JWA
JWA is a small Seoul-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 2018 by Jaeho Jin and Junghyo Woo, providing architectural, interior, and urban design services to Korean municipal governments through public-sector design competitions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What JWA does
JWA (Jin & Woo Architects, 건축사사무소 제이더블유) is a privately held architecture and urban design practice co-founded in Chicago in 2018 by Jaeho Jin and Junghyo Woo, which relocated its headquarters to Seoul, South Korea in 2022. The firm provides architectural design, urban design, interior design, and product design services, with a portfolio weighted toward Korean public-sector buildings — government complexes, community centers, museums, cultural facilities, sports centers, and educational institutions. Its core technical approach emphasizes courtyard and atrium spatial organization, multi-level outdoor terraces, grid-based facade systems, double-skin envelopes, and adaptive reuse of old and new structures, all delivered through manual design workflows without any disclosed AI or software-product layer.
The firm's go-to-market is sales-led and competition-driven: JWA actively participates in international and Korean domestic architectural design competitions to win commissions from municipal and district government clients, with placements including 2nd Prize at Gocheock 1-dong Government Complex (2021), 3rd Prize at Ochang Complex Community Center (2022), Honorable Mention at Youngcheon City Museum (2022), and earlier recognition through the Chicago Women in Architecture Award, AIA Chicago Benn-Johnck Award, and Archiprix International nomination (2017-2018). Revenue is generated through professional design fees negotiated on a project-by-project basis and is not publicly disclosed. The customer base is concentrated in Korean public-sector entities, with recurring co-development partnerships with firms such as RePLATFORM, SNB, MPART, SBMA, Beacon Hill Engineering, dnb architects, EXPERIENCE, and ISOENV used to assemble competition teams. Brand visibility is built through a portfolio website, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), academic lectures, and earned media coverage in outlets such as designboom.
JWA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JWA
- Legal name
- JWA, Jin & Woo Architects
- Website
- https://jwaarchitecture.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- JWA is a small Seoul-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 2018 by Jaeho Jin and Junghyo Woo, providing architectural, interior, and urban design services to Korean municipal governments through public-sector design competitions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
JWA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
Keywords
Where JWA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
JWA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Revenue generated from architectural design fees for competition entries, concept design, schematic design, design development, and construction administration services for public and private sector projects in South Korea and internationally.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
JWA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JWA is an architecture and urban design firm that provides full-service architectural design from concept through construction administration for public and private sector projects. Core work centers on government complexes, district offices, community centers, sports facilities, museums, libraries, and educational institutions, acquired primarily through participation in architectural design competitions in South Korea and internationally.
Product overview
JWA (Jin & Woo Architects) is an architecture and urban design firm founded in Chicago in 2018 and relocated to Seoul in 2022. The firm offers architectural design services as its core product, complemented by urban design, interior design, and product design modules. Their portfolio includes a diverse range of notable projects spanning cultural institutions (museums, libraries), public facilities (government complexes, community centers, youth centers, sports centers), and urban developments. Key projects include the Seoul Bandabi Sports Center Expansion, Youngcheon City Museum, Ochang Community Center, Gocheock 1-dong Government Complex, City Main Library Gwangju, Seoul Photographic Art Museum, Seoul Education Hub, Bridgeport Innovation Center in Chicago, and World Writing Museum. The firm is led by principals Jaeho Jin and Junghyo Woo and collaborates with various international and local architecture partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design from concept through construction administration for public and private sector projects including new construction, expansion, and renovation, delivered primarily to Korean government and cultural institution clients.
- Urban Design Urban planning and design services focusing on public spaces, government complexes, and community-oriented developments, integrated with JWA's architectural practice.
- Interior Design Interior space planning and design services integrated with architectural projects, supporting the firm's building commissions.
- Product Design Design services for products and spatial elements complementing architectural solutions, extending the firm's design capabilities beyond building-scale work.
Quantifiable outcome
- Won 1st Place at Chicago Women in Architecture Award (2018) and Benn-Johnck Award, AIA Chicago (2018)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use JWA
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
JWA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
JWA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- RePLATFORM (지역도시건축사사무소 리플래폼)minorJWA collaborated with RePLATFORM on the Ochang Complex Community Center design competition, winning 3rd Prize in 2022. RePLATFORM is a Korean local urban architecture firm.
- SNB ArchitectureminorJWA collaborated with SNB on multiple projects including Youngcheon City Museum (Honorable Mention, 2022) and City Main Library Gwangju (Entry, 2020).
- MPARTminorJWA collaborated with MPART, SBMA, and SNB on the Jongno-Gu Government Complex international competition entry in 2020.
- SBMAminorJWA collaborated with MPART, SBMA, and SNB on the Jongno-Gu Government Complex international competition entry in 2020.
- Beacon Hill EngineeringminorJWA collaborated with Beacon Hill Engineering and dnb architects on the Daegu Complex Power Plant Integrated design competition, winning 3rd Prize in 2020.
- dnb architectsminorJWA collaborated with Beacon Hill Engineering and dnb architects on the Daegu Complex Power Plant Integrated design competition, winning 3rd Prize in 2020.
- EXPERIENCEminorJWA collaborated with EXPERIENCE and ISOENV on the World Writing Museum National Museum competition in 2017.
- ISOENVminorJWA collaborated with EXPERIENCE and ISOENV on the World Writing Museum National Museum competition in 2017.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
JWA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Unsangdong Architects: Korean architecture studio recognized for public and community-oriented buildings, including libraries, museums, and civic facilities. Similar competition-driven approach and Korean municipal client base as JWA.
- Hyunjoon Yoo Architects: Seoul-based practice led by Hyunjoon Yoo with strong focus on public architecture, community facilities, and cultural buildings. Comparable to JWA in project type and Korean competition-driven business model.
- MASS Studies: Renowned Seoul-based architecture practice known for cultural, civic, and public buildings (including Seoul Photographic Art Museum). Comparable to JWA in Korean municipal competition participation and cultural-institution portfolio focus.
- architecture studio hAND: Korean architecture firm where JWA co-founder Junghyo Woo previously worked. Operates at similar small-to-mid scale on diverse project types including residential and cultural work in Korea.
- Tomoon Architects & Engineers: Korean architecture firm where both JWA co-founders (Jaeho Jin and Junghyo Woo) previously worked. Operates at similar scale on residential, cultural, and public projects in Korea, making it a direct comparable for JWA's positioning and project mix.
Broad incumbents
- CannonDesign: Large US-based architecture and engineering firm where co-founder Junghyo Woo worked as Project Designer. Comparable in professional services breadth and design process, illustrating the maturity JWA can target as it scales.
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture and engineering firm where both JWA co-founders previously worked. Provides a benchmark for the caliber of large-scale civic and commercial work JWA principals are trained to deliver.
- Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (ASGG): Global architecture firm where co-founder Jaeho Jin worked as Senior Project Designer on landmark towers. Represents the upper end of project scale and technical sophistication that JWA principals can credibly pursue.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
JWA social profiles
Digital presenceJWA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JWA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
JWA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JWA 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 JWA
What does JWA do?
JWA is an architecture and urban design firm that provides full-service architectural design from concept through construction administration for public and private sector projects. Core work centers on government complexes, district offices, community centers, sports facilities, museums, libraries, and educational institutions, acquired primarily through participation in architectural design competitions in South Korea and internationally.
Is JWA a public or private company?
JWA is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was JWA founded?
JWA was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is JWA based?
JWA is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does JWA make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are JWA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Unsangdong Architects, Hyunjoon Yoo Architects, MASS Studies, architecture studio hAND and Tomoon Architects & Engineers. Broad incumbents are CannonDesign, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (ASGG).
Does JWA have an API?
No public API is recorded for JWA.
What industry is JWA in?
JWA's product category is Architectural Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning. Its NAICS code is 54131.