Lifespan Design Studio

What Lifespan Design Studio does

Lifespan Design Studio (LDS) is a privately held Ohio-based architecture consultancy founded in 2006 by architect Douglas J. Gallow Jr., FAIA, and retired gerontologist Ellen Gallow. The firm specializes in universal, aging-friendly architectural design for senior centers, adult community centers, and senior housing facilities, applying a methodology that goes beyond ADA compliance to address obstacles such as single steps, heavy doors, and dim lighting that can exclude non-average users. Service offerings span facility assessments, site evaluation, architectural programming, space planning, full design consultation through all phases of design and construction, and educational workshops on lifespan design. Revenue is generated exclusively through professional services fees on a project basis, with no disclosed pricing model and no app, SaaS, or productized offering beyond the informational Lifespan Perspective newsletter.

The firm operates nationwide across 31 states with effective long-distance project execution, having delivered 120+ senior center projects for public, private, and non-profit clients. Distribution is primarily direct-to-client (municipalities, senior center operators, developers) combined with a consultant-to-architect-of-record model in which LDS teams with 45+ local architecture firms as the specialized aging-design resource. Go-to-market blends sales-led outreach with community-led presence at industry conferences (NCOA, ICAA, state-level events) and educational workshops. The business is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional investment, subsidiaries, or M&A activity; delivery capacity is constrained by a 1–10 person headcount centered on the founders.

Name

Lifespan Design Studio

Legal name

Lifespan Design Studio, LLC

Website

https://lifespandesignstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lifespan Design Studio is an Ohio-based architecture consultancy specializing in universal, aging-friendly design for senior centers, adult community centers, and senior housing. Founded in 2006, the firm has delivered 120+ projects across 31 states, serving municipalities, non-profits, and developers as both prime consultant and specialty advisor to architects of record.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Accessibility & Universal Design Consulting (HSABAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aging-in-Place Structural & Layout Reconfiguration (First-Floor Living, Open Plans) (HSAPANAK)

Keywords

• Universal design architecture
• Senior center design
• Aging-friendly consulting
• Facility planning services
• Architectural programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Loveland

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Consulting: Consultation and design services provided to architects of record, owners, and developers for senior center, adult day care, and senior housing projects. Services include pre-design research, site evaluation, programming, space planning, and user-focused consultation throughout all phases of design, interior design, and construction.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lifespan Design Studio provides specialized architectural design, planning, and consulting services focused on universal and aging-friendly environments for senior centers, adult community centers, senior housing, and related community facilities. Deliverables include facility assessments, site evaluation and selection, architectural programming, space planning, schematic design with renderings and cost estimating, and user-focused consultation through all phases of design, interior design, and construction. The firm operates as a consultancy to architects of record, municipal governments, and senior housing developers nationwide.

Product overview

Lifespan Design Studio is an architecture design firm founded in 2006, specializing in universal/aging-friendly design solutions for senior centers, adult community centers, and senior housing facilities. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of services including facility assessments, architectural programming, space planning, preliminary design with renderings and cost estimating, and full design consultation through all phases of planning, design, and construction. Services are delivered through two primary offerings: Senior/Adult Community Center Design Services (the core practice) and Commercial/Institutional/Municipal/Residential Design. The company also provides professional workshops and publishes the Lifespan Perspective newsletter for industry education. LDS operates nationwide, having completed over 120 senior center projects across 31 states, and frequently partners with local architects and engineers for project delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Senior/Adult Community Center Design Services Comprehensive architectural design, planning, assessment, and consultation services for senior and adult community centers, including facility assessments, site selection studies, architectural programming, space planning, and design for new construction, renovations, or additions.
• Senior Housing Design Services
• Commercial, Institutional, Municipal and Residential Design
• Architectural Studies, Assessments, and Planning
• Workshops and Presentations
• Lifespan Perspective Newsletter

Quantifiable outcome

• 120+ senior center projects completed successfully across 31 states
• +2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PPI (Lawrenceville, GA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of record partnership for Lawrenceville Senior Center renovations and expansion project in Gwinnett County, GA.
• GSB Architects & Planners (Oklahoma City)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTeamed with GSB for Amarillo Active Adult Center study and Northwest Senior Health & Wellness Center (OKC) - first of five MAPS program centers. Also selected for Southwest Senior Health & Wellness Center completed in 2022.
• Waldon Studio ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of record for Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center in Maryland. LDS served as consultant through Colimore Gallow Architects.
• HH Architecture (Raleigh, NC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal design team led by HH Architecture for Five Points Center and Anne Gordon Center for Active Adults in Raleigh, NC.
• edm (Unionville, CT)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of record for RiverMills Center in Chicopee, MA. LDS led comprehensive programming effort and worked closely with edm throughout all phases of design.
• TSP Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of record for 125 LIVE! Center for Active Adults in Rochester, MN and renovation of adjacent Recreation Center.
• Bushman Dreyfus ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead architects for The Center at Belvedere in Charlottesville, VA. LDS served as permanent member of design team from site evaluation through construction.
• The Lawrence Group (St. Louis, MO)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of record for The Mirowitz Center at Covenant Place II in St. Louis, MO.
• McCormack Baron Salazar DeveloperscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for The Mirowitz Center project and Dr. George W. Davis Senior Residence and Senior Center in San Francisco.
• David Baker ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture partner for Dr. George W. Davis Senior Residence and Senior Center in San Francisco, CA.
• DS Architecture (Westlake, OH)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect of record for Westlake Community Services Center completed in 2021. LDS provided site evaluation, programming, and design consultation throughout all phases.
• Bermello Ajamil & PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitects of record for Miami Springs Adult Community Center in Florida.
• G/C ContractingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign-build partnership for Hunters Run Apartments (10-unit Lebanon, OH) and Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church addition/renovations.
• MCFminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for United Senior Services adaptive reuse project in Springfield, OH (former Fraternal Organization building).
• Jill Jackson Ledford (Senior Citizen Services Specialist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist partner for City of Amarillo Texas Programming Needs Assessment and Facility Feasibility Study.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hord Coplan Macht: Mid-sized architecture firm with a recognized senior-living and aging-in-place design practice, competing for similar municipal and nonprofit senior-center and senior-housing clients.
• DiMella Shaffer: Architecture firm with a longstanding senior-living practice serving nonprofit and for-profit operators, comparable to LDS's senior housing and community-center focus.
• SWBR Architects: Architecture and design firm with a senior-living practice that delivers senior housing and community-focused projects analogous to LDS's senior-center portfolio.
• SFCS Architects: Roanoke, Virginia-based architecture firm that has built a dedicated senior-living design practice, making it one of the closest specialized competitors to LDS in senior-focused architectural services.
• RLPS Architects: Architecture firm historically focused on senior-living and senior-living community projects, making it a comparable specialized competitor to LDS in the aging-services design segment.
• Niles Bolton Associates: Architecture firm specializing in senior living, hospitality, and mixed-use projects; competes for similar senior-oriented design engagements and universal-design-driven briefs.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins Eastman: Large, established architecture firm with a significant senior-living practice and broad civic/community portfolio, capable of competing for senior-center and senior-housing design commissions at scale.
• LPA Design Studios: Large integrated design firm with senior-living and civic/recreation experience, capable of taking on senior-center and multi-generational community center projects of the type LDS serves.
• CannonDesign: Large diversified architecture firm whose senior-living practice addresses aging-in-place and senior community design, overlapping with LDS's mission but with much broader scale and reach.
• HKS Architects: Major global architecture firm with senior-living expertise that overlaps with LDS's senior-center and senior-housing design work, though as part of a much broader practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifespan-design-studio

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 Lifespan Design Studio