Innovative Design, Inc.
Innovative Design, Inc. is a privately held, Raleigh-based architectural and interior design firm founded in 1977 that specializes in sustainable, energy-efficient buildings, serving K-12 schools, higher education, government, religious, residential, and utility clients through architecture, interior design, and green consulting services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersRaleigh, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Innovative Design, Inc. does
Innovative Design, Inc. (operating as 'Innovative Design 2.0' since May 2021) is a privately held architectural and interior design firm founded in 1977 in Raleigh, North Carolina, by Mike Nicklas, FAIA and Gary Bailey, AIA. The firm specializes in sustainable, energy-efficient building design with core practices spanning passive solar architecture, daylighting, solar PV and thermal integration, rainwater harvesting, and whole-building energy analysis. Its technical platform combines in-house simulation using Daysim, eQUEST, TRNSYS, and Illuminace for daylighting and energy modeling with a patented Solar Power Roof System co-developed by current principal Louis Gerics and co-founder Mike Nicklas. Across 47 years, the firm has completed over 4,700 sustainable design projects spanning K-12 schools, higher education, government and transit facilities, churches, offices, residential developments, and utility-scale solar (notably the 64 MW Nevada Solar One CSP plant), reporting cumulative impacts of 8.6 trillion BTUs of energy saved, 1.687 million tons of CO2 avoided, 581 million gallons of water saved, and $250 million in client energy-bill savings.
The firm generates revenue through three integrated professional-services practices: Architecture Services (full-service design including new construction, additions, renovations, programming, master planning, and LEED/WELL certification support), Interior Design (sustainable, healthy interior environments), and Green Design Consulting (daylighting, solar, and energy consulting delivered both to end-clients and to over 100 partner A/E firms). Pricing is project-based and negotiated per engagement, with multi-year contract cadences and no publicly disclosed rate cards. Go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven, anchored by 350+ industry lectures across 27 countries and 32 states reaching 75,000 attendees, published guidelines, and industry-organization leadership. Customer segments are diversified across K-12 education (primary), A/E consulting firms (primary horizontal channel), higher education, government and transit, religious institutions, residential developers, and hospitality/commercial.
Following the March 30, 2021 retirement of co-founders Nicklas and Bailey, leadership transitioned to long-tenured principals Louis Gerics (President), Brian Baewon Koh, AIA LEED AP WELL AP, Pascale Rosemain Trebeau, and Laura Bailey. The firm operates with 1-10 employees from its headquarters at 850 West Morgan Street in Raleigh, NC, housed since 1983 in the Equinox II passive solar office (EUI 20.4 vs regional average 77.8 kBtu/SF/yr), which doubles as a live testbed for its design methodology. Principal Brian Koh leads the firm's $32M Incremental Unitary Envelope System (IUES) R&D project, and the co-founders received the 2024 ASES Leadership in Solar Architecture and Design Award. The firm holds no external investors and operates as an employee/management-owned entity.
Innovative Design, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Innovative Design, Inc.
- Legal name
- Innovative Design, Inc.
- Website
- https://innovativedesign.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Innovative Design, Inc. is a privately held, Raleigh-based architectural and interior design firm founded in 1977 that specializes in sustainable, energy-efficient buildings, serving K-12 schools, higher education, government, religious, residential, and utility clients through architecture, interior design, and green consulting services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Innovative Design, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Luxury Whole-Home Renovation (High-End Finishes & Custom Build) (HSAPAEAI)
Keywords
Where Innovative Design, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raleigh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Innovative Design, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Full-service architectural design including new construction, additions, and renovations for commercial, residential, public sector, and institutional clients. Projects span K-12 schools, higher education, churches, offices, transit facilities, and residential buildings.
- Green Consulting Services: Daylighting consulting, solar consulting (thermal and PV), and energy consulting provided to other A&E firms across the country. Over 100 A/E firms have partnered with Innovative Design on projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based architectural and consulting fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Innovative Design, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Innovative Design is a full-service architectural firm delivering sustainable building design across three integrated practice areas: Architecture Services (full-service design for new construction, additions, renovations, master planning, and LEED/WELL certification), Interior Design (sustainable, healthy interior environments using low-carbon materials), and Green Design Consulting (specialized daylighting, solar, and energy consulting provided to other architecture firms). The firm conducts in-house energy modeling using Daysim, eQUEST, and TRNSYS tools, and serves K-12 schools, higher education, government/transit, religious, commercial, and residential clients primarily across the Southeastern United States.
Product overview
Innovative Design is an architectural firm offering a unified suite of building design services organized around three core practice areas: Architecture Services, Interior Design, and Green Design Consulting. Architecture Services provides full-service design from programming through construction administration, with expertise in zero carbon buildings. Interior Design focuses on sustainable, healthy interior environments. Green Design Consulting offers specialized daylighting, solar, and energy consulting—often provided to other architecture firms. These services are integrated, with the firm conducting in-house energy modeling and daylighting analysis to support all project types including schools, offices, churches, and residential projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture Services Full-service architectural design services including new construction, additions and renovations, programming, goal setting, master planning, sustainable design, energy and water modeling, integrated design facilitation, and LEED and WELL certification consulting for K-12 schools, higher education, government, commercial, religious, and residential clients.
- Interior Design Interior architecture services with a holistic design approach emphasizing sustainable materials, low-carbon-footprint selections, healthy non-toxic furnishings, and psychological and visual comfort through color and lighting design for commercial, educational, and hospitality projects.
- Green Design Consulting Sustainable design consulting encompassing daylighting consulting, solar thermal and PV consulting, energy analysis, solar development assistance, and rainwater harvesting optimization. The firm conducts in-house DOE-2 energy simulations and daylighting analysis and partners with over 100 A/E firms on green consulting engagements.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60% less energy consumption than typical new high-tech office building (Equinox II case study)
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Innovative Design, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Innovative Design, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Innovative Design, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Sundance Power SystemsminorSundance Power Systems, a local solar company, led the crowdfunding effort to install a 300-kW PV solar system at Isaac Dickson Elementary School. Over 100 donors including parents, teachers, local residents, and philanthropists funded the project.
- Green Built Alliance (Appalachian Offsets Program)minorThe nonprofit Green Built Alliance's Appalachian Offsets program co-led the crowdfunding effort with Sundance Power Systems to fund the PV installation at Isaac Dickson Elementary School.
- Southern Energy ManagementminorSouthern Energy Management installed the 37.5 kW photovoltaic system at First United Methodist Church of Salisbury, NC. The system was approved by Duke Energy as a net-metered system.
- Koolbridge Solar, Inc.minorInnovative Design works in partnership with Koolbridge Solar, Inc. to envision the sustainably designed house of the future. Koolbridge Solar designs, develops and sells innovative electrical products that allow solar energy to be integrated into homes more efficiently and cost-effectively.
- GrowGreen PowerminorGrowGreen Power is listed as a key alliance. The company is made up of visionaries and entrepreneurs with a unified mission to provide fresh, local produce and clean energy to the population.
- IntEGrA D&CminorIntEGrA D&C is listed as a key alliance partner. The firm strives to integrate and transform the built environment industry and visions itself as a leader in strategic growth and advancement to make a positive social and environmental impact on building industry enterprises.
- Legerton ArchitectureminorInnovative Design and Legerton Architecture co-designed Isaac Dickson Elementary School as a net-zero energy school. Both firms collaborated on the sustainable design of the project.
- HMS ArchitectsminorInnovative Design partnered with HMS Architects (a local New Orleans firm) on the Andrew H. Wilson Elementary School project. ID was responsible for new construction and green systems design and integration and LEED certification.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Innovative Design, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BNIM Architects: Mid-sized architecture firm with deep sustainable design practice spanning K-12, higher education, and civic work; one of the closest comparables in scale and philosophy to Innovative Design.
- ZGF Architects: Design firm recognized for LEED Platinum and net-zero institutional buildings; competes in the same higher-education and civic sustainable-architecture space.
- Mithun: Integrated design firm with strong sustainability practice and a portfolio spanning education, housing, and civic projects; similar mission and project mix to Innovative Design.
- Lake|Flato Architects: Sustainable architecture studio known for energy-efficient schools, civic, and residential projects; directly comparable to Innovative Design's niche, climate-responsive design approach.
- KieranTimberlake: Research-driven architecture firm with patented building technologies and a strong sustainability profile, similar in combining design services with proprietary R&D.
- Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects: San Francisco-based firm specializing in sustainable design for schools, civic, and housing projects; comparable mission and client overlap with Innovative Design.
Broad incumbents
- HOK: Global architecture and engineering firm with extensive sustainable design work across education and civic sectors; competes for the same institutional clients.
- Perkins&Will: Large global architecture firm with a strong sustainability practice and significant K-12 and higher-education portfolio; broader and better capitalized than Innovative Design.
- SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill): Large international architecture and engineering firm with deep sustainability expertise; broader portfolio but overlaps on high-performance institutional projects.
Emerging players
- William McDonough + Partners: Cradle-to-Cradle sustainability design practice with similar mission-driven focus on regenerative architecture; thought-leadership peer rather than direct project competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Innovative Design, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceInnovative Design, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Innovative Design, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Innovative Design, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Innovative Design, Inc. 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 Innovative Design, Inc.
What does Innovative Design, Inc. do?
Innovative Design is a full-service architectural firm delivering sustainable building design across three integrated practice areas: Architecture Services (full-service design for new construction, additions, renovations, master planning, and LEED/WELL certification), Interior Design (sustainable, healthy interior environments using low-carbon materials), and Green Design Consulting (specialized daylighting, solar, and energy consulting provided to other architecture firms). The firm conducts in-house energy modeling using Daysim, eQUEST, and TRNSYS tools, and serves K-12 schools, higher education, government/transit, religious, commercial, and residential clients primarily across the Southeastern United States.
Is Innovative Design, Inc. a public or private company?
Innovative Design, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Innovative Design, Inc. founded?
Innovative Design, Inc. was founded in 1977. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Innovative Design, Inc. based?
Innovative Design, Inc. is headquartered in Raleigh, United States, in the North America region.
How does Innovative Design, Inc. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Architectural Design Services are the primary driver. The others are green Consulting Services.
Who are Innovative Design, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BNIM Architects, ZGF Architects, Mithun, Lake|Flato Architects, KieranTimberlake and Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects. Broad incumbents are HOK, Perkins&Will and SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill). William McDonough + Partners is listed as an emerging player.
Does Innovative Design, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Innovative Design, Inc..
What industry is Innovative Design, Inc. in?
Innovative Design, Inc.'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 54131 and its SIC code is 8711.