What Studio 2LR does

Studio 2LR is a privately held, boutique architecture and interior design firm founded in 2005 in Columbia, South Carolina, by Wes Lyles (President), Gretchen Lambert (Vice President), and Tripp Riley (Vice President). The firm provides comprehensive architectural design, interior design, and historic preservation/adaptive reuse services across civic/cultural, commercial office, industrial, residential, retail/restaurant, and mixed-use redevelopment project types. Primary clients are South Carolina state agencies, county and municipal institutions (notably libraries and government departments), financial institutions, manufacturing firms, and developers requiring adaptive reuse of historic structures. Major projects include the 151,000 SF South Carolina Department of Education headquarters, the 60,000 SF South Carolina Department of Natural Resources headquarters, the Orangeburg County Library + Conference Center, the Clinton Public Library, the House of Raeford Farms production facility, and adaptive reuse projects such as Adluh Flour, The War Mouth, Savage Craft Ale Works, and The Laundry.

The firm operates from an owned and renovated historic building at 2428 Main Street, Columbia, SC (purchased April 6, 2016), and has accumulated 50+ design awards over 20 years, including recognitions from AIA South Carolina, AIA Columbia, Historic Columbia, Preservation South Carolina, IIDA Carolinas, Palmetto Trust, and Shop! Association. Studio 2LR operates as a single unified practice with approximately 12-13 staff including three owners, two associate principals, architectural designers, interior designers, and a business manager; the team holds AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, IIDA, and NCIDQ credentials. The firm leverages industry-standard design software and methodologies; no proprietary technology, software products, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional fees structured around scope, complexity, and construction cost, with custom quoting per engagement. Distribution is direct via enterprise field sales: the firm responds to RFPs from government agencies and institutions and maintains client relationships across South Carolina and select out-of-state engagements (e.g., Wallace, NC). Marketing relies on a professional website portfolio, industry award announcements, and active involvement in professional organizations (notably Tripp Riley's 2015 presidency of AIA South Carolina). Studio 2LR is independently owned and operated with no external institutional investment, venture capital, or parent company.

Name

Studio 2LR

Legal name

Studio 2LR, Inc.

Website

https://studio2lr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio 2LR is a privately held, boutique architecture and interior design firm founded in 2005 in Columbia, South Carolina, serving South Carolina state agencies, libraries, financial institutions, manufacturers, and developers through architectural design, interior design, and historic adaptive reuse services across 30+ completed projects and 50+ design awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Interior Design Services: Studio 2LR generates revenue through professional fees for architectural design, interior design, and project management services. Projects include new construction, renovations, and adaptive reuse for institutional, commercial, and residential clients. Revenue is project-based with fees structured around scope, complexity, and construction costs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Studio 2LR is a boutique architecture and interior design firm providing comprehensive architectural design, interior design, and historic preservation services. The firm delivers new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse projects for civic, governmental, commercial, industrial, and residential clients, with notable specialization in transforming historic and National Register listed structures into functional modern spaces. Services span concept through construction administration and culminate in architectural plans, interior specifications, and construction documents.

Product overview

Studio 2LR is a boutique architecture and interior design firm offering comprehensive design services. The firm operates as a single unified practice providing architectural design, interior design, and historic preservation services across multiple project types including civic/cultural, commercial office, industrial, residential, and retail/restaurant projects. Their specialty lies in adaptive reuse of historic structures and urban redevelopment projects. The firm does not offer software products or platforms; all outputs are design services culminating in architectural plans, interior specifications, and construction documents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services for civic, commercial, industrial, and residential projects, including new construction and renovations, delivered as full-scope engagements from concept through construction administration.
• Interior Design Interior design services for commercial, institutional, and residential spaces, including space planning, finishes, and furniture selection.
• Historic Preservation and Adaptive Re-Use Specialty service for restoring and repurposing historic structures including National Register listed buildings, combining preservation with modern functionality for civic, commercial, and mixed-use outcomes.
• Civic and Cultural Design Design services for public institutions including libraries, museums, government buildings, and community centers, tailored to civic programming and community engagement requirements.
• Commercial Office Design Office space design for corporate and government clients, including headquarters facilities and branch locations such as the 151,000 SF SC Department of Education headquarters.
• Industrial Facility Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed over 30 projects with 50+ design awards since founding in 2005
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Clark Ellefson (Lewis and Clark Lamps)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaborated with Studio 2LR on the Robot Cisterns functional art installation. Clark Ellefson contributed artistic design for the cisterns created from salvaged propane tanks to manage rainwater infiltration at the studio office.
• Stuyck CompanyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Fabricator for the Robot Cisterns functional art installation. Chris Stuyck with Stuyck Co. fabricated the robot cisterns from salvaged propane tanks.
• Buchanan Construction ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Construction partner for Robot Cisterns installation at Studio 2LR office.
• Snipes ElectricminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Electrical contractor for Robot Cisterns functional art installation.
• Commercial Roofing AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Roofing contractor supporting Robot Cisterns project.
• Homes UrbancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Studio 2LR worked with Homes Urban to renovate Vista Towers (formerly Pavilion Towers) - 240 apartment units plus 23 additional units from office building conversion.
• Studio SheacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Studio Shea on Clinton Public Library project. Studio 2LR led architectural design while Studio Shea contributed to design team for 10,800 SF branch library.
• Oswald Design + CreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaborator on Savage Craft Ale Works project for visual design elements.
• Kickstand StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom art installation collaborator on Richland Library Edgewood project featuring silhouettes of local community members.
• Celtic WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilder collaborator on 1519 Cleveland affordable modern house project, bringing the design to market as an affordable alternative in Columbia.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HOK: HOK is a large global architecture firm with strong civic, healthcare, and institutional practices that compete for the same state agency and institutional clients Studio 2LR serves.
• Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a large global architecture firm with significant civic, healthcare, and institutional practices that often compete for the same government and institutional RFPs Studio 2LR targets, particularly in the Southeast.
• HGA Architects and Engineers: HGA is a national architecture and engineering firm with civic, cultural, and workplace practices that compete for state government and institutional work similar to Studio 2LR's core portfolio.
• Gensler: Gensler is the largest global architecture and design firm, frequently competing for large corporate office and government headquarters projects of the type Studio 2LR has delivered (e.g., SC DOE 151,000 SF HQ).
• DLR Group: DLR Group is an integrated design firm with civic, K-12, and institutional practices that compete for public-sector architectural commissions comparable to Studio 2LR's library and government portfolio.

Regional players

• tvsdesign: tvsdesign is an Atlanta-based architecture and design firm with significant civic, cultural, and commercial work across the Southeast, making it a regional peer with comparable practice areas but larger scale than Studio 2LR.
• Stevens & Wilkinson (now Angler Architectural): Stevens & Wilkinson is a long-standing Southeast architecture firm (Columbia, SC and Atlanta) with civic, commercial, and adaptive reuse experience directly comparable to Studio 2LR's practice area and historical footprint.

Direct peers

• Liollio Architecture: Liollio Architecture is a Charleston, SC-based architecture and interior design firm comparable in size and regional focus to Studio 2LR, with portfolio work spanning civic, commercial, and adaptive reuse projects in the Southeast.
• LS3P Associates: LS3P is a Southeast-headquartered (Charleston, SC) architecture and design firm of comparable scale and practice composition to Studio 2LR, with strong civic, institutional, and historic preservation work across the Carolinas. It is the most direct peer given shared geography, size, and project portfolio overlap.

Emerging players

• Lake|Flato Architects: Lake|Flato is a San Antonio-based boutique architecture firm known for design excellence, civic/cultural work, and sustainable/adaptive reuse philosophy comparable to Studio 2LR's approach, though operating in Texas rather than the Southeast.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Studio2LR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studio-2lr-architecture-interiors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Studio 2LR