What Studio Shea does

Studio Shea is a boutique architecture and design studio headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, founded in 2018 by Justin Shea after his tenure as a Project Manager at Snøhetta. The firm offers an integrated practice spanning architecture, interior design, landscape design, and branding, with project sizes ranging from 5,000 SF (Brooklyn hospitality venues) to 240,000 SF (Calgary Central Library). Its portfolio is concentrated in three verticals: civic and cultural institutions (notably public libraries and arts centers), private residential commissions in the Hamptons and upstate New York, and small-format hospitality projects in Brooklyn. Major works include the Calgary Central Library, Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech, and Far Rockaway Library, supported by ongoing branch library commissions in South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky in partnership with local firms.

The firm is led by a single founding principal and operates with 1–10 employees, characteristic of a principal-led boutique studio. It generates revenue through professional services on a project-based commissioning model; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-client, with portfolio-based marketing through the studio's website functioning as the primary top-of-funnel channel. The firm collaborates with a network of artists and designers (Vanessa Kassabian, Dennis Rijkhoff, Matthew Chua, Jun Hwang, Jiawei Yao, Xiaowei Bai) and partner studios (Chua Group, Studio 2LR, Song + Associates, Studio Kremer, Invizij Architects, Condition Architecture) to extend delivery capacity on geographically distributed civic projects. Studio Shea is privately held, bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, and operates across the United States and Canada with a notable emphasis on North American public library work.

Name

Studio Shea

Legal name

Studio Shea

Website

https://studio-shea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio Shea is a Brooklyn-based boutique architecture and design studio offering architecture, interior design, landscape, and branding services for public libraries, cultural institutions, residences, and hospitality projects across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design services
• Landscape architecture
• Cultural facility design
• Residential architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Studio Shea provides architecture and design services including planning, architecture, interiors, landscape, and branding for various project types such as libraries, residences, arts centers, and commercial spaces.

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Studio Shea is a full-service architecture and design studio providing architectural design, interior design, landscape design, and branding services for residential, commercial, cultural, and institutional projects. Projects are delivered as custom commissions ranging from 5,000 SF private retreats to 240,000 SF public libraries, with collaboration across partner firms and artists.

Product overview

Studio Shea is a full-service architecture and design firm based in Brooklyn, New York, led by founding principal Justin Shea. The firm operates as a single integrated design practice rather than a platform-based product company. Its portfolio spans diverse project types including public libraries (Kentucky Branch Library, Florida Branch Library, South Carolina Branch Library, Calgary Central Library, Far Rockaway Library), cultural institutions (Moss Arts Center, Guggenheim Stillspotting), commercial/hospitality spaces (King Mother, bar56|taste56), residential projects (Hamptons Residences North and South, Catskills Retreat), and large-scale urban/institutional projects (Golden State Warriors Arena, Houston Central Station, Willamette Falls, Ontario Innovation Centre). The firm collaborates with artists, designers, and architects including Vanessa Kassabian, Dennis Rijkhoff, Matthew Chua, Jun Hwang, Jiawei Yao, and Xiaowei Bai.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture & Design Services Full-service architecture and design offering covering architectural design, interior design, landscape design, and branding for residential, commercial, cultural, and institutional projects, delivered as custom commissions ranging from 5,000 SF private retreats to 240,000 SF public libraries.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vanessa KassabianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration contributing to design projects
• Dennis RijkhoffminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration contributing to design projects
• Matthew ChuaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist and designer collaboration; worked on Hamptons Residence North project
• Jun HwangminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration contributing to design projects
• Jiawei YaominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration contributing to design projects
• Xiaowei BaiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration contributing to design projects
• Chua GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Hamptons Residence North project (2015-2018), 6,000 SF residential project in Water Mill, New York
• Studio 2LRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on South Carolina Branch Library project (2025), 12,000 SF library
• Song + AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Florida Branch Library project (anticipated 2026), 10,000 SF library
• Studio KremercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Kentucky Branch Library (Fern Creek), Louisville, anticipated 2026
• Invizij ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Ontario Innovation Centre concept design, 2,500 m2 project in Ontario, Canada
• Condition ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on BEYOND project in New York City (2019), credited for photography collaboration
• Workshop/APDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustin Shea worked as Designer at Workshop/APD on Hamptons Residence South project (2008-2009), 8,000 SF residence in Hamptons, New York

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• nARCHITECTS: New York-based boutique architecture practice with comparable scale and a parallel portfolio of public/civic and cultural projects, including notable library work (e.g., Myrtle Avenue Branch Library), positioning it as the closest structural peer to Studio Shea.
• WORKac: Brooklyn-based boutique architecture studio of similar headcount with a comparable portfolio spanning cultural, educational, and public projects; both firms share a New York base and a collaborative, integrated-design sensibility.
• Brooks + Scarpa: Architecture firm with comparable scale and an award-winning portfolio spanning civic, cultural, and residential typologies, making it a relevant peer for Studio Shea's institutional and public-sector positioning.
• SO–IL (Solid Objectives – Idenburg Liu): New York-based architecture firm with a similar project typology mix including cultural, institutional, and residential commissions, often working internationally and at comparable boutique scale to Studio Shea.
• Handel Architects: New York-based architecture firm of moderate scale with a mixed typology portfolio including cultural, residential, and large-scale urban projects, serving as a comparable mid-sized peer in the same geography.
• MOS Architects: New York-based experimental architecture studio of comparable boutique scale, with overlapping cultural and speculative-project work and a similar founder-driven profile.
• Leers Weinzapfel Associates: Architecture firm with a recognized specialty in library and civic building design in North America, directly comparable to Studio Shea's emerging library-focused practice and public-institution client base.
• Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects: Award-winning New York architecture firm with a parallel reputation for cultural and civic buildings (notably library and museum work), providing direct peer comparability on typology, geography, and awards profile.

Broad incumbents

• Snøhetta: The founder's prior firm and a globally scaled architecture and design practice with a portfolio that includes Calgary Central Library and other cultural/civic projects at much larger scale; relevant as the design lineage and competition-level peer.
• Adjaye Associates: Internationally recognized architecture practice led by a high-profile founder with a comparable cultural and civic project focus; relevant as a broader-scale peer competing for similar institutional commissions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studio-shea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Studio Shea