Map Design Studio, Llc

What Map Design Studio, Llc does

Map Design Studio, LLC is an international architectural lighting design firm founded in 2020 by Artemis Papadatou, a Columbia-trained architectural engineer, and headquartered across three offices in Miami Beach, New York, and Athens, Greece. The firm provides professional lighting design services — concept development, layouts and specifications, control systems integration, energy compliance, custom product design with global manufacturers, and brand standards for global rollout — for projects in hospitality, commercial, residential, institutional, retail, and sports sectors. Its client roster includes David Zwirner, Magazzino Italian Art, Glossier, Devoción Coffee, Nili Lotan, Pastis (Starr Restaurant Group), Urby, Four Seasons Tavernetta, Whalar Group's Lighthouse Venice Beach, Coral Sands Resort Bahamas, and the Miami Dolphins' Baptist Health Training Complex.

The studio's underlying technology is centered on architectural lighting design expertise rather than software or IP products: control systems interoperability, lighting technology proficiency, energy-code compliance knowledge, and coordination with global manufacturers for custom luminaires. The team of 13 includes founding principal Artemis Papadatou as Lead Designer on every project, Studio Director and Partner Alex Bertman (responsible for operations and business strategy), senior designers, associates, a studio manager, and a cultural manager, with backgrounds spanning Kugler Ning Lighting, Eleftheria Deko, Loop Lighting, Drees & Sommer, and Raumwerk. There are no proprietary technology platforms, APIs, AI/ML capabilities, or patents — the differentiation rests on designer talent, project portfolio, and embedded relationships with luxury hospitality developers and brands.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services engagements priced by scope, complexity, and deliverables, with multi-year contract cadence for repeat clients. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales: direct engagement with architects, developers, hospitality operators, cultural institutions, and brands, supported by a project portfolio website, industry awards (Lit Awards, IESNYC Lumen Awards, Architizer A+ Awards), and earned media in design publications. The firm is a privately held LLC with no institutional investment, funding rounds, subsidiaries, or parent company; ownership is concentrated with the founding principals. Marketing is conducted primarily through the portfolio website, industry awards, press coverage, and professional recruitment rather than through paid channels.

Name

Map Design Studio, Llc

Legal name

Map Design, LLC

Website

https://mapdesignstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Map Design Studio is an international architectural lighting design firm founded in 2020, providing concept-to-construction lighting design, control systems, and brand standards for hospitality, commercial, residential, institutional, retail, and sports clients across offices in Miami Beach, New York, and Athens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Lighting Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Accent & Uplighting (Trees/Facades) Installation (HSAIAHAE)

Keywords

• Architectural lighting design
• Lighting consulting
• Hospitality lighting design
• Museum lighting design
• Lighting control systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Lighting Design Services: Professional services revenue generated through architectural lighting design consulting, from concept development through construction support. Services include layouts and specifications for architectural and decorative lighting, control systems, energy compliance, and custom product design coordination.
2. Lighting Design Consulting: Engagement-based lighting design services for projects across hospitality, commercial, residential, institutional, and retail sectors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Map Design Studio provides full-service architectural lighting design for hospitality, commercial, residential, institutional, retail, and sports projects, delivered from concept through construction support. Engagements include lighting layouts and specifications, control systems integration, energy compliance, custom product design coordinated with global manufacturers, and the development of lighting brand standards for multi-location rollouts. The firm is led by Principal Artemis Papadatou as lead designer on every project, supported by a multidisciplinary team across Miami Beach, New York, and Athens offices.

Product overview

Map Design Studio is a service-based architectural lighting design firm offering a unified suite of design services rather than software products. The core offering is architectural lighting design spanning from concept through construction support. Service components include control systems integration, energy compliance, custom product design, lighting technologies implementation, and lighting brand standards development. The firm works across multiple project typologies including hospitality, commercial, residential, institutional, retail, and sport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Lighting Design Services Full-service architectural lighting design delivered from concept through construction support for hospitality, commercial, residential, institutional, retail, and sports projects. Includes lighting layouts, specifications, control system design, energy compliance, custom product design with global manufacturers, and lighting brand standards for global rollout, with the founding principal acting as lead designer on each engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Lit Awards wins including Best Workspace Lighting 2025, Best Office Lighting 2023, Best Exhibition and Museum Lighting 2023
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Focus Lighting: New York-based architectural lighting design firm known for hospitality, retail, and entertainment venue work. Comparable in NYC presence and project typology overlap.
• Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design: Boutique architectural lighting design firm with a similar portfolio of high-end hospitality, museum, gallery, and residential projects. CBB is a closely comparable peer in scale, sector mix, and project prestige (e.g., major cultural institutions and luxury brands).
• L'Observatoire International: International architectural lighting design practice working across hospitality, retail, museums, and high-end commercial projects. Comparable cross-sector scope and international reach to Map.
• One Lux Studio: New York architectural lighting design practice serving hospitality, commercial, and residential clients at boutique scale; directly comparable in size, geography, and project mix.
• Tillotson Design Associates: New York-based architectural lighting design firm with deep museum, gallery, and institutional project experience. Comparable in prestige and client caliber to Map Design Studio, especially on the cultural/institutional side.
• Kugler Ning Lighting Design: Architectural lighting design firm with strong institutional and gallery portfolio; a notable prior employer of Map's Jung Eun Ra-Lee. Closely comparable in design caliber and cultural-sector work.
• Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design (HLB): Established US architectural lighting design firm with extensive museum, hospitality, and commercial work. Larger than Map but operates in the same premium design segment with similar client types.
• Buro Lighting: Boutique lighting design studio focused on high-end residential, hospitality, and commercial projects. Closely comparable boutique scale and design-led positioning.
• Aria Group Lighting Design: Architectural lighting design consultancy serving commercial, hospitality, and institutional clients. Similar project-based professional services model with comparable scale.

Regional players

• Eleftheria Deko & Associates: Athens-based lighting design firm where multiple Map team members previously worked. Closest European peer given Map's Athens office and overlapping Greek designer talent pool.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Map Design Studio, Llc