What Tate Hill Jacobs Architects does

Tate Hill Jacobs Architects (THJA) is a women-owned, WBE Certified architectural design firm headquartered in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, founded in 1975 and operating continuously for over 50 years. The firm delivers full-service architectural design across six phases — predesign, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and construction contract administration — for educational, institutional, public, commercial, and residential clients. Its portfolio is concentrated in K-12 public-school districts across Kentucky, with additional work for municipal governments (notably Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government) and nonprofit arts organizations.

The firm's technical differentiation centers on sustainable design for educational facilities, with documented expertise in geothermal HVAC systems, ICF (insulated concrete form) building envelopes, natural daylighting strategies, all-LED lighting, solar thermal arrays, rainwater catchment, constructed wetlands, permeable pavement, and LEED-certified design methodology. Notable projects include Frederick Douglass High School (recognized as the most energy-efficient high school in the United States as of December 2019), the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center (LEED Gold), Locust Trace AgriScience Center (ASHRAE Technology Award and U.S. Department of Education National Green Ribbon School Award), and the Breathitt County ATC & Bus Garage ($13.5M adaptive-reuse project completing in Winter 2026). The firm has received the AIA Kentucky Distinguished Firm Award, AIA Honor Award, AIA Citation, Brick in Architecture Gold Award, and multiple AGC Build Kentucky Awards.

THJA operates on a project-based professional-services fee model with principal involvement on every engagement. Leadership comprises two principals — Katrina Littrell, AIA (since January 2020), and Sabrina Oaks, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP (since early 2016) — supported by an undisclosed number of associates and technical staff out of the firm's single Lexington office at 446 East High Street, Suite 250. The firm has no disclosed external investors, parent company, or capital structure beyond its principal ownership and has executed strategic collaborations such as its partnership with Perkins+Will on the Frederick Douglass High School design. Geographic reach is concentrated in Kentucky and immediately adjacent states, with no disclosed national or international footprint.

Name

Tate Hill Jacobs Architects

Legal name

Tate Hill Jacobs Architects, Inc.

Website

https://thjarch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tate Hill Jacobs Architects is a women-owned, WBE Certified architectural design firm in Lexington, Kentucky, specializing in sustainable K-12 school, municipal, and nonprofit arts facility design across Kentucky and surrounding states with over 50 years of continuous operation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Green Building & Energy-Efficient Construction (LEED, Weatherization) (EDAOAAAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Educational facility design
• Sustainable building design
• Historic building renovation
• Construction administration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full-service architectural design firm providing services to educational, institutional, public, commercial, and residential sectors. Revenue generated through project-based fees for design, construction documents, and construction administration services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Tate Hill Jacobs Architects is a full-service architectural design firm that provides planning, design, construction documentation, and construction administration services for educational, institutional, public, commercial, and residential projects. The firm delivers new construction, comprehensive renovation, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse projects across Kentucky and surrounding states, with particular emphasis on energy-efficient, sustainable design solutions including geothermal HVAC, ICF envelopes, natural daylighting, and LEED-certified building strategies.

Product overview

Tate Hill Jacobs Architects (THJA) is a full-service architectural design firm offering comprehensive services across six phases: Predesign, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Bidding & Negotiation, and Construction Contract Administration. The firm specializes in educational and institutional projects including new construction and renovation of K-12 schools, career and technical education centers, community arts facilities, and historic preservation. Their design approach emphasizes sustainability, energy efficiency, and community collaboration. The firm's portfolio includes notable projects such as Frederick Douglass High School (nationally recognized as the most energy efficient high school), Tates Creek High School (competing for the same status), Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center (LEED Gold certified), Locust Trace AgriScience Center, and various other educational facilities across Kentucky.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Service Architectural Design Comprehensive architectural design services covering educational, institutional, public, commercial, and residential sectors, including new construction, renovation, and historic preservation projects delivered as a unified service engagement.
• Educational Facility New Construction Design Design of new educational and institutional facilities including K-12 schools, career and technical education centers, and community buildings, with sustainable design features such as geothermal HVAC, ICF envelopes, natural daylighting, and energy-efficient systems.
• Educational Facility Renovation and Historic Preservation Comprehensive renovation of existing facilities including historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and long-horizon renovation programs (e.g., 30-year phased renovations) for schools and institutional buildings.
• Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Design Services Sustainability-focused architectural design incorporating natural daylighting, geothermal HVAC systems, all-LED lighting, ICF building envelopes, solar thermal arrays, rainwater catchment, constructed wetlands, permeable pavement, living roofs, and LEED-certified design methodology.
• Cultural and Civic Facility Design Design and adaptive reuse of cultural and civic facilities including community arts centers, performing arts venues, and historic downtown buildings for municipal governments and nonprofit arts organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Frederick Douglass High School achieved status as the most energy efficient high school in the United States as of December 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Perkins+WillnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on Frederick Douglass High School design project. Perkins+Will worked alongside Tate Hill Jacobs Architects on this 1,800-student facility featuring Small Learning Communities and comprehensive sustainable design.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: National architecture and engineering firm with one of the largest K-12 practices in the U.S.; competes for marquee district programs and brings integrated MEP that smaller regional firms like THJA cannot match on the largest projects.
• CannonDesign: Large national architecture firm with a dedicated education practice that competes for K-12 and higher education projects across the U.S.; overlaps with THJA in sustainability-led school design and serves similarly scaled district clients.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm that co-designed Frederick Douglass High School with THJA; represents the larger national firms that THJA both partners with and competes against on marquee sustainable K-12 projects.

Direct peers

• TMP Architecture: Mid-sized architecture firm specializing in K-12 educational facility design across the Midwest and Mid-South; directly comparable in vertical focus, project scale, and relationship-driven delivery model to THJA.
• JRA Architects: Cincinnati-based architecture firm with deep K-12 and public-sector practice across Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana; competes for the same school district and government clients as THJA with similar sustainable design capabilities.
• SHP Leading Design: Cincinnati-based firm nationally recognized for K-12 educational facility design; serves many of the same public school districts as THJA with comparable sustainable and 21st-century learning environment expertise.
• Legat Architects: Illinois-based architecture firm with a focused K-12 practice serving public school districts; comparable in size, project type, and educational-facility specialization to THJA.

Regional players

• CMW Architects: Lexington, Kentucky-headquartered architecture firm with a longstanding K-12, higher education, and healthcare practice; directly competes for the same Fayette County and surrounding district projects as THJA.
• Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects: Lexington, Kentucky-based architecture firm with a comparable K-12 and institutional practice serving Kentucky school districts; directly comparable in geography, vertical focus, and project scale to THJA.
• Integrus Architecture: Mid-sized architecture and engineering firm with a strong K-12 and civic practice in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest; comparable in vertical mix, project scale, and institutional client base to THJA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tate.hill.jacobs-architects

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Tate Hill Jacobs Architects