What SCHARRER AD does

Scharrer AD is a Seattle-based architecture firm founded in 2017 by Christine Scharrer, operating as a women-owned business enterprise (WBE) out of a single office in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. The firm provides architectural design, urban design and master planning, feasibility and facility condition assessments, and interior design services — delivered primarily to public-sector clients in the Pacific Northwest. Its project portfolio is concentrated on transit infrastructure: it has served as architect or planning subconsultant on Sound Transit's Link light rail extensions (Roosevelt, Capitol Hill, Shoreline North/185th, Delridge), the Everett Link Extension, the Tacoma Dome Link Extension, and the Stride Bus Rapid Transit program, alongside partnerships with primes Kimley-Horn, Mott MacDonald, Parsons, HDR, LMN Architects, and KPFF. Beyond transit, the firm has completed work for Seattle Public Utilities (West Seattle Pump Station rebuild), King County Metro (Eastlake Comfort Station), the Public Stadium Authority (CenturyLink Field and WAMU Events Center assessment), and Washington State Convention Center expansion alongside LMN.

The firm runs on industry-standard AEC technology — Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Enscape, Adobe Creative Suite, and MS Office — with no proprietary platform, AI/ML capability, or technology product. Its revenue model is conventional professional services: project-based fees tied to architectural subconsultant scopes on public-agency procurements and direct engagements with municipal clients. Go-to-market combines RFP/bid participation, direct relationships with Sound Transit and other public agencies, and channel partnerships with larger A/E primes that need station-design capacity. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the only compensation signal is an architect-level salary range of $88K–$120K for Architect III / licensed staff.

Scharrer AD is privately held with no disclosed outside investors, no parent company, and no acquisition history. Leadership comprises three Principals — Christine Scharrer (Founding), Erik Barr (28+ years experience), and Frank Brescia (promoted May 2022) — supported by associates, architects, and designers. Headcount is reported at approximately 17 team members, though firmographic metadata lists 6 employees, reflecting either a billable-vs-total distinction or a stale data point; the team roster shows roughly 12 named design professionals. The firm is actively operating, with current hiring posts in March 2025 and ongoing deliveries on Everett Link, Tacoma Dome Link, and Delridge Station pipelines.

Name

SCHARRER AD

Legal name

Scharrer AD

Website

https://scharrerad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Scharrer AD is a Seattle-based, women-owned architecture firm founded in 2017, providing architectural design, urban planning, and feasibility services primarily to Sound Transit and other public agencies on light rail stations, BRT, and infrastructure projects across the Puget Sound region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based professional fees for architectural design services including station planning, urban design, interior design, and feasibility studies for public and private clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Scharrer AD is an architecture firm providing full-service architectural design, urban design and master planning, feasibility studies and facility assessments, and interior design services. The firm specializes in transit stations, transit-oriented development, and public realm architecture, primarily serving Sound Transit and regional public agencies in the Seattle metropolitan area.

Product overview

ScharrerAD is a Seattle-based architecture firm providing architectural design, urban design, feasibility studies, and interior design services. The firm's portfolio focuses primarily on transit and infrastructure projects in the Seattle region, including light rail stations (Roosevelt Station, Capitol Hill Station, Mercer Island Station, Shoreline North/185th Station, Delridge Station), bus rapid transit stations (Sound Transit Stride BRT), and light rail extensions (Everett Link Extension, Tacoma Dome Link Extension, Northgate Link). Their services include architecture and design for train stations, transit centers, parking structures, convention centers; urban design and master planning for transit-oriented development; facility condition assessments; and interior design. The firm is a women-owned business enterprise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture + Design Services Architectural design services for train stations, transit centers, parking structures, convention centers, and infrastructure projects. Primarily public projects with some private residential and commercial work.
• Urban Design + Master Planning
• Feasibility Studies + Assessments
• Interior Design Services
• Light Rail Station Design

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kimley HorncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Partnership for Everett Link Extension project - a 16.3 mile Light Rail Transit extension from Lynnwood, Washington to Downtown Everett. ScharrerAD providing architectural and planning services for six new stations plus a maintenance and operations base.
• Mott MacDonaldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Partnership for Everett Link Extension project alongside Kimley Horn and Parsons.
• ParsonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Partnership for Everett Link Extension project alongside Kimley Horn and Mott MacDonald.
• HDRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with HDR and Schemata Workshop for Tacoma Dome LRT Extension. ScharrerAD developed conceptual designs for twelve station options along the alignment.
• Schemata WorkshopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Tacoma Dome LRT Extension project.
• LMN ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign team partner on Washington State Convention Center expansion. ScharrerAD honored to be partnered with LMN on this expansion project.
• HewittminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer employer of Christine and Frank. Christine was project architect on first Washington State Convention Center expansion at LMN. ScharrerAD continues to work with Hewitt on station projects.
• Rolluda ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided design and production support for Shoreline North/185th Station project.
• Ellen ForneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration for Capitol Hill Station. ScharrerAD worked with Ellen Forney to design details for installation and framing of murals.
• KPFFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Big Blue interactive installation at 2018 Seattle Design Festival.
• Greenbusch Consulting GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Big Blue interactive installation at 2018 Seattle Design Festival.
• Exotic AquaticsminorOthersBainbridge-Island-based vendor that delivered kayaks for 2020 firm retreat.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HDR (HDR Architecture): Global architecture/engineering firm that is both a ScharrerAD partner (Tacoma Dome Link) and a competitor for transit station and civic work. Comparable typology but vastly larger scale and global footprint.
• Olson Kundig: Seattle-based architecture firm with a civic and cultural portfolio. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest design firm competing for civic clients, but more oriented to high-end residential/cultural than transit.
• NBBJ: Large Seattle-headquartered architecture firm working across healthcare, sports, civic and commercial typologies. Comparable as a regional incumbent with civic and sports facility exposure (e.g., CenturyLink-adjacent work) but much larger and broader than ScharrerAD.
• Perkins&Will: Large global architecture practice with significant transit and civic infrastructure work, including rail stations. Comparable typology but operates at much larger scale than ScharrerAD.

Direct peers

• Schemata Workshop: Seattle-based architecture firm and current ScharrerAD partner on Tacoma Dome Link Extension. Comparable as a small-to-mid Seattle firm competing for transit and civic commissions.
• Mithun: Seattle-headquartered architecture firm with civic, transit-oriented development and public-realm work. Comparable regional civic design orientation, though larger and broader in typology.
• ZGF Architects: Architecture firm with a substantial transit and civic practice including light rail and station work on the West Coast. Comparable in typology mix (transit + civic + workplace) and in scale tier.
• LMN Architects: Seattle-based architecture firm with a strong civic and transit portfolio and a current ScharrerAD partner on the Washington State Convention Center expansion. Most directly comparable in geography, scale and civic-typology focus.
• Rolluda Architects: Seattle architecture firm and ScharrerAD subconsultant on the Shoreline North/185th Station. Comparable as a regional small architecture firm working on Sound Transit station projects.
• Hewitt (Hewitt Architects): Seattle architecture firm and former employer of Christine Scharrer and Frank Brescia, with a long-running transit and civic portfolio. Closest analog in station-design specialization and regional relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/scharrerad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scharrer-ad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 SCHARRER AD