Hord Architects

What Hord Architects does

Hord Architects is a second-generation, privately-held architectural firm founded in 1957 by Lawrence T. Hord, Jr. and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. The firm specializes in ecclesiastical and nonprofit institutional architecture, with over 95% of its work performed for churches, faith-based schools, and related nonprofits across a wide range of denominations including Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Seventh-Day Adventist. Its core offerings are organized into four service lines: Architecture (full project lifecycle from programming through construction administration), Master Planning (campus visioning and phased implementation roadmaps), Interior Design (finish palettes, fixtures, rendering), and Liturgical Details (custom altars, baptismal fonts, ambos, lecterns, and capitals). Design language centers on classical and traditional styles — Gothic Revival, Romanesque, Georgian, Colonial American, and Spanish Colonial Revival — and the firm has completed more than 300 church-related projects spanning from New York to Idaho over its 65+ year history.

The firm operates a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market model, engaging directly with church leadership, building committees, and diocese representatives from initial consultation through construction administration. Carter Hord, son of the founder, has served as Principal since 1991 and is licensed to practice architecture in 19 states with NCARB certification. The firm has pursued a focused co-architecture strategy, partnering with Franck & Lohsen Architects (Washington, D.C.) as Associate Architects on high-profile Catholic commissions. Revenue is generated through custom-quoted, project-based professional services fees tied to scope, complexity, and square footage, with no public pricing. Carter Hord's classical training (Cornell M.Arch, Auburn B.Arch) and the team's accumulated expertise in sacred-space design, liturgical hierarchy, and denomination-specific requirements form the core technical foundation.

Notable recent awards include the 2024 Palladio Award, the 2024 Phillip Trammel Shutze Award, the 2025 Carolopolis Award, and the 2021 John Russell Pope Award. The firm is recommended in Michael Rose's reference work on church architecture. With only 1-10 employees, the firm operates as a small specialist studio, supplementing internal capacity through long-standing construction-partner relationships (e.g., Linkous Construction) and architectural partnerships for large commissions.

Name

Hord Architects

Legal name

Hord Architects

Website

https://hordarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hord Architects is a Memphis-based, second-generation architecture firm specializing in classical and traditional ecclesiastical design for churches and nonprofit institutions, with over 300 completed projects across 65+ years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecclesiastical Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Ecclesiastical architecture
• Church design services
• Master planning
• Interior design services
• Liturgical design

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture services billed as project-based fees. The firm provides comprehensive services from programming through construction administration, with fees based on project scope, complexity, and square footage. Services include master planning, schematic design, design development, construction documents, permitting, and construction administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hord Architects is a second-generation architecture firm providing comprehensive architectural, master planning, and interior design services for churches, religious institutions, and select nonprofit educational clients. Over 95% of its business comes from churches and nonprofit institutions, with services spanning programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, permitting, construction administration, and the design of liturgical furnishings.

Product overview

Hord Architects is a second-generation architecture firm founded in 1957, specializing in designing churches and nonprofit institutions which constitute over 95% of their business. The firm offers four core service areas: Architecture Services (covering full project lifecycle from programming through construction administration), Master Planning (campus visioning and phased development roadmaps), Interior Design (interior architecture, finish selection, and rendering), and Liturgical Details (design of church furnishings such as ambos, lecterns, altars, pedestals, baptismal fonts, and architectural capitals). These services work together to provide comprehensive design solutions for ecclesiastical and institutional clients, from initial concept through project completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architecture spanning from initial site selection through project close-out, covering Programming, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Permitting, and Construction Administration for churches and nonprofit institutions.
• Master Planning Campus rejuvenation and visioning service that outlines a roadmap for future design and construction, including research, programming, site analysis, design studies, and phased implementation planning for religious and educational campuses.
• Interior Design Interior architecture design including consultation, finish selection, color and material palettes, fixtures, hand and digital renderings, and owner review, integrated with the overall project vision.
• Liturgical Details Design and detailing of church liturgical elements including ambos, lecterns, altars, pedestals, baptismal fonts, brackets, and capitals for ecclesiastical projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ church projects completed from New York to Tennessee to Idaho
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Franck & Lohsen ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHord Architects collaborated with Franck & Lohsen Architects of Washington, D.C. as Associate Architects on major projects including St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Stillwater, OK (approximately 42,000 sq ft Gothic Revival campus) and St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church on Daniel Island, SC (800-seat nave with 170-foot spire). These are high-profile projects where Hord brings ecclesiastical expertise while Franck & Lohsen serves as the primary design firm.
• Linkous ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLinkous Construction worked with Hord Architects on multiple church projects including Emmanuel United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall (completed on budget during pandemic conditions) and St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral restoration. The partnership demonstrates successful project delivery in challenging conditions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hord-architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Hord Architects