What Forge Craft Architecture + Design does

Forge Craft Architecture + Design is an Austin, Texas-headquartered architecture and design firm founded in 2013 that provides professional architectural services across residential, commercial, affordable housing, and modular construction projects. The firm is organized around six specialized 'Craft Studios' — Affordable Housing, Commercial, Healthy Homes, Interior Design, Modular, and Residential & Mixed Use — established through a 2023 brand refresh that formalized its domain-specific expertise. Its core technical differentiator is deep specialization in Passive House (PHIUS+) design methodology and high-performance sustainable architecture in hot-humid Southern climates, including PHIUS+ Source Zero certification capability, with measurable outcomes such as buildings consuming approximately 75% less energy than code minimums and achieving Energy Use Intensity values below 30 versus the Energy Star standard of 59.6 for typical apartments. The firm also maintains over a decade of experience in modular and prefabricated construction, including cross-state Industrialized Housing and Building (IHB) regulatory navigation, and has developed a formalized Trauma-Informed Design methodology applied to supportive housing for vulnerable populations.

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services fees — structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed design fees billed across project phases — and serves a primary client base of mission-driven affordable housing developers (Foundation Communities, Capital A Housing, LifeWorks, NHP Foundation, Temenos CDC) and municipal housing authorities (Austin Housing Finance Corporation), with secondary exposure to individual homeowners (via the Healthy Homes studio) and select commercial clients (Walmart Technologies, Cloud Kitchens). Notable projects include Zilker Studios ($25M, 110-unit supportive housing), Rasmus-Temenos ($34.8M, 95-unit Houston development), Cheatham Street Flats (143-unit modular student housing completed in 18 months), and Theresa Passive House (the first PHIUS+ Source Zero retrofit in the Southern U.S., 2024 AIA Housing Award winner). Operations are concentrated across Texas (Austin, Houston, San Antonio, San Marcos), with cross-state regulatory readiness for modular projects beyond state lines. The firm is founder-owned and led by Scott Ginder (Founding Principal/CEO), Trey Farmer (Partner/Principal/CSO), Rommel Sulit (Founding Principal/COO), and Jon Hagar (Principal), with no external investment, funding rounds, or parent company disclosed.

Name

Forge Craft Architecture + Design

Legal name

Forge Craft Architecture & Design

Website

https://forgecraftarchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Forge Craft Architecture + Design is an Austin, Texas architecture firm providing high-performance, Passive House (PHIUS+) design services across affordable housing, modular, commercial, and residential projects, serving mission-driven developers, municipalities, nonprofits, and homeowners across Texas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Modular & Prefabricated Home Construction (IMAFABAF), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Sustainable architecture services
• Passive house design
• Affordable housing design
• Modular construction design
• High-performance building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Forge Craft generates revenue through professional architecture and design fees for residential, commercial, affordable housing, and modular projects. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed design fees, billed across project phases. The firm serves as the architect of record and design lead on projects spanning from single-family custom homes to large-scale multifamily affordable housing developments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forge Craft Architecture + Design is an Austin-based architecture and design firm that provides professional architecture, interior design, and master planning services organized around six Craft Studios: Affordable Housing, Commercial, Healthy Homes, Interior Design, Modular, and Residential & Mixed Use. The firm specializes in high-performance, sustainable design including Passive House (PHIUS+) certified projects, net-zero ready multifamily housing, trauma-informed supportive housing, and prefabricated volumetric modular construction. Services span from single-family custom homes to large-scale multifamily affordable housing developments for developers, municipalities, and nonprofits.

Product overview

Forge Craft Architecture + Design is an Austin-based architecture and design firm organized around six Craft Studios: Affordable Housing, Commercial, Healthy Homes, Interior Design, Modular, and Residential & Mixed Use. The firm provides architecture and design services rather than a software product, with expertise in high-performance building, Passive House certification, and modular construction. Their work spans from single-family healthy homes to large-scale affordable housing developments, unified by commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency, and resiliency. The firm also produces knowledge resources including white papers on microunits and modular construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Craft Studios: Six specialized craft studios including Affordable Housing, Commercial, Healthy Homes, Interior Design, Modular, and Residential & Mixed Use

Products and services

• Affordable Housing Craft Studio Specialized architecture and design services focused on multifamily affordable, deeply affordable, and supportive housing, working with mission-driven nonprofit developers and municipal housing authorities. Includes net-zero ready design, PHIUS energy modeling, and trauma-informed design principles for vulnerable populations including those transitioning out of homelessness, foster youth, and people with mental health needs.
• Healthy Homes Craft Studio Custom residential design services for individual homeowners applying Passive House standards, advanced building science, and high-performance envelope design. Includes certified Passive House renovations, new custom home construction, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) focused on energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and wellness.
• Commercial Craft Studio Commercial architecture services including office buildings, retail spaces, hospitality venues, mixed-use developments, and adaptive reuse of historic buildings with a sustainable design focus. Serves world-renowned commercial clients such as Walmart Technologies and Cloud Kitchens.
• Interior Design Craft Studio Interior architecture and design services integrated with architecture projects, focusing on material selection, spatial planning, and health-focused interiors. Combines aesthetics with environmental, health, and ethical considerations in design decisions.
• Modular Craft Studio Prefabricated volumetric modular design services including multifamily communities, workplace projects, single-family homes, and modular ghost kitchen infrastructure. Includes expertise in regulatory navigation between state IHB authorities and local AHJs, and coordination between fabricators and developers across volumetric wood, steel-frame, container-based, and 3D-printed modular systems.
• Residential & Mixed Use Craft Studio Architecture services for multi-family residential developments, mixed-use developments, and custom single-family homes, applying sustainable design and high-performance building standards. Includes market-rate and student housing projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buildings designed to Passive House standards consume approximately 75% less energy than typical new homes (e.g., Theresa Passive House, certified PHIUS+ Source Zero)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Foundation CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation Communities is a nonprofit affordable housing builder in Austin that has partnered with Forge Craft on multiple projects including Zilker Studios (110-unit supportive housing), Parker Lane (135 affordable units), and Waterloo Terrace. Forge Craft serves as the architecture and design partner, while Foundation Communities operates the properties, provides resident services, and secures funding through sources including LIHTC and municipal partnerships. The relationship is long-standing and repeat, with Forge Craft learning from each project to optimize design for resident comfort and community longevity.
• Capital A HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapital A Housing is a local developer of affordable and mixed-income housing in Austin that has partnered with Forge Craft on multiple projects including The Works III (120-unit supportive housing for youth aging out of foster care) and Integral Care at Seabrook Square (60-unit permanent supportive housing). Capital A serves as the development partner while Forge Craft provides architecture and design services.
• LifeWorks Austin / LifeWorks Affordable Housing CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifeWorks is a leading Austin-based provider of housing, counseling, and education/workforce programs for youth experiencing homelessness. They partnered with Forge Craft and Capital A Housing on The Works III, providing on-site supportive services focused on creating pathways to self-sufficiency for youth transitioning from foster care.
• Industry ATXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry ATX is an Austin-based company focused on creating affordable living within walkable and transit-fit neighborhoods. They partnered with Forge Craft and Austin Housing Finance Corporation on Drowsy Willow, a 38-unit affordable homeownership community in Southeast Austin's Dove Springs neighborhood, targeting families with incomes up to 80% of area median income.
• Austin Housing Finance CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) provides strategic housing solutions that benefit low- and moderate-income residents in Austin. AHFC partnered with Forge Craft and Industry ATX on the Drowsy Willow project to provide much-needed affordable homeownership opportunities in the Dove Springs neighborhood.
• NHP FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NHP Foundation is a not-for-profit provider of affordable housing that partnered with Forge Craft and Temenos Community Development Corporation on Rasmus-Temenos, a $34.8 million, 95-unit permanent supportive housing project in Houston's Midtown. The project replaces 80 units lost to I-45 highway expansion, with NHP Foundation providing development expertise and ongoing property management.
• Temenos Community Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTemenos CDC is a nonprofit developer that partnered with Forge Craft and NHP Foundation on Rasmus-Temenos in Houston. Forge Craft designed the 95-unit permanent supportive housing project that replaces the previous Temenos II building demolished for I-45 expansion. The project serves people experiencing homelessness with dedicated support services.
• Hugh Jefferson Randolph ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHugh Jefferson Randolph Architects is an Austin-based architecture firm with extensive experience designing renovations to historic homes. They partnered with Forge Craft and Studio Ferme on the Theresa Passive House project, bringing expertise in blending old and new design while striking a balance between modernization and historic preservation in Austin's Clarksville historic neighborhood.
• Studio FermecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio Ferme, led by Adrienne Farmer, is an interior design firm specializing in healthy and sustainable interiors. They collaborated with Forge Craft and Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects on Theresa Passive House, contributing interior design expertise and ensuring design decisions' environmental, health, and ethical impacts were carefully considered.
• Integral CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegral Care is the regional mental health authority for Travis County, Texas. They partnered with Forge Craft, Capital A Housing, and NHP Foundation on the Integral Care at Seabrook Square project (60-unit permanent supportive housing). Forge Craft worked with Integral Care leadership and residents to apply Trauma-Informed Design principles throughout the project.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lake|Flato Architects: San Antonio-based architecture firm with a strong sustainability and regional design focus, comparable to Forge Craft as a Texas-rooted practice known for high-performance, climate-responsive residential, commercial, and community projects.
• MASS Design Group: Architecture practice known for socially responsive, mission-driven design including affordable and supportive housing — closely comparable to Forge Craft's affordable housing focus, trauma-informed design approach, and values-based client alignment.
• BNIM: Kansas City-based architecture and design firm with deep expertise in high-performance, sustainable design across affordable housing, civic, and education projects — comparable to Forge Craft's mission-driven, sustainability-led project portfolio.
• Studio Ma: Phoenix-based architecture practice focused on sustainability, innovation, and hot-climate design — comparable to Forge Craft's Passive House and hot-humid climate specialization, with similar project scales across residential and institutional work.
• KieranTimberlake: Award-winning architecture firm recognized for innovation, high-performance building envelopes, and prefabrication — comparable to Forge Craft's Passive House, modular expertise, and commitment to measurable performance outcomes.
• SHoP Architects: Innovative architecture firm known for large-scale residential, modular, and mixed-use projects including prefabricated housing systems — comparable to Forge Craft's modular construction specialization and large multifamily mandates.
• Mithun: Integrated design firm with strong sustainability credentials across housing, education, and community projects — comparable to Forge Craft's combination of high-performance design, affordable housing expertise, and integrated studio model.

Broad incumbents

• Page: Large Texas-headquartered architecture, engineering, and planning firm operating across healthcare, education, and civic projects — comparable to Forge Craft as a major Texas-based practice with overlapping commercial and institutional client segments.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with established sustainability practice serving healthcare, education, and housing at large scale — comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping high-performance design capabilities across larger, geographically diverse portfolios.

Regional players

• Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects: Austin-based architecture firm with expertise in residential renovation and historic preservation — comparable as a fellow Austin practice and existing Forge Craft co-design partner on Theresa Passive House.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FORGExCRAFT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forge-craft-architecture-design
• Instagraminstagram.com/forgexcraft/?hl=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/FORGExCRAFT

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Forge Craft Architecture + Design