Wendell Burnette Architects, Inc.

What Wendell Burnette Architects, Inc. does

Wendell Burnette Architects, Inc. (WBA) is a privately held, founder-owned architectural practice founded in 1996 and headquartered at 5102 N. Central Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. The firm offers full-service architecture across eight core categories: private residence/multi-family, civic/cultural/medical, adaptive reuse/preservation, hotel/resorts/spa, restaurants/retail/commercial, master planning, interior design, and design competition work. The practice is internationally recognized for site-specific, landscape-responsive design, with a particular specialization in desert and arid-climate architecture employing rammed earth, post-tensioned masonry, weathering steel, and passive climate strategies such as Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems.

WBA serves three primary client segments: high-net-worth private residential clients seeking bespoke desert and landscape-integrated homes; luxury hospitality developers and operators (notably Aman Resorts, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Cultural Heritage, and developers in the UAE, China, Italy, Sri Lanka, Qatar, and Hawaii) commissioning destination resorts; and public/institutional clients (municipalities, libraries, school districts, and non-profits) procuring civic and cultural buildings through invited competitions and RFPs. The firm is 1-10 employees in headcount and is operationally anchored by founder Wendell Burnette, FAIA, a self-taught architect who trained at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West and spent eleven years at Will Bruder's studio prior to founding the practice, including six years as co-designer on the Phoenix Central Library.

WBA generates revenue through fee-based professional services billed per-project, with no standardized rate card publicly disclosed. Distribution is exclusively direct — work is won through design competitions (limited invited paid international competitions for hospitality, limited invited paid national/regional competitions for public work), referrals, and direct commission negotiations. The firm maintains no intermediaries, resellers, or digital sales channels, and relies on earned media, awards recognition, and academic engagement rather than paid marketing. The portfolio includes landmark projects such as the Amangiri Resort in Utah (co-designed with Marwan Al-Sayed and Rick Joy), the Phoenix Central Library (AIA Twenty-five Year Award, 2021), the UNESCO Destination Hotel at Mada'in Saleh in Saudi Arabia, and the 440,000 SF Artron Art Center interior in Shenzhen, China.

Name

Wendell Burnette Architects, Inc.

Legal name

Wendell Burnette Architects, Inc.

Website

https://wendellburnettearchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wendell Burnette Architects is a Phoenix-based, founder-owned architecture practice founded in 1996 that designs site-specific, desert-responsive buildings across private residential, luxury hospitality, and public/civic sectors, with projects spanning North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Desert residential architecture
• Hospitality resort design
• Adaptive reuse architecture
• Civic library design

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Fee-based architectural design services for private residential, multi-family, civic, cultural, hospitality, and commercial projects. Revenue is generated through project commissions billed on a fee-per-project basis for the full scope of architectural services from concept through construction administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wendell Burnette Architects provides full-scope architectural design services — from concept through construction administration — for private residences, multi-family housing, civic and cultural buildings, adaptive reuse and preservation, hotels/resorts/spas, restaurants/retail, master plans, and interior architecture. The firm is fee-based and project-commission-based, with a site-specific, desert- and landscape-responsive design philosophy. Projects are secured through direct private commissions, invited design competitions, and government/institutional RFPs.

Product overview

Wendell Burnette Architects is a full-service architectural practice offering diverse project types across eight core service categories: Private Residence/Multi-Family, Civic/Cultural/Medical, Adaptive Reuse/Preservation, Hotel/Resorts/Spa, Restaurants/Retail/Commercial, Master Planning, Interior Design, and Design Competition. The firm specializes in desert and landscape-responsive architecture, with projects ranging from private residences to large-scale international hospitality and civic projects. Notable works include the Amangiri Resort in Utah, Phoenix Central Library, and various UNESCO World Heritage Site hotel projects in Saudi Arabia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Residence / Multi-Family Architecture Architectural design services for private residences and multi-family housing projects, including custom homes, remodels, and residential complexes for individual homeowners and families.
• Civic / Cultural / Medical Architecture Design of civic buildings, cultural institutions, and medical facilities including libraries, community centers, and healthcare spaces for municipal governments and public institutions.
• Adaptive Reuse / Preservation Architecture Renovation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings while preserving historic elements and character, including the firm's own 5102 N. Central Avenue studio (former Uptown Mehagian's Furniture store).
• Hotel / Resorts / Spa Architecture

Quantifiable outcome

• Phoenix Central Library received LEED-EB (Existing Building) 2.0 Silver certification in 2011, confirming its status as an early 'green' environmental design landmark predating LEED establishment.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Urbanus (China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2011Wendell Burnette Architects was commissioned in May 2011 to design interior architecture for the 440,000 SF Artron Art Center flagship headquarters in Shenzhen, China. WBA collaborated with Urbanus, a leading architectural design firm in China widely published for design excellence worldwide.
• ArtmostminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Collaborating partner with WBA and Urbanus on the Artron Art Center Interior Architecture project in Shenzhen, China.
• Marwan Al-Sayed, Rick Joy (Co-Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Amangiri Resort and Spa project in Canyon Point, Utah. Three architects — Marwan Al-Sayed, Wendell Burnette, and Rick Joy — were brought onto the project by developer Bernt Kuhlmann and managed by legendary hotelier Adrian Zecha of Aman Resorts. The three architects created a bold yet responsive settlement that honors the majestic cliffs and rock formations of southern Utah.
• Aman Resorts (Adrian Zecha)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdrian Zecha, founder of Aman Resorts, brought together three architects (Marwan Al-Sayed, Wendell Burnette, and Rick Joy) to design Amangiri. Aman Resorts has redefined the concept of travel and luxury in remarkable sites worldwide.
• I-10 Studio, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating architecture studio on the Amangiri Resort project.
• Saudi Commission for Tourism and Cultural HeritagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBA worked with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Cultural Heritage (approved) on the UNESCO Destination Hotel project for Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site at Mada'in Saleh/Hegra.
• Lara Zureikat (Landscape Architect)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architect collaborating with WBA on the UNESCO Destination Hotel project at Mada'in Saleh, Saudi Arabia.
• Leavitt Weaver Interior DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design collaborator on the Desert Courtyard House project.
• MASA StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating architecture studio on the Resort on Hawai'i project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lake|Flato Architects: San Antonio, Texas-based architecture firm of comparable size and awards recognition, focused on regional/contextual design, sustainability, and a broad typology of residential, civic, hospitality, and adaptive reuse projects. Strong parallel to WBA's project mix and ethos.
• Marmol Radziner: Los Angeles-based architecture and design-build firm specializing in desert modernism and luxury residential work, particularly in the American Southwest. Directly comparable typology and client base to WBA's private residential practice.
• Aidlin Darling Design: California-based architecture and design-build practice with similar scale (small studio), high-end residential and hospitality focus, and comparable awards profile. Both firms emphasize craft, materiality, and site-responsive design.
• Studio Rick Joy: Tucson, Arizona-based architecture studio renowned for desert modernism and site-specific work. Co-designed Amangiri Resort with Wendell Burnette and Marwan Al-Sayed, making it the most direct comparable peer in terms of typology, scale, geography, and brand positioning.
• Will Bruder Architects: Phoenix-based architecture firm founded by Will Bruder, with whom Wendell Burnette worked for 11 years. Direct lineage peer — both firms share desert modernism ethos, civic/cultural project typologies, and Arizona geographic base.
• Olson Kundig: Seattle-based architecture and design-build practice with similar scale, international recognition, and remote-site luxury residential work. Comparable in awards profile, project typology (cabins, retreats, hospitality), and founder-led brand identity.
• Marwan Al-Sayed Architects: Phoenix/Tucson-based architecture practice also focused on desert architecture and co-designed Amangiri Resort with WBA and Rick Joy. Direct collaborator and peer with overlapping project typology and client base.
• Studio B Architecture: Aspen, Colorado-based architecture studio focused on mountain modern residences and resort work. Comparable project typology (luxury residential, retreats, hospitality) and brand-led positioning in resort markets.

Broad incumbents

• Cushing Terrell: Multi-disciplinary design firm combining architecture and engineering with similar focus on contextual, place-based design. Larger and more diversified than WBA but overlapping in residential, civic, and hospitality segments.
• Bohlin Cywinski Jackson: Larger, established multi-office architecture firm with comparable design philosophy around site-responsive, light-driven work. Notable for Apple Store design and residential/cultural projects. Represents a larger, more diversified incumbent peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100063723333375
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wendell-burnette-architect
• Instagraminstagram.com/wendellburnettearchitects

Compliance1 record

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 Wendell Burnette Architects, Inc.