Weller Design

What Weller Design does

Weller Design Architectural Lighting (WDAL) is a privately held, woman-owned boutique professional services firm providing architectural lighting design for residential and commercial projects. Headquartered in San Francisco, the firm is led by founder Sherry Weller and operates with a five-person team. The company is certified as a Woman Owned San Francisco Local Business Enterprise and a Micro Local Business Enterprise (certification number CMD111712353), and maintains a LEED certified team. WDAL delivers comprehensive lighting design services from schematic design through construction administration, including photometric analysis, fixture specifications, control systems, LEED documentation and coordination, custom fixture design, artwork and exhibit lighting, and expert witness services in illumination. Its underlying toolset relies on light modeling, photometric software, and conventional computer-aided drafting, rather than proprietary AI/ML systems.

The firm serves a horizontal mix of end-clients — architects, landscape architects, interior designers, and property owners — across hospitality, education, technology, multifamily residential, single-family luxury residential, food & beverage, religious, and institutional sectors. Notable projects include the Four Seasons Residences (a 47-story, 700,000 SF tower with approximately 130 units), Toyota Research Institute (90,000 SF), PCH International / Lime Lab (30,000 SF in the historic Bay Guardian building), Tradeshift, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, and multiple LEED-certified multifamily developments including Arden (267 units), Azure (273 units), Rincon Green (326 units), and 626 Mission Bay Boulevard North (143 units). The client and collaborator roster includes Gensler, Handel Architects, EHDD, HKS, WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff, Pfau Long Architecture, Bosa Development, and Millennium Partners, among others.

Weller Design generates revenue exclusively through project-based, quote-specific professional services fees, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Geographic scope is anchored in the San Francisco Bay Area, with project-driven extensions into Napa Valley, New England, and California's Central Valley. Marketing is conducted via a portfolio website, a Facebook page, earned media coverage in architectural publications (Arch Daily, AIA San Francisco, Specified Lighting Design, CA Modern), and industry awards including the 2004 AIA/New York Chapter Honor Award and the 2019 Gold Nugget Awards Merit Award for Best Affordable Housing Community. New client acquisition relies on referrals within the architectural and design community and professional reputation rather than paid demand generation.

Name

Weller Design

Legal name

Weller Design Architectural Lighting

Website

https://wellerdesign.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Weller Design Architectural Lighting is a woman-owned, five-person San Francisco boutique providing architectural lighting design services from schematic design through construction administration for architects, interior designers, and property owners across residential, commercial, hospitality, education, and institutional projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Lighting Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA), Lighting Controls & Smart Lighting Systems (BPABAGAC), Landscape Accent & Uplighting (Trees/Facades) Installation (HSAIAHAE)

Keywords

• Architectural lighting design
• Lighting consulting services
• LEED lighting documentation
• Custom fixture design
• Photometric lighting analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael, California

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. Professional Lighting Design Services: The firm generates revenue through professional lighting design consulting services for architectural projects. Services span from initial schematic design through construction administration, including evaluation of existing systems, fixture specifications, and installation oversight. Revenue is project-based and varies by scope, complexity, and project scale.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Weller Design Architectural Lighting is a professional lighting design firm delivering comprehensive architectural lighting design services for residential and commercial projects. The firm provides schematic design through construction administration services, including photometric analysis, fixture specifications, control systems, LEED documentation, custom fixture design, and expert witness consultation in illumination matters.

Product overview

Weller Design Architectural Lighting is a professional lighting design firm offering residential and commercial lighting design services. The company's core offering is comprehensive architectural lighting design services, which encompass schematic design through construction administration, photometric analysis, fixture specifications, and LEED documentation. Their portfolio spans multiple project categories including Live (residential), Work (commercial/office), Eat (restaurant/hospitality), Learn (educational), and Multi-use (sacred spaces and performance venues). The firm also provides specialized services including custom fixture design, artwork and exhibit lighting, and expert witness consultation in illumination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Lighting Design Services Comprehensive lighting design services for residential and commercial projects, spanning schematic design through construction administration, including photometric analysis, fixture specifications, control systems, and installation details.
• Residential Lighting Design Custom lighting design for private residences, including indoor and outdoor lighting with focus on creating warm, inviting environments that connect interior spaces to the outdoors.
• Commercial Lighting Design Lighting solutions for commercial spaces including office buildings, multi-family residential developments, retail establishments, and institutional facilities.
• LEED Documentation and Coordination LEED certification documentation and coordination services delivered by a LEED-certified team to support sustainable building projects meeting environmental standards.
• Custom Fixture Design Design and specification of custom light fixtures tailored to specific project requirements when standard solutions are insufficient.
• Artwork and Exhibit Lighting Specialized lighting design for artwork and exhibit installations, providing appropriate illumination for both live and still art displays.
• Expert Witness in Illumination Professional consultation and testimony services in illumination-related legal matters and disputes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2019 Merit award winner of the Gold Nugget Awards for best affordable housing community

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design: Architectural lighting design firm with deep experience in museums, cultural venues, and high-end commercial projects. Comparable to Weller Design on cultural and premium commercial work; notably associated with the firm's prior employer (Auerbach Glasow French lineage).
• Focus Lighting: Architectural lighting design firm serving entertainment, hospitality, retail, and commercial clients with custom and theatrical lighting. Comparable to Weller Design on creative, signature-driven projects and custom fixture specification.
• One Lux Studio: New York-based architectural lighting design firm focused on hospitality, residential, retail, and cultural projects. Comparable to Weller Design in service scope, premium project mix, and emphasis on design quality.
• Lightswitch: National architectural lighting design practice serving commercial, hospitality, healthcare, education, and residential clients. Closely comparable in service model and project categories to Weller Design, with broader geographic reach.
• Darkhorse Lightworks: Boutique architectural lighting design firm serving commercial, hospitality, and residential clients in California. Comparable in size and Bay Area/West Coast focus to Weller Design, with similar project mix.
• George Sexton Associates: Specialist architectural lighting design firm focused on museums, galleries, and cultural institutions. Closely comparable to Weller Design on cultural and museum work (e.g., Zankel Hall/Carnegie Hall peer projects) with similar boutique scale.
• Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design: New York architectural lighting design practice with experience across museums, commercial, residential, and cultural projects. Comparable to Weller Design in service model and cultural/museum portfolio.
• HLB Lighting Design: One of the largest independent architectural lighting design firms in North America, offering services across residential, commercial, hospitality, and cultural projects. Directly comparable to Weller Design in scope (photometric design through construction admin) but operates at materially larger scale with multiple offices.

Broad incumbents

• Fisher Marantz Stone: Established New York lighting design firm with a long portfolio of landmark cultural, civic, and museum projects (e.g., Statue of Liberty, Lincoln Center). Comparable in cultural-venue lighting design work to Weller's Carnegie/Zankel Hall heritage, but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Auerbach Glasow French: Bay Area-based architectural lighting design firm with national reach and a long track record on cultural, commercial, and civic projects. Directly relevant as the firm where Weller's founder previously worked; comparable in service offerings and Bay Area presence, with broader scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Weller-Design-Architectural-Lighting/300667254873
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weller-design

Compliance3 records

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 Weller Design