Union3Studio

What Union3Studio does

Union3Studio is a privately held, founder-led architectural and real estate development firm headquartered in the Research Triangle region of Cary, North Carolina, with practice areas spanning North Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The firm offers three integrated service lines under a single practice: Architecture (full-service design and construction administration), Development (real estate development from acquisition through exit, leveraging design and construction expertise with data-driven financials), and Management (construction administration and asset management, including deployment of own capital toward select projects). Its work is organized across three practice verticals: Commercial + Hospitality (including Hilton and IHG franchise hotels), Multifamily Residential + Mixed Use (market-rate and affordable housing, senior and assisted living, student housing), and Cultural + Civic (recreation centers, performing arts, and adaptive reuse of historic structures).

The firm is built around an interdisciplinary model in which the same team performs design, development, and ownership functions, allowing it to absorb risk and price projects with a capital-markets perspective that pure architecture firms lack. Its core technical capabilities include green building and LEED-certified design, sustainable adaptive reuse of historic structures, new urbanism concepts, and data-driven development financials. Notable credentials include AIA membership, LEED Accredited Professional and NCARB certifications held by founder Milan Mehta, and project outcomes including LEED Gold (North Potomac Community Recreation Center, 2016), LEED Silver (Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center, 2016), and the 2011 HANDP Best Large Affordable Housing award (The Summit at St. Martin's).

The business operates on a project-based professional services model with quote-driven pricing customized per engagement, sold through direct business development, referrals, and a portfolio-driven marketing approach (website, project case studies, testimonials, and Twitter). Customer segments include public/government clients (e.g., Montgomery County, MD), non-profit organizations (e.g., Catholic Charities), and private developers and investors (e.g., MF Triangle, Rock Creek Development, Hilton/IHG franchisees), with a recurring partnership with sister company MF Square on co-developed projects such as Merriweather Towns.

Name

Union3Studio

Legal name

Union3Studio

Website

https://union3studio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Union3Studio is a privately held, founder-led architectural and real estate development firm that offers integrated architecture, development, and management services to government, non-profit, and private clients across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Real Estate Development Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Residential Building Construction (2361)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Operative Builders (1531), Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Real estate development
• Construction administration
• Multifamily housing design
• Sustainable building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Full-service architectural design and construction administration services. Provides comprehensive design from initial concepts to interiors, renovations to full building design. Collaborates with engineers and consultants tailored to project needs.
2. Real Estate Development: Development services leveraging design and construction background with data-driven financials. Manages projects from acquisition through exit, including overseeing construction of self-initiated development projects.
3. Property and Asset Management: Management services for invested projects. Deploys own capital toward projects and manages assets for the long term. Invests in multifamily residential, affordable housing, mixed use, commercial, and hospitality projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Union3Studio is an interdisciplinary architecture, real estate development, and management firm that delivers full-service architectural design and construction administration, real estate development from acquisition through exit, and property/asset management. It serves public, non-profit, and private developer clients across commercial/hospitality, multifamily residential/mixed-use, and cultural/civic sectors, with a focus on sustainable and LEED-certified design.

Product overview

Union3Studio offers three integrated service lines: Architecture Services (full-service design and construction administration), Development Services (real estate development from acquisition through exit), and Management Services (construction administration and asset management). These services are organized across three practice areas: Commercial + Hospitality (hotels and commercial spaces), Multifamily Residential + Mixed Use (housing and urban infill), and Cultural + Civic (recreation centers and public facilities). The firm operates as a single unified practice rather than a platform with separate products, combining architectural design, real estate development, and project management capabilities in an integrated service offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design and construction administration services for residential, commercial, and civic projects, including engineering and consultant collaboration tailored to project needs. For owners, landlords, developers, and public clients seeking design excellence from concept through construction.
• Real Estate Development Services Real estate development services covering all phases from acquisition through exit, leveraging design and construction expertise with data-driven financials, investor and lender relationships, and construction oversight. For developers, investors, and landowners pursuing multifamily, affordable housing, mixed-use, commercial, or hospitality projects.
• Property and Asset Management Services Construction administration and asset management services for multifamily residential, affordable housing, mixed use, commercial, and hospitality projects, including deployment of capital toward select projects Union3Studio has invested in. For developers and investors needing long-term asset management and construction oversight.

Quantifiable outcome

• LEED Gold Certification achieved for North Potomac Community Recreation Center (49,000 sf)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MF SquarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMF Square is described as Union3Studio's 'sister company.' The two companies collaborated on the Merriweather Towns project where Union3Studio provided architectural services and MF Square handled development. Union3Studio and MF Square jointly purchased 8 townhome lots and designed townhomes for the modern live/work/play family market.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS: Washington DC-based architectural firm with portfolio across multifamily residential, mixed-use, and adaptive reuse projects. Comparable in size, geography, and project mix, particularly on urban infill and historic renovation work.
• Hickok Cole: Mid-Atlantic architecture and design firm with strong multifamily, mixed-use, and civic portfolio. Comparable in regional footprint, project typologies, and sustainability credentials to Union3Studio.
• Davis Carter Scott (D|A): DC-area architecture firm with deep multifamily residential, affordable housing, and adaptive reuse practice. Overlaps directly with Union3Studio's residential and civic segments and Mid-Atlantic geography.
• Jonathan Rose Companies: Integrated architecture, real estate development, and investment firm focused on affordable and mixed-income housing. Closest comparable in business model to Union3Studio's integrated architecture + development + management approach.
• Torti Gallas + Partners: Mid-Atlantic architecture and urban planning firm specializing in mixed-use, multifamily, and urban infill developments. Highly comparable to Union3Studio's Multifamily Residential + Mixed Use practice and shared emphasis on new urbanism and walkability.
• MTFA Architecture: DC/Mid-Atlantic-based architectural firm with strong focus on affordable housing, multifamily residential, and civic/community projects. Comparable in scale, geography, and project typology (including public-private partnerships similar to Union3Studio's Rose Place work).

Broad incumbents

• CannonDesign: National architecture and engineering firm with healthcare, civic, and multifamily practices. Competes for the larger institutional projects that represent Union3Studio's growth ceiling.
• SmithGroup: Large integrated design firm with strong civic, cultural, and multifamily practices. Competes for Mid-Atlantic public-sector and cultural-civic projects that overlap with Union3Studio's portfolio.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with significant multifamily, civic, and sustainable design practice. Competes for many of the same institutional and government clients Union3Studio serves in the Mid-Atlantic.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with extensive hospitality, multifamily, and civic practice. Represents the large-firm competitive benchmark that Union3Studio references in its 'large firm experience' positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Union3Studio
• Facebookfacebook.com/Union3Studio-100075504475649
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/union3studio-inc

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 Union3Studio