Moto Designshop

What Moto Designshop does

Moto Designshop Inc. is a Philadelphia-based architecture and interior design studio founded in 2004 by Adam Montalbano and Roman Torres, graduates of the University of Pennsylvania. Eric Oskey joined as Partner and Technical Director in 2011/2012, completing a three-principal leadership team that has anchored the firm for 20+ years. The firm is headquartered at 228 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, operates as a private BIPOC-led MBE-certified entity, and is concentrated in the Northeast US market.

The firm delivers an integrated service portfolio spanning architecture design, interior design, custom fabrication, development consulting, workplace design, historic preservation, sustainable design, and brand-specific marketing collateral. Its client base cuts across academic and institutional engagements (Drexel, Saint Joseph's University, Penn State), residential and commercial development (Bloc24 — including a workforce-housing initiative reportedly producing 150+ homes annually), luxury residential, workplace and corporate offices (Leadnomics, Larsen MacColl), and government and civic work (PIDC). Notable peer recognition includes the AIA Gold Medal (2022) for Arrupe Hall, the AIA Firm Award (2023), the AIA Silver Medal (2019), and multiple state and regional AIA honors.

The firm's revenue model follows standard architectural practice: project-based professional services fees on institutional, residential, commercial, and civic commissions. No pricing, revenue, or headcount figures are publicly disclosed. Operational scale is modest — three named principals with no publicly stated total employee count — and the firm executes projects both directly and through partnerships with peer Philadelphia-area practices including SCB (SBCE Architecture), WRT (notably on the FDR Park Fields & Pavilions project), Studio Sustena, and Iron Studio.

Name

Moto Designshop

Legal name

Moto Designshop Inc.

Website

https://motodesignshop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Moto Designshop is a Philadelphia-based architecture and interior design studio founded in 2004, serving academic institutions, residential developers, corporate workplaces, and civic clients across the Northeast US with integrated architecture, interiors, fabrication, and development consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture & Interior Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design services
• Custom fabrication millwork
• Historic preservation design
• Workplace design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture & Design Services: Project-based fees for architectural and interior design services spanning residential, commercial, institutional, and academic projects. Revenue derived from design fees, project management, and construction administration.
2. Custom Fabrication: Specialty detail fabrication services for architectural elements, custom millwork, signage, and built-in features. Includes custom Corian walls, milled elements, and specialty metalwork.
3. Design-Build Services: Origin as a design-build development company with construction experience providing construction administration and oversight services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Moto Designshop is a progressive architecture and interior design studio providing integrated design services across academic, residential, commercial, workplace, civic, and historic preservation projects. Offerings include full-service architecture, interior design, custom fabrication of specialty architectural details and millwork, development consulting with zoning and feasibility expertise, and brand-specific marketing collateral design.

Product overview

Moto Designshop is a progressive architecture and interior design studio offering a unified suite of design services rather than a modular software product. The core offerings include Architecture Design, Interior Design, Custom Fabrication, and Development Consulting, which are delivered as integrated professional services for projects ranging from residential homes to large-scale institutional and commercial developments. The studio's multi-disciplinary approach combines architectural design with custom fabrication capabilities and brand collateral design, allowing clients to receive comprehensive creative services from concept through execution. Project types span academic/institutional buildings, workplace/corporate offices, residential developments, luxury residential, and adaptive reuse projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Design Full-service architecture design for residential, commercial, institutional, and academic projects, including new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse.
• Interior Design Interior design services including material composition, finish selection, custom millwork, and interior environment design for residential and commercial spaces.
• Custom Fabrication Custom fabrication of specialty details, architectural elements, and custom millwork including Corian walls, cabinetry, desks, conference tables, and intricate architectural components.
• Development Consulting Developer-led project services including zoning analysis, feasibility studies, cost-effective design approaches, and construction administration for residential and commercial developments.
• Workplace Design Workplace design services including programming studies, fit-out planning, and core & shell restoration for corporate offices and commercial spaces.
• Historic Preservation Historic preservation services for existing buildings including restoration, adaptive reuse, and sensitive renovations that maintain historical character.

Quantifiable outcome

• AIA Gold Medal Award (2022) - highest honor for built project - Arrupe Hall
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SCB (SBCE Architecture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoto served as Associate Architect to SCB on the Kelly Hall project at Drexel University. Moto was responsible for strategic site engagement through grade changes and excavation of lower level, with SCB as lead architect on the campus housing transformation.
• Studio SustenaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio Sustena designed the new plaza adjacent to the Swatara Building at Penn State Harrisburg. Moto collaborated on the overall site design creating a welcoming campus entry experience.
• WRTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoto is part of the team led by WRT for the FDR Park Fields & Pavilions Project. Moto is designing a series of structures including a fieldhouse, central hub for concession, maintenance building, and open-air market pavilion.
• Iron StudiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIron Studio fabricated the delicate pillars for the Swatara Building entry canopy. Moto expertly detailed the structural system which was cleverly concealed within the support columns.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Moody Nolan: One of the largest BIPOC-led US architecture firms, with significant higher-education, civic, and adaptive reuse portfolios. Directly comparable on minority-led positioning and institutional client base, though significantly larger in scale.
• Olson Kundig: Boutique studio renowned for highly crafted, materially expressive architecture spanning residential, hospitality, and institutional projects. Comparable on material-and-digital craft positioning and award recognition.
• Lake|Flato Architects: Mid-sized architecture firm with a similarly broad typology of residential, institutional, and adaptive reuse projects, recognized for craft-led design and multiple AIA honors. Comparable scale and award trajectory.
• KieranTimberlake: Philadelphia-headquartered architecture firm with a strong higher-education portfolio and nationally recognized design-research orientation. Larger than Moto but directly comparable on campus housing, institutional work, and award-winning design craft.
• DIGSAU: Philadelphia-based architecture and design-build studio of similar boutique scale, working across residential, institutional, and adaptive reuse projects in the Northeast. Shares Moto's material-craft orientation and Philadelphia/Northeast focus.
• WRT (Wallace Roberts & Todd): Philadelphia design practice spanning architecture, landscape, and urban design, with strong civic and parks portfolios. Already a co-development partner on FDR Park Fields & Pavilions; comparable on Philadelphia geography and civic/institutional client base.
• Interface Studio Architects: Philadelphia architecture studio of comparable size with a similar mission-driven, design-build-influenced practice spanning residential, institutional, and adaptive reuse work. Comparable on geography, scale, and project typology.
• Bohlin Cywinski Jackson: Award-winning architecture firm known for material-craft, residential, and institutional work including university campuses. Comparable on design philosophy emphasizing craft, context, and detailing across similar project types.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global AEC firm with deep higher-education, healthcare, and adaptive reuse practices that compete for the same university and developer RFPs Moto pursues. Represents the broad incumbent against which Moto positions on craft and context.

Others

• CannonDesign:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moto-designshop-inc-

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 Moto Designshop