What the kurylas studio does

The Kurylas Studio is a sole-proprietor architectural practice founded in 1991 by Larysa Kurylas and headquartered at 911 2nd Street NE, Unit 201, Washington, DC. The firm operates as a 'general practice,' applying consistent design integrity and problem-solving skills across four service lines: memorials, churches, residences, and stores, with particular depth in memorial design for victims of genocide and historical tragedy (e.g., the National Holodomor Memorial in Washington DC, Victims of Communism Memorial in Ottawa, and Bucha Memorial Complex in Ukraine). It is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, and has selectively delivered work in France, Canada, and Ukraine through design-competition partnerships with larger firms such as AECOM, Perkins Eastman, and Hartman-Cox Architects.

The business model is project-based professional services: revenue is generated through design fees, project management, and construction administration, with pricing that is quote-based and project-specific. Go-to-market relies on design competitions, professional reputation, referrals, publications, and exhibitions rather than outbound sales or marketing. The firm's competitive positioning rests on the principal's credentials (Harvard GSD, Fulbright Scholar, Order of Princess Olha) and a portfolio that includes internationally recognized commemorative works.

Operationally, the practice is 'small by design' with no disclosed headcount, no external funding, no subsidiaries, and a sole-proprietorship legal structure. Customer mix spans religious institutions (Hyattsville Mennonite Church, Washington Ethical Society, Holy Trinity Church), specialty retail (Voorthuis Opticians), and select private residential clients, with the principal personally engaged in client delivery. The studio functions as a high-reputation, low-scale design atelier rather than a growth-stage firm.

Name

the kurylas studio

Legal name

The Kurylas Studio

Website

https://thekurylasstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Kurylas Studio is a Washington DC-based sole-proprietor architectural practice founded in 1991, specializing in memorials, churches, residences, and retail spaces, with international recognition for commemorative memorial design including the National Holodomor Memorial and Bucha Memorial Complex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Project-based architectural services for memorials, churches, residences, and commercial spaces. Revenue is generated through design fees, project management, and construction administration services for projects of various scales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Kurylas Studio is an architectural firm that operates as a general practice, providing design, project management, and construction administration services across memorials, churches, residences, and commercial retail spaces. Projects range from small-scale renovations to large civic commemorative monuments, with the firm applying consistent problem-solving skills, design integrity, and standards of excellence to every project regardless of size. The practice is particularly recognized for award-winning memorial design work and Ukrainian cultural architecture.

Product overview

The Kurylas Studio is an architectural firm characterized as a general practice, applying problem-solving skills, design integrity, and standards of excellence across a variety of building types. The firm's portfolio consists of four core service areas: Memorials (commemorative memorial design including the National Holodomor Memorial, Victims of Communism Memorial, and Bucha Memorial Complex), Churches (religious institutions including Mennonite, Ethical Society, and Ukrainian Catholic facilities), Residences (custom homes, renovations, and remodels), and Stores (commercial retail spaces). The firm was founded in 1991 by Larysa Kurylas and specializes in both large-scale civic projects and smaller residential work, with particular expertise in memorial design and Ukrainian cultural architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Memorial Architecture Design Architectural design services for commemorative memorials and monuments, including the National Holodomor Memorial (Field of Wheat) in Washington DC, Victims of Communism Memorial in Ottawa, Bucha Memorial Complex in Ukraine, Evhen Konovalets Memorial at Lviv Polytechnic University, Peace Corps Memorial, and Family Memorial Garden. Designed for government agencies, diaspora organizations, and cultural institutions.
• Church and Religious Architecture Architectural design and renovation services for religious institutions including Hyattsville Mennonite Church, Washington Ethical Society, Holy Trinity Church, UCNS Holy Family Iconostas, and the Church of Sts. Borys & Hlib and Anna Yaroslavna Cultural Center in Senlis, France. Services include new construction, accessibility upgrades, iconostasis design, and cultural center design for various denominations.
• Residential Architecture Design Residential architecture and renovation services including custom homes, renovations, additions, and remodels such as Palisades Remake, Bay House, Seaside Courtyard House, Cleveland Park Kitchen, and various other residential projects in the DC metro area. Services range from minor renovations to complete rebuilds, including historic home remodeling.
• Commercial Retail Architecture Commercial retail architecture services including Voorthuis Opticians locations at Mazza Gallerie and King Street in Alexandria, VA, featuring illusionistic design interventions, mezzanine introductions in tall retail spaces, and modern retail space design. Focused on optical stores and specialty retail environments.

Named customers5 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hartman-Cox ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerServed as Architect of Record for the National Holodomor Memorial in Washington DC while The Kurylas Studio served as Design Architect.
• AECOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Team member for Victims of Communism Memorial 'The Crucible' in Ottawa, Canada. Provided renderings and video production.
• Perkins EastmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Team member for Bucha Memorial Complex 'Dignity' in Ukraine. Provided rendering services.
• Kaplinska & Bokalo ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Ukrainian architecture firm serving as Design Team member for Evhen Konovalets Memorial 'Unity' at Lviv Polytechnic University.
• May-Yin ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Team member for Peace Corps Memorial 'Connection' competition entry.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Michael Graves Architecture & Design: Smaller-scale architecture firm with eponymous brand recognition, diversified practice, and emphasis on design integrity across building types. Comparable in being a principal-led practice where the founder's personal brand drives client acquisition.
• Ennead Architects: Architecture firm with strong portfolio in cultural, civic, and institutional buildings, including museums and memorials. Comparable on the cultural/memorial design axis where both firms operate, though Ennead is significantly larger and nationally distributed.
• SmithGroup: Large DC-headquartered architecture and engineering firm with diverse practice across civic, cultural, religious, and residential projects. Comparable in serving institutional clients in the DC metro area with a broad general-practice portfolio, though at significantly larger scale.
• Hartman-Cox Architects: Washington DC-based architecture firm known for civic, cultural, and institutional buildings. Direct peer because they served as Architect of Record with Kurylas as Design Architect on the National Holodomor Memorial, demonstrating an established collaborative relationship on comparable cultural/civic projects.
• Moody Nolan: Architecture firm with strong cultural, civic, and institutional portfolio, including significant memorial and commemorative work. Comparable in pursuing design competitions and civic commemorative projects.
• Davis Carter Scott: DC-area architecture firm with a similarly diversified portfolio across institutional, residential, religious, and commercial projects. Comparable mid-sized general-practice model operating in the same regional market.

Emerging players

• Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects: Design firm with significant memorial and commemorative landscape architecture work, including civic and historical sites. Comparable in the memorial-design niche and in winning design competitions for cultural/historical projects.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure and architecture firm with extensive civic and memorial practice. Listed as a partner on the Victims of Communism Memorial design competition, representing one of the largest firms that collaborates with Kurylas on memorial commissions.
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects: Established architecture firm with portfolio spanning cultural, civic, residential, and educational buildings. Comparable in delivering high-design projects across multiple building typologies, including cultural and religious work.
• Perkins Eastman: Large international architecture firm with significant civic and cultural practice. Listed as a partner on the Bucha Memorial Complex project, indicating direct collaboration on the kind of memorial work central to Kurylas's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-kurylas-studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about the kurylas studio