Smith Tobin Architect
Tobin Smith Architect is a privately held, San Antonio-based architectural firm founded in 2007 that delivers full-service custom architecture for high-net-worth residential, commercial, landscape, and historic-preservation clients across Texas and the Southwest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSan Antonio, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Smith Tobin Architect does
Tobin Smith Architect (also doing business as TSA) is a privately held, San Antonio-based architectural practice founded in 2007 by principal Tobin Smith, a Cornell-educated, Robert James Eidlitz Fellowship recipient licensed to practice in Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. The firm provides full-service architectural design from inception through completion, spanning custom residential (new homes, renovations, additions, landscape), commercial (office, retail, hospitality, adaptive re-use), landscape architecture, and historic preservation. Underlying capabilities emphasize site-responsive design, thoughtful material deployment, and integration of sustainability features such as passive cooling, orientation for breeze and sun shading, rainwater harvesting, and modular building systems such as shipping-container reuse exemplified by the 2022 Back Nine Watering Hole project.
The firm operates from a converted automotive workshop at 2201 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, with a small team (1-10 employees, including principal Tobin Smith and team members Bruce Buescher, Daniel Vu, and Fred Welker). Revenue is generated through professional services fees for commissioned architecture projects; pricing is custom-quoted per scope and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and entirely referral/earned-media driven, with no intermediary resellers, paid acquisition, or productized digital distribution; this is reinforced by deep placement in publications (The New York Times, Dezeen, Texas Architect), AIA recognition, and over twenty documented regional and state-level design awards between 2011 and 2026.
Customers are a mix of high-net-worth residential clients across Texas (including ranch and lake properties in the Hill Country, Gonzales County, and Hill Country Village) and selected commercial clients in the San Antonio and Austin markets, with engagements ranging from a women's boutique expansion (Meadow Boutique) and a law firm office to a car wash flagship and an 1894 historic-building River Walk addition (El Compañero at the Witte Building). The firm also collaborates with specialized contractors (Boulder Contracting, Truax Construction) on design-build commissions that double as showcase projects for those partners.
Smith Tobin Architect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smith Tobin Architect
- Legal name
- Tobin Smith Architect
- Website
- https://tobinsmitharchitect.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Tobin Smith Architect is a privately held, San Antonio-based architectural firm founded in 2007 that delivers full-service custom architecture for high-net-worth residential, commercial, landscape, and historic-preservation clients across Texas and the Southwest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smith Tobin Architect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Interior Design Services (54141)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
Keywords
Where Smith Tobin Architect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Antonio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Smith Tobin Architect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Architectural Services: Fees for architectural design services including project inception through completion. Services encompass design development, construction documentation, and project oversight for residential and commercial projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Smith Tobin Architect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tobin Smith Architect is a full-service architectural design firm offering custom design from inception through completion. The practice delivers residential architecture (custom homes, renovations, additions, remodels), commercial architecture (office, retail, hospitality, adaptive reuse), landscape architecture (courtyards, outdoor living, gardens), and historic preservation services across Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Product overview
Tobin Smith Architect is an award-winning San Antonio-based architectural firm founded in 2007 offering full-service architectural design. The practice provides a unified service centered on architectural design spanning residential (custom homes, renovations, remodels), commercial (adaptive reuse, office, retail, hospitality), landscape architecture (courtyards, outdoor living, gardens), and historic preservation. Their portfolio includes diverse project types from rural retreats like Big Tree Camp and Box Canyon Studio to urban interventions like El Compañero (Witte Building River Walk addition) and commercial facilities like Boulder Headquarters.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Smith Tobin Architect
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Smith Tobin Architect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Smith Tobin Architect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Smith Tobin Architect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lake|Flato Architects: San Antonio-based architecture firm with similar Texas focus, award-winning residential and commercial portfolio, and similar site-responsive design philosophy. Both practices operate in the same regional market and frequently compete for Texas custom residential commissions.
- Overland Partners: San Antonio-based architecture firm with established regional reputation in residential, cultural, and adaptive reuse projects. Comparable custom residential practice serving Texas-based high-end clients with strong design award credentials.
- Specht Architects: Custom residential architecture practice known for contextually sensitive modern design. Comparable in boutique scale, custom residential focus, and emphasis on challenging site conditions and material innovation.
- Mell Lawrence Architects: Austin-based custom residential architecture firm with strong regional Texas presence and similar site-responsive design approach. Directly comparable in Texas custom residential market positioning and boutique scale.
- KGA Studio: Colorado-based architecture firm with residential and adaptive reuse expertise. Comparable boutique scale, custom residential focus, and similar multi-state market positioning given overlapping CO licensing.
- Renée del Gaudio Architecture: Colorado-based custom residential architecture firm with mountain/sensitive site expertise. Comparable boutique scale, site-responsive design philosophy, and similar multi-state licensing model given Colorado licensing.
- Olson Kundig: Highly awarded boutique architecture firm known for custom residential projects with distinctive material-driven, site-responsive design. Comparable in award trajectory, publication presence, and emphasis on craftsmanship and context.
- Alterstudio Architecture: Austin-based architecture firm focused on residential and small commercial projects with contextual design approach. Comparable Texas regional focus and similar project-type diversification across residential and adaptive reuse.
- Tucker & Marks: Austin-based luxury residential architecture firm with long-established Texas presence. Comparable in Texas luxury residential market, custom home focus, and award recognition within regional AIA chapters.
- Aidlin Darling Design: California-based custom residential and small commercial architecture firm with award-winning portfolio. Comparable boutique scale, emphasis on site-specific design, and similar publication-driven reputation strategy.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Smith Tobin Architect social profiles
Digital presenceSmith Tobin Architect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smith Tobin Architect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Smith Tobin Architect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smith Tobin Architect M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Smith Tobin Architect
What does Smith Tobin Architect do?
Tobin Smith Architect is a full-service architectural design firm offering custom design from inception through completion. The practice delivers residential architecture (custom homes, renovations, additions, remodels), commercial architecture (office, retail, hospitality, adaptive reuse), landscape architecture (courtyards, outdoor living, gardens), and historic preservation services across Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Is Smith Tobin Architect a public or private company?
Smith Tobin Architect is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smith Tobin Architect founded?
Smith Tobin Architect was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Smith Tobin Architect based?
Smith Tobin Architect is headquartered in San Antonio, United States, in the North America region.
How does Smith Tobin Architect make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Services.
Who are Smith Tobin Architect's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lake|Flato Architects, Overland Partners, Specht Architects, Mell Lawrence Architects, KGA Studio, Renée del Gaudio Architecture, Olson Kundig, Alterstudio Architecture, Tucker & Marks and Aidlin Darling Design.
Does Smith Tobin Architect have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smith Tobin Architect.
What industry is Smith Tobin Architect in?
Smith Tobin Architect's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54132 and its SIC code is 8711.