MMA ARCHITECTURE

What MMA ARCHITECTURE does

MMA Architecture is a full-service architectural, planning, and design firm headquartered at 120 West Lime Ave in Monrovia, California, founded in 2001 by Ken McKently (originally as McKently Malak Architects). The firm provides architectural design, planning and entitlements processing, interiors and tenant improvement services, and construction administration for commercial and mixed-use real estate projects, with stated specialization in retail, hospitality, mixed-use, housing, and urban rehabilitation. Project categories span shopping center redevelopment (e.g., Marina Pacifica Waterfront Retail, MLK Shopping Center), food halls (Edin Park with 35 tenants, Riverside Central), adaptive reuse (Amazon Fresh Pasadena), urban infill retail (3rd and Fairfax for A.F. Gilmore), and mixed-use developments combining retail, dining, fitness, and daycare.

The firm employs approximately 40+ professionals organized under four principals: Hany Malak (President), Greg James (Vice President), Nadia Malik (Chief Operating Officer), and Daniel Kim (Director of Design). The team includes senior project managers, senior designers, job captains, dedicated entitlement managers, an in-house architectural visualizer, and administrative staff. Core capabilities span site planning, master planning, municipal relations, exterior façade design, renovation and adaptive reuse, food and beverage design, and retail store roll-out programs. Differentiators cited include depth in entitlements processing through discretionary review boards, ability to adapt historical architectural styles to contemporary uses (Mid-Century design for Amazon Fresh Pasadena, Starbucks Commerce), and project range from small store roll-outs to hundred-acre retail centers.

MMA Architecture's business model is project-based professional services. Revenue is generated through architectural and design service fees charged to commercial real estate developers, property owners, restaurant groups, and investors on a project-by-project basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based on scope and complexity. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: the firm engages enterprise clients through its website portfolio, client referrals, and industry event participation, with explicit emphasis on long-term partnerships and repeat business. Notable enterprise clients include Cadence Capital Investments (multiple projects), Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corporation, A.F. Gilmore, The Ruth Group, KCB LLC, and Calbay Development. The firm serves the Southern California market, has no disclosed external funding or parent company, and is management-owned following the 2023 retirement of founder Ken McKently.

Name

MMA ARCHITECTURE

Legal name

MMA Architecture

Website

https://mmaarchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MMA Architecture is a Monrovia, California-based full-service architectural firm (founded 2001) that provides design, planning, entitlements, interiors, and construction administration services for retail, hospitality, mixed-use, housing, and urban rehabilitation projects across Southern California. It serves commercial real estate developers, property owners, and restaurant operators on a project-based professional services model with a team of approximately 40 professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Retail architecture
• Mixed-use development
• Planning and entitlements
• Tenant improvement design

Headquarters

HQ city

Monrovia

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural and Design Services: Revenue generated through professional architectural and design service fees for commercial real estate projects including retail centers, mixed-use developments, food halls, tenant improvements, and adaptive reuse projects. Services range from pre-design planning through construction administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MMA Architecture is a full-service architectural, planning, and design firm providing architectural design, planning and entitlements processing, and interior/tenant improvement services for commercial and mixed-use projects. The firm delivers capabilities from pre-design and entitlements through construction administration, serving retail, hospitality, mixed-use, housing, and urban rehabilitation sectors in Southern California.

Product overview

MMA Architecture is a full-service architectural, planning, and design firm offering three core service lines: Architectural Design Services (including exterior façade design, rendering/visualization, renovation/adaptive reuse), Planning/Entitlements Services (site planning, master planning, entitlements processing), and Interiors/Tenant Improvements Services (space planning, tenant improvement, retail store roll-out). Their project portfolio spans multiple categories including Mixed-Use Development (such as Edin Park with food halls and fitness studios), Shopping Center Redevelopment, Adaptive Reuse/Retail (including grocery conversions like Amazon Fresh), Food Hall Design, and Hospitality/Restaurant Design. The firm specializes in Retail, Hospitality, Mixed-Use, Housing, and Urban Rehabilitation projects across Southern California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services including programming, as-builts, architectural design, exterior facade design, remodeling/reimaging, rendering/visualization, signage design, design standards and prototypes, project identity branding, food and beverage design, lease exhibits, renovation/adaptive reuse, design development, construction documents, bidding assistance, construction administration, and graphic presentation for commercial and mixed-use projects.
• Planning and Entitlements Services Site planning, master planning, urban design, municipal relations, entitlements processing, site analysis and selection, and land-use planning services for retail, hospitality, mixed-use, housing, and urban rehabilitation projects, with extensive experience processing projects through discretionary review boards and obtaining government agency approvals.
• Interiors and Tenant Improvements Services Prototype/concept design, facilities programming, space planning, tenant improvement, fixture design and selection, interior design, and retail store roll-out services for commercial interiors and tenant improvements.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McKently Malak ArchitectscoreOthersMcKently Malak Architects brand was associated with projects including LA Plaza Village, Casa 425, 68 West Colorado, Santa Fe Trail Plaza, Hollywood Western Retail, Crenshaw Imperial, The Boardwalk at Cypress, Bijou Marketplace, Goldenwest Center Pad, and The Shops at Jurupa Valley. This appears to be a predecessor or related firm brand.
• Sabil.USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMA collaborated with Sabil.USA and Syrian Sunrise Foundation to collect aid supplies and monetary donations for Turkey-Syria earthquake relief efforts in February 2023.
• Syrian Sunrise FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMA partnered with Syrian Sunrise Foundation and Sabil.USA for Turkey-Syria earthquake relief coordination, collecting aid supplies and monetary donations.
• Local Companies (Fire Relief)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMA Architecture partners with local companies to provide resources and support for Altadena and Palisades fire victims, ensuring resilient and united community recovery efforts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JPC Architects: Architecture firm with a retail, restaurant, and tenant improvement focus. Comparable in size and practice specialization to MMA.
• Bergmeyer: Boston-based architecture firm specializing in retail, restaurant, hospitality, and commercial environments. Comparable practice model serving similar retail and food-and-beverage developer clients.
• Ware Malcomb: California-headquartered architecture firm specializing in commercial, retail, and mixed-use projects of comparable scale. Closest direct competitor in terms of project type, client base (developers and retail/restaurant operators), and regional footprint.
• Shook Kelley: Specialized retail and consumer-experience design firm serving similar retail, restaurant, and mixed-use developer clients with comparable scope.
• GreenLight: Architecture firm focused on retail, restaurant, and commercial tenant improvements. Direct overlap with MMA's tenant improvement and roll-out services.
• Chipman Design Architecture: Architecture and planning firm focused on retail, restaurant, hospitality, and mixed-use projects. Highly comparable service mix and similar developer-client orientation as MMA.
• MG2: Architecture and design firm with a strong retail, restaurant, and mixed-use practice. Comparable in size, service offering, and developer-driven project mix.

Broad incumbents

• HKS: National architecture firm with a commercial and mixed-use practice. Overlaps with MMA on larger hospitality and mixed-use projects but at a much bigger scale.
• Stantec: Large multi-disciplinary firm with an architecture practice that touches retail and commercial work. Competes on bigger mixed-use programs; broader scope dilutes the boutique focus.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a large retail and hospitality practice. Competes with MMA on larger mixed-use and retail assignments; broader portfolio but less specialized.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mma-architecture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 MMA ARCHITECTURE