What ZGF Architects does

ZGF Architects (legal entity Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP) is a privately held architecture and design partnership founded in 1944 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The firm delivers architecture, interior design, urban planning, landscape architecture, environmental graphic design, medical planning, and pre-design programming services through seven offices spanning Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, New York, Washington D.C., and Vancouver, BC. It employs 501–1,000 people and serves clients primarily in five verticals: healthcare systems, higher education and research universities, government and public-sector agencies, technology and corporate enterprises, and cultural or civic institutions.

The firm's underlying technology stack comprises industry-standard BIM, CAD, and energy-modeling tools; ZGF has additionally developed proprietary embodied-carbon accounting tools (Tally and an EC3-based LCA calculator) that it has released open-source to influence industry standards for sustainable design. Its work consistently achieves LEED Platinum or LEED Gold certification across healthcare, civic, and workplace projects, and includes flagship reference projects such as Portland International Airport's $2 billion main terminal expansion, Amazon HQ2 Phase 1 at Met Park in Arlington, the May Lee State Office Complex, and Stanford University's Central Energy Facility.

ZGF generates revenue through negotiated or competitively procured design contracts — typically a percentage of construction cost or fixed fees scoped to discrete service phases (schematic design, design development, construction administration). Projects are multi-year, non-recurring engagements secured via public RFQ/RFP processes with government and institutional buyers and via direct relationship development and design competitions with healthcare systems, universities, and corporate clients. The firm monetizes primarily through professional services fees rather than licensing or product revenue, and it discloses no pricing publicly. Repeat engagements with anchor accounts — including a 25-year, 8M+ SF relationship with a confidential Redmond high-tech client and recurring work for Nike, Stanford, and Wexford Science & Technology — indicate a stable, relationship-driven revenue base.

Name

ZGF Architects

Legal name

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP

Website

https://zgf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ZGF Architects is a privately held, 80-year-old architecture and design partnership headquartered in Portland, Oregon, delivering architecture, interiors, planning, and sustainable-design services to healthcare systems, universities, government agencies, technology firms, and civic institutions across seven North American offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: ZGF generates revenue through negotiated or competitive design contracts for architecture, interior design, master planning, and environmental graphic design services. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fee for specific service phases (schematic design, design development, construction administration). Revenue is project-based and non-recurring, with multi-year engagement cycles for large infrastructure projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ZGF is an independent architectural practice that delivers architecture, interior design, urban and master planning, medical planning, landscape architecture, environmental graphic design, and programming services for healthcare systems, higher education institutions, government agencies, technology and corporate clients, and cultural/civic organizations across North America. Work is delivered under negotiated or competitive design contracts through a partnership-led, multi-office studio model.

Product overview

ZGF Architects (Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP) is an architectural design firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services centered on architectural design. The firm operates as a single integrated practice rather than a platform-plus-modules structure, providing architecture services, interior design, urban planning, landscape services, graphic design, medical planning, and programming as interconnected service offerings. Their portfolio spans healthcare facilities, higher education campuses, workplace environments, civic and public buildings, sports facilities, and adaptive reuse projects, with these services typically combined on projects based on client needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZGF: Architecture and design services firm operating across healthcare, higher education, workplace, civic, sports, and public infrastructure sectors

Products and services

• Architecture

Quantifiable outcome

• PDX airport: 9-acre mass timber ceiling sourced entirely from within 300 miles; 1M SF terminal is Oregon's largest public infrastructure project
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Clayco & Skender JV / Lamar Johnson CollaborativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026ZGF and Lamar Johnson Collaborative were selected as the design team within the Clayco & Skender JV to plan, program, and design a new 270,000 SF Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois.
• McClain + Yu Architecture & DesignflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025ZGF and McClain + Yu formed a joint venture to design a new state-of-the-art facility for the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. The team was selected for its holistic, integrated approach to this complex academic medical project, uniting program, cost, schedule, and campus context.
• Wexford Science & TechnologyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerZGF partnered with Wexford Science & Technology and University of Pittsburgh to transform the historic Ford Motor Plant into The Assembly — a hub for scientific research, achieving LEED Gold certification. The partnership has extended across multiple projects including Aggie Square (UC Davis) and One uCity Square (Philadelphia).
• Port of PortlandflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerZGF was the architect of record for the Port of Portland's $2 billion Portland International Airport main terminal expansion — Oregon's largest public infrastructure project. The project featured a 9-acre mass timber ceiling sourced from local mills within 300 miles.
• Hensel Phelps / Dreyfuss + BlackfordflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerZGF partnered with Hensel Phelps (design-build contractor) and Dreyfuss + Blackford (architect of record) to deliver the May Lee State Office Complex — the largest all-electric, zero carbon workplace campus in the U.S. for 5,000+ California state employees.
• ARC/Architectural Resources CambridgecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerZGF designed the Paul J. DiMare Center in association with ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge. The nine-story, 354,000 SF biomedical research building achieved LEED Gold and Net Zero Energy Ready certification.
• James Corner Field OperationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerZGF collaborated with James Corner Field Operations to design the public realm and Met Park for Amazon's HQ2 at Met Park in Arlington, VA — the largest LEED v4 Platinum project in the world. ZGF also partnered with James Corner Field Operations on rooftop terraces across Merlin and Jasper towers.
• Pacific Northwest Local Mills and FabricatorsminorOthersFor the PDX terminal expansion, ZGF and the Port of Portland intentionally contracted with local mills, fabricators, and small businesses within 300 miles to source the 9-acre mass timber ceiling, supporting regional economic growth and quality local jobs.
• Toby Hasselgren (Design Partner)coreOthersToby Hasselgren served as Design Partner for Princeton University's Central Energy Facilities project, working alongside ZGF's team.
• Tim Williams (Design Partner)coreOthersTim Williams served as Design Partner for Princeton University's Central Energy Facilities project.
• Josh Peacock (Design Leadership)coreOthersJosh Peacock served as Design Leadership for the Navy SEAL Museum San Diego project.
• Ted Hyman (Design Partner)coreOthersTed Hyman served as Design Partner for the Aggie Square project at UC Davis.
• Vladimir Pajkic (Design Partner)coreOthersVladimir Pajkic served as Design Partner for the Aggie Square project at UC Davis.
• James Woolum (Design Partner)coreOthersJames Woolum served as Design Partner for the Aggie Square project at UC Davis.
• Anne Cotter (Design Partner)coreOthersAnne Cotter served as Design Partner for the May Lee State Office Complex.
• Chris Conaway (Design Partner)coreOthersChris Conaway served as Design Partner for the May Lee State Office Complex.
• Solvei Neiger (Managing Partner)coreOthersSolvei Neiger is Managing Partner of ZGF Portland and leads the firmwide healthcare practice. Authored thought leadership on reducing violence in healthcare facilities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NBBJ: Seattle-headquartered architecture firm with healthcare, higher education, and corporate workplace practices. Competes head-to-head on West Coast healthcare and university work.
• Perkins&Will: Large North American architecture firm with comparable vertical mix (healthcare, higher education, science, civic) and industry-leading sustainability practice. Most directly comparable peer on size, scope, and sustainability positioning.
• HDR Architecture: Major architecture/engineering practice with comparable institutional, healthcare, and civic portfolio. Competes directly with ZGF on large healthcare and university campus projects.
• CannonDesign: Design-focused firm with strong healthcare, higher education, and science practices. Comparable size and directly competes for academic medical and research campus commissions.
• SmithGroup: Large US architecture firm with deep science, healthcare, and higher education practices and a strong sustainability profile. Direct competitor for research and academic medical center commissions.
• EwingCole: Architecture and engineering firm specializing in healthcare, higher education, and science/research facilities. Direct peer for specialized institutional and research-oriented commissions.
• HKS: Architecture firm with a top-tier healthcare practice and growing higher education and civic portfolio. Comparable size and directly competes for major hospital and academic medical center projects.

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Global architecture practice with healthcare, science, civic, and workplace expertise. Broader geographic and sector footprint than ZGF; competes on large institutional and public infrastructure commissions.
• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm, with healthcare, workplace, education, and civic practices. Overlaps with ZGF on large institutional and corporate workplace projects, but broader in scope and scale.
• SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill): Global architecture, engineering, and urban planning firm with healthcare, higher education, civic, and workplace expertise. Larger and broader than ZGF; competes for landmark institutional and public-sector commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/zgfarchitects
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ZGFArchitectsLLP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zgf-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/zgfarchitects/?hl=en

Compliance15 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ZGF Architects