What Mckinley Studios does

McKinley Studios is an integrated design firm founded in 2013 by Walker McKinley in Calgary, Alberta, with a dual-city presence in Vancouver and Calgary. The firm operates a six-studio model spanning Master Planning, Architecture, Interior Design, Procurement, Construction, and Black Chamber (a research and cultural-studies division), with registered architects holding AAA, AIBC, OAA, and FRAIC credentials. It serves Canadian institutional clients in luxury residential, hospitality, retail, legal, wellness, and commercial real estate, with a named client base that includes Ivanhoé Cambridge, Cadillac Fairview, Bentall, Minto, Tridel, First Capital, Pomerleau, The Simons Group, and Ankura Capital.

The firm's revenue model is project-based professional services delivery, with fees tied to bespoke architecture, interior design, and procurement engagements rather than standardized pricing tiers. Its Procurement studio maintains a curated network of more than 1,000 vendors, which is positioned as a differentiator in turnkey design-to-delivery programmes for developers and REITs. The firm has extended into adjacent offerings through sub-brands such as mknly Commonplace (precision manufactured housing) and Fat Frames (eyewear), and has developed a new Indigenous-led project financing capability supporting projects exceeding $100M. Award recognition (Canadian Architect Award of Excellence 2022, Azure Awards 2023-2024, Best of Canada 2024) and an international competition entry for the Tartu Centre Cultural Campus in Estonia underscore a growth-oriented positioning beyond pure Canadian boutique work. Headcount of 11-50 and current hiring across BIM, interior design, and FF&E roles indicate ongoing capacity build-out.

Name

Mckinley Studios

Legal name

McKinley Studios

Website

https://mckinleystudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McKinley Studios is a Calgary- and Vancouver-based integrated architecture and interior design firm founded in 2013, serving Canadian institutional real estate, hospitality, retail, and luxury residential clients through a six-studio model anchored by a 1,000+ vendor procurement network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture & Interior Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural Services (54131), Graphic Design Services (54143)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design studio
• FF&E procurement
• Brand identity design
• Art curation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Full-service architectural design covering residential, commercial, cultural, and mixed-use projects. Revenue generated through project-based design fees.
2. Interior Design Services: Interior design studio offering seamless extension of architectural work, from big-picture strategy to detailed specifications for hospitality, retail, workplace, and luxury residential projects.
3. FF&E Procurement: Expert team specializing in procurement and custom-manufacturing of furniture and lighting, leveraging relationships with over 1,000 vendors globally. Generates revenue through procurement fees and markups on vendor relationships.
4. Art Curation (mknly art): Art integration services through gallery and artist relationships, shipping and installation logistics, and curation consulting.
5. Brand Services (mknly brand): Creative studio focused on brand identity, finding unforgettable solutions to complex problems for clients.
6. Strategy Services (mknly strategy): Brain-trust of inspired thinkers engaging intelligence-based research to strategize creative visions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

McKinley Studios operates an integrated collective of six design studios delivering architecture, interior design, FF&E procurement, art curation, brand identity, and creative strategy services for enterprise and high-end clients. Projects span luxury residential, hospitality, workplace, retail, and cultural facilities across Canada and select international markets. The firm offers end-to-end design services from concept and research through specification, procurement, installation, and brand rollout.

Product overview

McKinley Studios is an integrated collective of architecture, interior design, procurement, art, strategy, and brand studios based in Vancouver and Calgary. The six-studio model includes: mknly architecture (full-service architectural design), mknly interior design (spatial design for residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces), mknly procurement (FF&E furniture and lighting procurement with 1,000+ vendor network), mknly art (art curation and integration), mknly strategy (intelligence-based research and creative strategizing), and mknly brand (brand identity and collateral). Supporting divisions include Black Chamber (research and thought leadership), Meat Hook Gallery (exhibition space), Mosquito Agency (art consultancy), and Fat Frames (lifestyle eyewear brand). The integrated approach allows cross-disciplinary collaboration across projects ranging from luxury residential to commercial, retail, hospitality, and cultural facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mknly architecture: Architecture services studio operating under the McKinley Studios collective.
• mknly interior design
• mknly procurement
• mknly art
• mknly brand
• mknly strategy
• Black Chamber
• Meat Hook Gallery

Products and services

• mknly architecture Full-service architectural design studio that interrogates sites from physical, cultural, historic, futuristic, and humanist lenses to generate architectural expression unique to each project and place. Serves luxury residential, commercial, hospitality, cultural, and mixed-use developments.
• mknly interior design Interior design studio offering seamless extension of architectural work with depth of thinking, clarity of form, and attention to detail. Designs interiors with spatial intelligence for hospitality, retail, workplace, and luxury residential projects.
• mknly procurement Expert team specializing in procurement and custom-manufacturing of furniture and lighting, leveraging relationships with vendors and artisans around the world. Offers FF&E specification, purchasing, fabrication, logistics, and post-project support with access to over 1,000 local and global vendors.
• mknly art Art curation and integration service that facilitates art placement through gallery and artist relationships, shipping and installation logistics, and curation consulting for hospitality, residential, and commercial projects.
• mknly strategy (Black Chamber) Brain-trust of inspired thinkers who engage intelligence-based research to strategize creative visions for projects, providing cultural analysis, market positioning, and strategic research for development projects.
• mknly brand Creative studio focused on finding unforgettable solutions to complex problems, creating brand identities and brand collateral for hospitality, commercial, and cultural clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serein Headquarters won the 2024 Interior Design Best of Year Awards for Small Corporate Office
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• James K. M. Cheng Architect InccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on multi-residential architecture & interior design project (The Ironwood) in Burquitlam, BC. James K. M. Cheng served as principal in charge while McKinley Studios led architecture and interior design execution.
• Paul Sangha CreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture collaboration for Tofino Surf Retreat project on Chesterman Beach. Paul Sangha Creative contributed visually striking animation and landscape design approach.
• PFS StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture studio providing site plan and garden design for The Ironwood project, contributing to the Persian and formal garden-inspired landscape approach.
• Sophie Burke DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurniture collaborator on Whistler House project, providing custom furniture pieces that complemented the architectural and interior design scope.
• Tartu Cultural Centre (Client/Project)minorOthersInternational competition entry for cultural centre design in Estonia, guided by rich cultural remnants and inspired by Estonia's natural landscape.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Burdifilek: Toronto-based interior design studio recognized for luxury retail, hospitality, and high-end residential projects with award-winning portfolio. Comparable as a Canadian peer of similar scale serving enterprise luxury clients with a similarly design-forward, award-led positioning.
• DesignAgency: Toronto-based design studio delivering interior design, branding, and graphic design for hotels, restaurants, and retail. Comparable as a Canadian multidisciplinary design firm with similar hospitality/retail client mix and integrated brand-interior offerings of comparable boutique scale.
• Sid Lee Architecture: Montreal-based creative collective combining architecture, branding, and digital experience design under one integrated firm. Comparable in the integrated creative-collective structure (architecture + brand + strategy) and Canadian origin, though larger and more digital-focused.
• Ste. Marie Studio: Vancouver-based multidisciplinary design practice working across interior design, art direction, and brand strategy for restaurants, hotels, and retail. Comparable as a fellow Vancouver boutique design studio with integrated brand/interior offerings and a similar luxury hospitality and retail client mix.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto-based integrated design firm offering interior design, architecture, and product/branding services for luxury hospitality, residential, and retail clients globally. Directly comparable as a Canadian luxury-focused integrated studio with a multi-service model and similar enterprise client base (Four Seasons, Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman).
• ACDF Architecture: Montreal-based architecture and interior design firm recognized for luxury residential, hospitality, and cultural projects. Comparable as a Canadian boutique architecture/interior design firm of similar scale and award-driven positioning, with overlapping luxury residential and hospitality clientele.

Broad incumbents

• Lemay: Montreal-headquartered full-service architecture and design firm with interior design, branding, urban design, and landscape architecture. Comparable as a Canadian architecture-led integrated design firm; significantly larger and broader in scope than McKinley, but with overlapping enterprise and developer client base.
• Gensler: Global integrated architecture, interior design, and consulting firm with deep workplace, hospitality, and retail practices. Comparable in the integrated design service model targeting enterprise clients (Simons, Hudson Pacific, major developers), though vastly larger in scale and global reach.
• KPMB Architects: Toronto-based architectural practice known for cultural, institutional, and high-end residential projects. Comparable as a Canadian award-driven architecture firm with similar cultural/public sector engagement, though KPMB is larger and more institutionally focused.
• BDP (Building Design Partnership): UK-headquartered integrated design firm combining architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning. Comparable in the integrated multi-discipline design collective model, though materially larger and operating across more geographies and technical services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mckinleystudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mckinleystudios
• Instagraminstagram.com/gallerymckinley
• Facebookfacebook.com/mckinleystudiosdesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Mckinley Studios