What Anderson Knight Architects does

Anderson Knight Architects (AKA) is a privately held, full-service architecture firm headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas, founded in 2002 by Tracy Anderson and Dan Knight. The firm operates four core service lines: Architecture Services (design through construction administration), Master Planning & Programming, Facility Analysis, and Interior Design & Furnishings, supported by an in-house team of approximately 17 AIA-certified architects, NCIDQ-certified interior designers, BIM specialists, and administrative staff. AKA serves clients across senior living, healthcare, K-12 education, higher education, municipal government, manufacturing, multi-family residential development, nonprofit, and faith-based sectors, with a portfolio exceeding 50 completed projects including the $40 million Meadowlark Hills independent living facility and a 260,000 SF manufacturing campus for Manko Window Systems that the firm has served continuously since founding.

The firm operates a project-based professional services revenue model, billing on custom fee arrangements negotiated per project scope rather than any standardized pricing. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: a mix of direct enterprise engagement, competitive public-sector RFQ/RFP processes for school districts and municipalities, and recurring developer partnerships (notably with Back 9 Development across multiple multi-family projects). Marketing relies primarily on portfolio storytelling through its website and the 'Behind the Curtain' documentary series, supplemented by founding-partner and team involvement on local boards (Chamber of Commerce, community foundations, Pawnee Mental Health Foundation). Operating geographies center on Kansas with selective project work in Missouri and Colorado; the firm has no subsidiaries, no institutional investors, and no parent company.

AKA's distinguishing technical capability is its Passive House (EnerPHit) certification expertise, in which it is the first firm in the Flint Hills region to be credentialed, enabling design that reduces heating and cooling bills by up to 90%. Other notable credentials include AIA, NCARB, and NCIDQ certifications across the leadership team and a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist designation for Dan Knight. The firm has ongoing partnerships with LK Architecture and Dimensional Innovations for consortium delivery on larger projects, and long-term client relationships with Manko Window Systems, Champion Teamwear, and Kansas State University that span more than two decades.

Name

Anderson Knight Architects

Legal name

Anderson Knight Architects

Website

https://weareaka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Anderson Knight Architects is a privately held, full-service architecture firm in Manhattan, Kansas, founded in 2002, serving senior living, healthcare, education, government, manufacturing, and multi-family developers across Kansas and adjacent states with design, master planning, facility analysis, and interior design services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Sustainable building design
• Interior design services
• Master planning services
• Passive house design

Headquarters

HQ city

Manhattan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional services revenue from architectural design, interior design, master planning, and construction administration services. Billed on a per-project basis through fee arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Anderson Knight Architects is a full-service architecture firm offering four core service lines: Architecture Services (full design through construction administration including conceptual design, construction/bidding documents, bid facilitation, code compliance, and construction administration), Master Planning & Programming, Facility Analysis (audits, feasibility studies, site evaluations), and Interior Design & Furnishings. The firm delivers these services across a horizontally diversified set of project types — residential, multi-family, senior living, healthcare, K-12 education, government/civic, manufacturing, historic preservation, and faith-based facilities — primarily to clients in Kansas.

Product overview

Anderson Knight Architects is a full-service architecture firm offering comprehensive design and consulting services. The firm operates through four core service lines: Architecture Services (encompassing design through construction administration), Master Planning & Programming, Facility Analysis, and Interior Design & Furnurnishings. The firm specializes in diverse project types including residential, multi-family, commercial, educational, senior living, healthcare, and civic/public facilities across the Kansas region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-range architectural design services including signage and wayfinding, architectural visualization (renderings), code compliance, entitlement processes, historical preservation, conceptual design, bid facilitation, construction/bidding documents, and construction administration. Delivered to homeowners, developers, school districts, healthcare systems, government agencies, and senior living operators.
• Master Planning & Programming Strategic planning and programming services that integrate land use, transportation, infrastructure, and environmental considerations to create design solutions for present and future needs. Used by developers, municipalities, and institutions planning large-scale or long-horizon projects.
• Facility Analysis Comprehensive evaluation services including audits, feasibility studies, and site evaluations to assess spatial layout, structural integrity, building systems, accessibility, safety and compliance. Used by owners and operators preparing for renovations, adaptive reuse, or acquisitions.
• Interior Design & Furnishings Interior design services encompassing selection, arrangement, and specification of furniture, fixtures, materials, colors, lighting, and decorative elements to create functional and aesthetically pleasing environments. Delivered for multifamily, hospitality, commercial, and residential clients, executed by NCIDQ-certified senior interior designers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Passive House design can reduce heating and cooling bills up to 90%

Named customers22 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered project-level and long-term.

• LK Architectureproject-levelStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint architecture partnership on The Solheim at Grand Mere project, a 72-unit condominium development with Back 9 Development
• Dimensional Innovationsproject-levelStrategic or Co-development PartnerExperience and technology design partner on KSU Alumni Center refresh project, adding storytelling and university engagement components
• Manko Window Systemslong-termOthersOngoing architectural services provider since company founding, completing remodels, renovations, and additions to 260,000 SF manufacturing facility
• Champion Teamwearlong-termOthersOngoing architectural services provider for 145,000 SF corporate headquarters and production facility campus, including remodels, renovations, and additions

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Global architecture and design firm with Kansas City presence; former employer of AKA team member Romaine Watt. While operating at far greater scale, HOK competes in the same Kansas/Midwest institutional markets for marquee commissions.
• DLR Group: Large national integrated design firm with offices across the U.S. including Kansas City. Competes for the same institutional and public-sector commissions AKA pursues, but at substantially greater scale and geographic reach.
• Wight & Company: Established Midwest architecture and engineering firm with comparable project typologies (senior living, civic, education, commercial). Operates at larger scale than AKA with broader geographic reach across Illinois and the Midwest.

Direct peers

• El Dorado: Kansas City-based architecture firm known for civic, education, and cultural projects of similar scale to AKA's institutional work. Comparable design philosophy and regional Midwest client base.
• GLMV Architecture: Kansas/Wichita-based architecture firm with multi-sector expertise spanning healthcare, education, and senior living. Comparable size and direct overlap with AKA in Kansas institutional markets.
• Pulse Design Group: Kansas architecture firm specializing in senior living, healthcare, and multi-family projects — directly overlapping AKA's strongest sectors. Similar headcount and Midwest regional client focus.
• BNIM Architects: Kansas City-based architecture and design firm with strong sustainability and high-performance building credentials, overlapping with AKA's Passive House expertise. Comparable Midwest regional focus with similar project typologies.
• Gould Evans (now Flux): Kansas City architecture firm with comparable project scale and typologies including education, civic, and multi-family work across Kansas and Missouri markets. Direct competitive overlap in regional public-sector bidding.
• LK Architecture: Kansas-based architecture firm with comparable project types (senior living, education, multi-family) and overlapping Kansas/Midwest client base. AKA has formally partnered with LK Architecture on The Solheim at Grand Mere condominium development, indicating direct competitive and collaborative overlap.
• Helix Architecture + Design: Mid-sized architecture firm headquartered in Kansas City serving Kansas and the broader Midwest with similar mixed-sector work (civic, education, healthcare, senior living). Comparable headcount and regional focus make it a strong direct peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akarchitects

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Anderson Knight Architects