Y&M Architects
Y&M Architects is an 8-person Los Angeles architecture firm specializing in sustainable, affordable, senior, supportive, and market-rate multi-unit housing design, with 11,000+ completed units across California for developers, non-profits, and government agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Y&M Architects does
Y&M Architects is a privately held, 8-person architecture firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2013 as the successor to John Cotton Architects, Inc. The firm provides full architectural services, including master planning and urban design, focused exclusively on multi-unit residential housing across six core service lines: affordable family housing, senior housing, market-rate housing, mixed-use developments, supportive housing, and rehabilitation/conversion projects. Its portfolio exceeds 11,000 completed units, with an additional 1,000+ units in active planning, design, and construction phases, and includes a flagship rapid motel-to-supportive-housing conversion program for homeless veterans under the HUD-VASH program.
The firm's technical differentiation is grounded in specialized sustainable-design expertise rather than technology platforms: it holds demonstrated capability in LEED Platinum and LEED Silver certification, Green Point Ratings, energy-efficient townhome design, and adaptive reuse of existing structures (notably nuisance motels converted to permanent supportive housing). Nearly 50 industry design awards from the Urban Land Institute, American Institute of Architects, National Association of Home Builders, and Pacific Coast Builders Conference substantiate this technical track record.
Y&M generates revenue through professional services fees on a project-by-project, quoted basis, with no public pricing or subscription components. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on repeat engagements with affordable housing developers (e.g., Meta Housing Corporation, Corporation for Better Housing), non-profit housing organizations (e.g., Step Up on Second, Cesar Chavez Foundation), and government/housing authority clients, primarily within California. Senior staff are directly involved in every project from inception through completion, and distribution is concentrated in direct engagement rather than channel-based or marketing-led acquisition.
Y&M Architects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Y&M Architects
- Legal name
- Y&M Architects
- Website
- https://ymarch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Y&M Architects is an 8-person Los Angeles architecture firm specializing in sustainable, affordable, senior, supportive, and market-rate multi-unit housing design, with 11,000+ completed units across California for developers, non-profits, and government agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Y&M Architects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
Keywords
Where Y&M Architects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Y&M Architects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Architectural Services: Full architectural services including master planning and urban design for multi-unit housing projects. Revenue generated through professional service fees for design, planning, and project oversight.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Y&M Architects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Y&M Architects is a Los Angeles-based architecture firm providing full architectural services, including master planning and urban design, for multi-unit housing projects. The firm specializes in affordable family housing, senior housing, market-rate housing, supportive housing for homeless populations, and mixed-use developments, working with government agencies, housing corporations, and nonprofit developers across California.
Product overview
Y&M Architects is an architecture firm providing full architectural services including master planning and urban design for multi-unit housing. The firm's portfolio comprises six core service offerings: Affordable Family Housing Design Services, Senior Housing Design Services, Market Rate Housing Design Services, Mixed-Use Development Design Services, Supportive Housing Design Services, and Rehabilitation Design Services. Additionally, the firm offers specialized sub-products such as Arts-Focused Senior Housing Design for communities in arts districts, and has developed a Rapid Veteran Housing Conversion Program for homeless veteran support. The company works primarily with government agencies, housing corporations, and nonprofit developers to deliver economically and aesthetically successful housing projects. Y&M Architects, formerly John Cotton Architects, Inc., has completed over 11,000 units across various housing categories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Affordable Family Housing Design Services Architectural design services for affordable family housing projects, including low-income family units, kinship care facilities, and workforce housing developments. Sold to housing developers, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies seeking multi-unit residential design.
- Senior Housing Design Services Specialized architectural services for senior apartment communities, including age-restricted housing with amenities tailored for elderly residents, including LEED-certified properties. Sold to housing developers and nonprofit organizations serving senior populations.
- Market Rate Housing Design Services Design services for market-rate multi-unit residential developments, including market-rate and mixed-income workforce apartment projects. Sold to private market-rate developers and real estate investors.
- Mixed-Use Development Design Services Combined residential and retail mixed-use development design incorporating ground-floor commercial space with multi-story residential units. Sold to developers pursuing urban revitalization and mixed-use projects.
- Supportive Housing Design Services Design services for supportive housing projects including permanent supportive apartments for homeless populations, often involving conversion or rehabilitation of existing structures. Sold to government agencies and nonprofit housing organizations serving vulnerable populations.
- Rehabilitation Design Services Renovation and conversion architectural services for transforming existing buildings such as motels into multi-unit residential housing. Sold to developers and nonprofit housing agencies pursuing adaptive reuse projects.
- Master Planning and Urban Design Comprehensive master planning and urban design services for multi-unit housing developments and neighborhood redevelopment projects. Sold to housing developers, public agencies, and urban planning entities.
- Rapid Veteran Housing Conversion Program Program for rapidly converting underutilized motels into permanent supportive apartments for homeless veterans, delivered in partnership with nonprofit agencies and government housing authorities under the HUD-VASH program. Designed to deliver 400 permanent supportive apartments with scheduled occupancy by December 2017.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 11,000 units completed across various housing types
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Y&M Architects
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Y&M Architects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Y&M Architects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Shangri-La ConstructioncoreStrategic partnership to rapidly convert and rehabilitate 'nuisance' motels into 400 permanent supportive apartments for homeless veterans. Y&M Architects provides architectural design services for the conversion projects.
- Step Up on SecondcoreNonprofit homeless housing agency partner in the HUD-VASH program converting motels to 400 permanent supportive apartments for homeless veterans. Step Up provides housing management and supportive services.
- BLH ConstructioncoreBuilder partner for Calistoga Family Apartments Grand Award-winning project for low-income farmworkers.
- Cobalt Construction CompanyminorBuilder partner for Vermont Avenue Apartments Gold Nugget award-winning project.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Y&M Architects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- David Baker Architects: Bay Area architecture firm focused on affordable, sustainable, and supportive housing with a strong nonprofit and public agency client base. Directly comparable to Y&M in mission-driven affordable housing design, LEED/sustainability focus, and developer relationships.
- Architects Orange: Orange County-based architecture firm with deep multifamily and affordable housing practice. Comparable to Y&M in multifamily residential focus and California developer client base.
- MVE + Partners: California architecture firm with a strong multifamily and affordable housing practice. Comparable to Y&M in multifamily residential focus and California market presence, with a similarly developer-driven client base.
- Paulett Taggart Architects: Los Angeles-based architecture firm specializing in affordable and supportive housing design for nonprofit developers and public agencies. Closely comparable to Y&M in geography, client base, and affordable housing specialization.
- TCA Architects: Irvine, California-based architecture firm specializing in multifamily housing, mixed-use, and senior living projects. Directly comparable to Y&M in multifamily/senior housing expertise and Southern California developer market.
- KTGY Architecture + Planning: Large California-based architecture firm specializing in multifamily, affordable, and mixed-use housing design. Highly comparable to Y&M in target market (multi-unit residential developers) and project types, though significantly larger in scale and broader in geographic reach.
- KFA Architecture: Los Angeles architecture firm focused on multifamily, affordable, and sustainable residential design. Closely comparable to Y&M in Los Angeles affordable housing market and LEED/sustainability expertise.
- WHA Inc. California architecture and planning firm specializing in residential, mixed-use, and master-planned developments. Comparable to Y&M in residential housing design and California market focus, with broader master planning capabilities.
- Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh: California architecture firm focused on multifamily residential, senior living, and student housing. Directly comparable to Y&M in senior housing specialization and multifamily residential developer relationships.
Broad incumbents
- LPA Design Studios: Large California-headquartered integrated design firm with significant multifamily and affordable housing practice. Comparable to Y&M in housing design but operates at much larger scale across multiple building types and geographies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Y&M Architects social profiles
Digital presenceY&M Architects compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Y&M Architects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Y&M Architects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Y&M Architects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Y&M 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 Y&M Architects
What does Y&M Architects do?
Y&M Architects is a Los Angeles-based architecture firm providing full architectural services, including master planning and urban design, for multi-unit housing projects. The firm specializes in affordable family housing, senior housing, market-rate housing, supportive housing for homeless populations, and mixed-use developments, working with government agencies, housing corporations, and nonprofit developers across California.
Is Y&M Architects a public or private company?
Y&M Architects is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Y&M Architects founded?
Y&M Architects was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Y&M Architects based?
Y&M Architects is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Y&M Architects make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Services.
Who are Y&M Architects's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are David Baker Architects, Architects Orange, MVE + Partners, Paulett Taggart Architects, TCA Architects, KTGY Architecture + Planning, KFA Architecture, WHA Inc. and Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh. LPA Design Studios is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Y&M Architects have an API?
No public API is recorded for Y&M Architects.
What industry is Y&M Architects in?
Y&M Architects's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131.