Terra Projects

What Terra Projects does

Terra Projects (legal entity: The Terra Projects LLC) is a privately held design studio headquartered in Joshua Tree, California, operating as an atelier-style practice with 1-10 employees. Founded by David Irwin, a Pratt Institute-trained architect whose lineage traces to John Hejduk and Lebbeus Woods, the studio delivers full-service residential and civic architectural design that integrates mythological narrative and spiritual-text references into built form. The studio has completed 30+ projects, prepared 100+ building permits, and has $5.5 million in construction budget currently under design contract.

The studio's core offerings span four practice areas: full-service residential and civic design (from hand sketches through municipal permitting), art curation services (including event curation for up to 200 persons), custom furniture design trained in the Copenhagen tradition, and building permit preparation and expediting. Distinctive technical components include perspectival hand-drawing techniques, narrative-driven design methodology drawing on texts such as 'A Course in Miracles' and 'The Tarot of Marseilles,' and end-to-end permit management in rural and desert jurisdictions. The studio has supported marquee engagements including the IONs-Earthrise Retreat Center concept ($20 million, 194-acre campus), a 450,000 sq ft Museum and Music School in Rome, and a 65,000 sq ft public swimming facility in Brooklyn.

Terra Projects operates a tiered revenue model. Full-design projects are priced as a percentage of projected construction costs; retroactive permit projects are priced per square foot. The studio operates EXPANSE, a short-term vacation rental business encompassing three Joshua Tree properties at $275-$500 per night, and runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop selling signed prints, candles, bath mats, sportswear, and postcards. Go-to-market is sales-led and inbound via the studio's website, patron-brief intake process, editorial press coverage (LA Times, Joshua Tree Voice), and selective exhibition presence including the 2024 Venice Biennale. The studio has no external institutional investment and operates as an independent owner-operated atelier.

Name

Terra Projects

Legal name

The Terra Projects LLC

Website

https://terraprojects.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Terra Projects is a privately held architectural design studio in Joshua Tree, California, founded by David Irwin, delivering full-service residential and civic design, art curation, custom furniture, and building permit services for high-net-worth patrons and institutional clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential civic design
• Building permit expediting
• Custom furniture design
• Vacation rental homes

Headquarters

HQ city

Joshua Tree

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Full-Service Architectural Design: Design fees calculated as a percentage of projected construction costs for full-design projects. Retroactive permit projects charged per square foot. Patrons leverage expertise for design choices that constitute ultimate look and feel.
2. Short-Term Rentals (EXPANSE): Three unique homes offered as one sprawling estate for vacation rentals. Project No.30 EXPANSE at $500/night, Project No.29a at $275/night.
3. E-commerce Shop: Home goods (signed prints $350-600, candles $75, bath mats $55), sportswear (sweat suits $100, leggings, totes, hats), and postcards. Direct-to-consumer online sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Terra Projects is a Joshua Tree-based architectural design atelier offering full-service residential and civic design that integrates mythological narrative and spiritual texts into buildings, from hand sketches through final construction and municipal permitting. Core services include architectural design, art curation, custom furniture design/build, and building permit preparation/expediting, supported by ancillary EXPANSE short-term vacation rentals and a branded e-commerce shop selling home goods and sportswear.

Product overview

Terra Projects is a design studio led by David Irwin offering full-service residential and civic architectural design with a focus on metaphysical and mythological storytelling in architecture. The company's core offerings include Full-Service Residential & Civic Design, Art Curation Services, Furniture Design, and Building Permits & Expediting services. Additionally, Terra Projects operates a retail Shop selling branded home goods (prints, candles, bath mats, travel bags, post cards) and sportswear (sweat suits, leggings, totes, t-hats), and manages EXPANSE, a vacation rental property portfolio featuring three unique homes in Joshua Tree, California with nightly rates of $275-$500.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Service Residential & Civic Design Comprehensive architectural design service for residential and civic clients, integrating mythological narrative and spiritual text references from concept sketch through municipal permitting and construction; serves patrons of the arts seeking spiritually-inspired buildings.
• Art Curation Services Art curation leveraging cinematic potential in architecture projects, including historical painting and sculpture knowledge, conceptually expansive speakers and performers, and event curation for audiences up to 200 persons; serves patrons integrating art and ceremonial events into architectural projects.
• Custom Furniture Design Custom built-in and freestanding furniture design and construction, Copenhagen-trained under third-generation designers, with all pieces built and shipped from the Joshua Tree atelier; serves patrons seeking furniture unique to their project's cinematic potential.
• Building Permits & Expediting Building permit preparation and municipal expediting service with nearly a decade of submission experience, over 80 successful building permits granted by municipal bodies, and more than $4 million in permitted construction; serves patrons needing expert management of permit submission and interfacing with municipal bodies.
• EXPANSE Vacation Rentals Three architecturally-distinct homes on one sprawling estate in Joshua Tree, California, available as short-term vacation rentals under the EXPANSE brand (Project No.30 at $500/night, Project No.29a at $275/night); serves experience travelers seeking design-forward desert stays.
• Terra Projects Shop — Home Goods & Sportswear Direct-to-consumer online shop selling Terra Projects branded home goods (signed architectural prints, candles, bath mats, travel bags, postcards) and sportswear (sweat suits, leggings, canvas totes, hats); serves design-conscious individual retail customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100+ building permits prepared
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2018Terra Projects was invited in June 2018 to develop concept design for major renovation and master plan of the 194-acre IONs-Earthrise Retreat Center in Petaluma, California. The project, started by NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell, involved $20 million campus renovation with 265,000 square feet of interior spaces. Design was based on the archetypical tradition of the tarot of Marseilles.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Standard Architecture: Los Angeles-based design studio producing architecture, interiors, furniture, and objects with a focus on craft and narrative. Comparable to Terra Projects in offering integrated design services (architecture + furniture + objects) under a small studio format and targeting design-literate patrons.
• Aidlin Darling Design: San Francisco Bay Area residential and small civic architecture studio recognized for craft-driven, site-responsive design. Comparable to Terra Projects in targeting high-net-worth residential patrons, narrative and material-driven design philosophy, and producing both architecture and custom furnishings from an integrated studio.
• Twigger Design: Joshua Tree-based architecture and design studio operating in the high desert. Comparable to Terra Projects in direct geographic overlap, focus on desert residential architecture, and small atelier-style boutique practice.
• Olson Kundig: Seattle-based architecture and design firm known for bespoke residential and civic projects with a strong craft and material-driven identity. Comparable to Terra Projects in its high-end patron-artist model, narrative-rich design language, and integration of custom furniture into architectural commissions.
• Studio Schicketanz: Carmel, California-based architecture studio with a focus on sustainable, contextually-rooted residential and small civic projects. Comparable to Terra Projects in scale, California-based operations, and high-end bespoke residential clientele with strong landscape integration.
• Walker Workshop: California-based architecture studio focused on bespoke residential and small civic projects with a strong sense of material and landscape integration. Comparable to Terra Projects in scale, bespoke engagement model, and emphasis on site-specific design tied to the California desert and coastal contexts.
• Marmol Radziner: Los Angeles-based architecture and construction firm specializing in modernist desert and residential projects. Comparable to Terra Projects as a premium California design-build studio with deep Joshua Tree/desert region overlap and similar bespoke patron model for high-end residential commissions.

Broad incumbents

• Studio Mumbai: India-based architectural atelier known for hands-on craft, materiality, and bespoke architectural projects at the highest end of the market. Comparable to Terra Projects in the artisan atelier model, craft-led narrative design approach, and focus on patron-driven bespoke commissions rather than scaled commercial practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/rnqt4PLnYUE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saunter-home

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Terra Projects