Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc
HopkinsBurns Design Studio is a Michigan-based historic preservation architecture firm founded in 1984, specializing in restoration, adaptive reuse, and historically sensitive new construction for institutional clients including universities, state and federal government, and historic hospitality properties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersAnn Arbor, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc does
HopkinsBurns Design Studio, PLLC is a boutique historic preservation architecture firm founded in 1984 as the Historic Preservation Practice of Architects Four and operating today from its headquarters at 113 South 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The firm specializes in restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and historically sensitive new construction, applying Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation and managing federal historic preservation tax credit projects. Service offerings span architectural design, cultural landscape analysis, design guidelines development, exterior envelope analysis, feasibility studies, grant applications, historic structure reports, National Register listing nominations, and historic interiors documentation. The firm is led by co-founders and principals Eugene C. Hopkins, FAIA (also Architect of the Michigan State Capitol since 2008 and past president of AIA Michigan) and Tamara E. L. Burns, FAIA (past president of AIA Michigan and chair of Ann Arbor's Design Review Board), supported by a small team of licensed architects, associates, and interns.
The firm's client base is institutional and concentrated in Michigan, comprising state government (Michigan State Capitol), universities (Michigan State University, University of Michigan), cultural and preservation nonprofits (Fishtown Preservation Society, Ele's Place, Urban Institute of Contemporary Art), hospitality (Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, with 50+ projects since 1992), and select federal work (Smithsonian Institution Arts and Industries Building in Washington D.C.). Notable credentials include the 1992 National Preservation Honor Award, the 1996 AIA Honor Award for the Michigan State Capitol restoration, AIA Michigan 2015 Firm of the Year, and the 2024 Build Michigan Award for the Grand Hotel renovation. Technology is centered on CAD and high-definition laser scanning for architectural documentation.
The revenue model is professional services on a project-fee basis, priced per engagement according to scope, complexity, and scale, with no public pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led: principal-led direct relationships, RFP responses for public-sector work, and referral-driven repeat business from long-tenure clients. Distribution is regional (Michigan-anchored with selective national engagements) and direct — no channel or reseller model. Marketing relies on professional association participation (AIA Michigan, AIA Huron Valley), award recognition, and project portfolio visibility rather than paid acquisition.
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc
- Legal name
- HopkinsBurns Design Studio, PLLC
- Website
- https://hopkinsburns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- HopkinsBurns Design Studio is a Michigan-based historic preservation architecture firm founded in 1984, specializing in restoration, adaptive reuse, and historically sensitive new construction for institutional clients including universities, state and federal government, and historic hospitality properties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Historic Preservation Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)
Keywords
Where Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ann Arbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services for historic preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse, and new construction projects. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design, documentation, and construction administration services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Project-based architectural services for historic preservation and new construction |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HopkinsBurns Design Studio is a full-service historic preservation architecture firm offering restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and new construction design services for historic buildings and cultural landmarks. Services encompass architectural design, cultural landscape analysis, design guidelines development, exterior envelope analysis, feasibility studies, grant applications, historic structure reports, historic district nominations, National Register listing nominations, and investment tax credit project management. The firm specializes in compliance with Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation, with expertise integrating modern systems within historic building fabric.
Product overview
HopkinsBurns Design Studio is a single, unified architecture firm providing comprehensive historic preservation services. The firm operates as one integrated practice rather than a platform with separate modules. Services encompass architectural design, cultural landscape analysis, design guidelines development, exterior envelope analysis, feasibility studies, grant applications, historic structure reports, historic district nominations, National Register listing nominations, historic interiors documentation, and investment tax credit project management. The firm specializes in Secretary of the Interior's Standards compliance, incorporating state-of-the-art electrical, mechanical, and communications systems within historic building fabric, historically sensitive rehabilitations, museum-quality restorations, adaptive reuse, new buildings in historic areas, and ADA compliance integration for older buildings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HopkinsBurns Design Studio Full-service historic preservation architecture firm offering restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and new construction design services for historic buildings and cultural landmarks. Serves institutional clients including universities, government entities, hospitality companies, and nonprofit cultural organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 50 projects completed for Grand Hotel since 1992
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Johnson Hill Land Ethics StudiocoreCollaboration on Fishtown master planning project in Leland, MI. Joint development of cultural resource assessment, structure surveys, design guidelines, and interpretive planning for historic fishing village preservation.
- JJR (Urban planning/engineering/landscape)majorPartner on multiple projects including Plainwell Paper Mill feasibility, Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Master Plan, and Troy Historic Village master planning. JJR provided urban planning, engineering, and landscape expertise alongside HopkinsBurns' historic preservation services.
- Cheri Szcodronski (Historical Consultant)minorVicksburg downtown National Register nomination project collaboration. Worked with village and historical consultant to place hundreds of commercial and residential properties on National Register.
- Albert Kahn Building / UICAmajorAdaptive reuse project transforming abandoned Albert Kahn car dealership (1911) into Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids. Extensive public involvement and consensus building process with board, staff, volunteers, and artists.
- Spence BrothersmajorConstruction manager for Grand Hotel projects including 2024 Build Michigan Award-winning renovation. Long-term collaboration on historic hotel restoration.
- Frederick ConstructionminorGeneral contractor for Vicksburg downtown restoration project. Longtime collaborator with Chris Moore and HopkinsBurns on historic preservation projects.
- Eckert WordellminorArchitect for interior renovations on Vicksburg downtown restoration project, collaborating with HopkinsBurns as historic architect.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Albert Kahn Family of Companies: Albert Kahn is a major Michigan-based architecture and engineering firm with deep institutional and industrial expertise and historical ties to HopkinsBurns' predecessor (Architects Four); while much larger, it competes for some Michigan institutional preservation and adaptive reuse work.
- Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE): WJE is a large engineering/architecture firm with significant historic preservation and structural restoration practices; it competes for institutional and landmark preservation work but operates at greater scale and with a broader structural-engineering capability than HopkinsBurns.
Direct peers
- Goody Clancy: Goody Clancy is a Boston-based architecture firm specializing in preservation, adaptive reuse, and contextual design for cultural, educational, and civic clients — a direct functional peer to HopkinsBurns with comparable service offerings and clientele.
- John Canning & Co. John Canning & Co. is a specialist conservation firm focused on historic interiors, decorative finishes, and architectural restoration — operating in the same preservation value chain as HopkinsBurns and often collaborating on the firm's landmark projects.
- Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects: Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker is an Albany, NY-based firm focused on historic preservation, restoration, and adaptive reuse of culturally significant buildings — closely aligned with HopkinsBurns' niche practice, scale, and institutional/governmental client mix.
- Ann Beha Architects: Ann Beha Architects is a Boston-based firm recognized for historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and cultural/educational projects — a comparable niche specialist with similar institutional client focus and project scale to HopkinsBurns.
- Beyer Blinder Belle: Beyer Blinder Belle is a New York-based architecture firm with deep specialization in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and civic/cultural buildings — comparable to HopkinsBurns in service mix, public-sector client profile, and award-winning preservation portfolio.
- Quinn Evans: Quinn Evans is a national architecture firm dedicated exclusively to historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and contextual design for cultural, educational, and civic clients — directly mirroring HopkinsBurns' core specialty, scale, and client base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc social profiles
Digital presenceHopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc 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 Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc
What does Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc do?
HopkinsBurns Design Studio is a full-service historic preservation architecture firm offering restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and new construction design services for historic buildings and cultural landmarks. Services encompass architectural design, cultural landscape analysis, design guidelines development, exterior envelope analysis, feasibility studies, grant applications, historic structure reports, historic district nominations, National Register listing nominations, and investment tax credit project management. The firm specializes in compliance with Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation, with expertise integrating modern systems within historic building fabric.
Is Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc a public or private company?
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc founded?
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc was founded in 1984. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc based?
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc is headquartered in Ann Arbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Albert Kahn Family of Companies and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE). Direct peers are Goody Clancy, John Canning & Co., Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects, Ann Beha Architects, Beyer Blinder Belle and Quinn Evans.
Does Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc.
What industry is Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc in?
Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Pllc's product category is Historic Preservation Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAH, Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning. Its NAICS code is 54131.