated architectural design, project management, and interior design services for building projects across East Africa. The firm delivers full-service design from concept development through construction documentation across specialized sectors including data centers, healthcare, hospitality, offices, residential, education/institutional, and retail/restaurant facilities.
Product overview
Pharos Architects is an architectural practice providing integrated architecture, project management, and interior design services for building projects across East Africa. The firm operates as a single unified service offering organized around core disciplines: architectural design, project management, and interior design. These core services are applied across specialized sector verticals including data centers, healthcare facilities, hospitality/leisure, commercial offices, residential, institutional/educational, and retail/restaurant projects. The firm's portfolio demonstrates expertise in LEED and Green Star certified sustainable design, high-security diplomatic facilities, and large-scale institutional developments throughout Kenya and East Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architectural Design Services
- Project Management
- Interior Design
- Data Center Design
- Healthcare Facility Design
- Hospitality Design
- Commercial Office Design
- Residential Design
- Institutional/Educational Design
- Retail/Restaurant Design
Companies that use PHAROS ARCHITECTS
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
PHAROS ARCHITECTS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
PHAROS ARCHITECTS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PHAROS ARCHITECTS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Arup: Global engineering, architecture, and design consultancy with deep sustainable-building and MEP expertise. Comparable to Pharos on integrated design delivery, BIM-driven coordination, and LEED/Green Star credentialing — but operating at vastly greater scale with offices worldwide.
- Perkins&Will: Global architecture practice with a strong sustainability and healthcare focus. Comparable to Pharos across institutional, healthcare, and LEED-driven work; both compete for the same high-security and mission-driven clients, though Perkins&Will operates globally.
- CannonDesign: Global integrated design firm with deep healthcare, higher education, and science & technology practices. Comparable to Pharos on the healthcare and institutional vertical overlap, BIM-enabled delivery, and LEED-oriented design — though at larger scale and global scope.
- Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a large institutional and commercial practice. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating across offices, healthcare, hospitality, and data centers — the same verticals Pharos Architects serves — though at materially larger scale and global scope.
- HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm with significant institutional, healthcare, and workplace portfolios. Comparable to Pharos on large-scale institutional and embassy-grade work, sustainability credentials, and integrated design delivery.
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture, urban planning, and engineering firm with significant institutional and diplomatic portfolio worldwide. Comparable to Pharos on high-security, high-finish institutional work, though at materially larger scale and global reach.
Direct peers
- Boogertman + Partners: Largest African-headquartered architecture firm, based in South Africa with offices across sub-Saharan Africa including East Africa. Closest direct peer to Pharos in terms of regional architectural practice, institutional client base, and project type — competes head-to-head for institutional and commercial work in East Africa.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PHAROS ARCHITECTS social profiles
Digital presencePHAROS ARCHITECTS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
PHAROS ARCHITECTS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PHAROS ARCHITECTS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
PHAROS ARCHITECTS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PHAROS ARCHITECTS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PHAROS ARCHITECTS
What does PHAROS ARCHITECTS do?
Pharos Architects is a Nairobi-based architectural practice providing integrated architectural design, project management, and interior design services for building projects across East Africa. The firm delivers full-service design from concept development through construction documentation across specialized sectors including data centers, healthcare, hospitality, offices, residential, education/institutional, and retail/restaurant facilities.
Is PHAROS ARCHITECTS a public or private company?
PHAROS ARCHITECTS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PHAROS ARCHITECTS founded?
PHAROS ARCHITECTS was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PHAROS ARCHITECTS based?
PHAROS ARCHITECTS is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does PHAROS ARCHITECTS make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Architectural Design Services are the primary driver. The others are project Management and interior Design Services.
Who are PHAROS ARCHITECTS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Arup, Perkins&Will, CannonDesign, Gensler, HOK and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Boogertman + Partners is listed as a direct peer.
Does PHAROS ARCHITECTS have an API?
No public API is recorded for PHAROS ARCHITECTS.
What industry is PHAROS ARCHITECTS in?
PHAROS ARCHITECTS's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131.