What Evoke Studio Architecture, Pllc does

EVOKE Studio Architecture, Pllc is a privately held, design-driven architecture firm headquartered at 401 Foster Street, Durham, North Carolina. Founded in 2017 by Teri Canada, Edwin Harris, and Billy Askey — all former colleagues under Phil Freelon's mentorship at The Freelon Group and Perkins+Will — the firm employs approximately 18-20 professionals across principals, associate principals, associates, project architects, designers, and a finance director. EVOKE delivers three core service lines: architecture (new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse), design visioning (collaborative narrative-to-form exploration), and master planning, all oriented around a community-centered methodology that translates client and stakeholder stories into site-specific designs.

The firm serves institutional clients in four primary verticals — K-12 and higher education (Durham Public Schools, Duke University, Harvard Medical School, NCCU), municipal and state government (City of Greensboro, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources), cultural and community organizations (Mary Lou Williams Center, Lumbee Tribal Welcome Center), and healthcare/non-profit (Tubman Center for Health and Freedom in Seattle). Revenue is generated through project-based professional fees on individual commissions, with project selection influenced by an explicit community-engagement process that brings underrepresented voices into the design narrative. Business development is anchored on inbound demand generated by an unusually dense stack of design awards (AIA Triangle Firm of the Year, Architizer A+ Awards, NOMA Phil Freelon Awards) and credentialing of its founding principals (one AIA Fellow, one AIA Young Architects Award recipient), with public-sector access supported by HUB, Durham SLBE, and NC DOT DBE certifications.

The firm is capitalized entirely by its three founding principals — no external investors, no parent company, no funding rounds, no M&A activity. Principals are individually licensed in 10 states, enabling multi-jurisdiction public-sector work; the operational base is Durham with active commissions spanning the Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Texas, and the Pacific Northwest, including a strategic engagement in Northwest Arkansas through the Walton Family Foundation Design Excellence Program.

Name

Evoke Studio Architecture, Pllc

Legal name

EVOKE Studio Architecture, Pllc

Website

https://evokestudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EVOKE Studio Architecture is a Durham, NC-based architecture firm founded in 2017 by three former Freelon Group/Perkins+Will principals, delivering architecture, design visioning, and master planning services to educational institutions, municipal and state governments, cultural organizations, and healthcare non-profits across 10+ states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural services
• Design visioning
• Master planning
• Adaptive reuse design
• Civic architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based professional fees for architectural design, design visioning, and master planning services. Revenue generated through client commissions for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse projects across civic, educational, and community sectors.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EVOKE Studio Architecture is a design-driven architecture firm that provides full-service architectural design (new construction, renovation, adaptive reuse), design visioning, and master planning for civic, educational, healthcare, and community-focused projects. The firm specializes in community-centered, culturally responsive design that uncovers hidden histories and creates architecture tailored to site, people, and client narrative.

Product overview

EVOKE Studio Architecture is a design-driven architecture firm based in Durham, NC, offering three core services: Architecture, Design Visioning, and Master Planning. Their portfolio includes notable projects such as Murray-Massenburg Elementary (an 800-student school with innovative courtyard design), Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, Harvard Gordon Hall renovation, Windsor Chavis Nocho Community Complex, Lumbee Welcome Center, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research, and Tubman Center for Health and Freedom. The firm specializes in community-centered design that uncovers hidden histories and serves underserved populations through educational, civic, healthcare, and cultural projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design including new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse projects for educational, civic, healthcare, and community facilities. Engagements are project-based commissions delivered through direct client relationships and institutional procurement.
• Design Visioning Collaborative design exploration process that uncovers hidden histories and creates narratives for projects through materials, colors, imagery, and landscape integration. Used by institutional and community clients to translate ideas into tangible design directions before architectural execution.
• Master Planning Comprehensive planning services that shape meaningful, enduring experiences by connecting community stories with architectural outcomes. Engaged by educational institutions, municipalities, and cultural organizations for campus, civic, and community-level planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Murray-Massenburg Elementary received Architizer A+ Award (Jury Winner + Popular Choice Winner) from submissions representing more than 70 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vines ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVines Architecture serves as Design Architect of Record with EVOKE as Associate Architect for the Windsor Chavis Nocho Community Complex project in Greensboro, NC. Collaborative partnership for multi-generational community hub housing Library and Parks and Recreation departments.
• Walton Family FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected to participate in Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program. Guided by principles of strengthening public life, elevating sustainability and resiliency standards, celebrating local culture and place, and building regional capacity in Arkansas' Benton and Washington counties.
• Diversify ArchitectureminorOthersNon-profit organization focused on improving minority representation in architecture. EVOKE is involved with this organization as part of commitment to mentorship and education of aspiring designers.
• Fay Jones School of Architecture and DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in 'A South Forty: Contemporary Architecture and Design in the American South' exhibition hosted by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. Edwin and Billy participated in symposium activities including farm-to-table meal, office tours, and architectural landmark visits.
• Partners of PlaceminorOthersPartner in Rural Witnesses: Retracing and Reimagining Rural Architecture exhibition presented by Clemson University School of Architecture. Featured projects include Rogallo Museum of Low-Speed Flight, Lumbee Tribal Welcome Center, and Murray-Massenburg Elementary.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brooks + Scarpa: Award-winning architecture firm recognized for socially-conscious, sustainable design across civic, educational, and cultural typologies. Comparable in scale and design ethos to EVOKE, with overlapping award recognition.
• MASS Design Group: Mission-driven architecture and design practice focused on justice-oriented buildings, including civic, cultural, and healthcare projects for underserved communities. Closely aligned with EVOKE's community-centered design philosophy and equity-driven portfolio.
• Moody Nolan: Largest African-American-owned architecture firm in the U.S., with strong civic, educational, and cultural portfolios. Highly comparable mission-driven practice focused on community impact and DEI-aligned design, similar to EVOKE's positioning.
• Quinn Evans: Architecture firm with deep adaptive reuse and historic preservation expertise across cultural, educational, and civic institutions. Directly comparable to EVOKE's adaptive reuse work (Harvard Gordon Hall, Mary Lou Williams Center).
• KAI Enterprises: Minority-owned architecture, engineering, and construction services firm with significant K-12, higher-ed, and civic portfolios. Comparable in size and mission to EVOKE, with overlapping public-sector certifications.
• Vines Architecture: Minority-owned architecture firm specializing in civic, educational, and community projects. Currently serves as Design Architect of Record on the Windsor Chavis Nocho Community Complex with EVOKE as Associate Architect, indicating direct collaborative overlap.

Broad incumbents

• SmithGroup: Integrated design firm with significant higher-education, cultural, and civic practices, including historic preservation expertise. Comparable to EVOKE in adaptive reuse and institutional design but at substantially larger scale.
• HOK: Large global design firm with strong higher-education, healthcare, and civic portfolios. Competes with EVOKE for institutional commissions but operates at much greater scale and broader service breadth.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with extensive higher-education, healthcare, and civic practices. EVOKE's three founders previously worked at Perkins&Will, and the firms compete in overlapping institutional market segments at materially different scales.

Others

• The Freelon Group (now part of Perkins&Will): Former independent practice of the late Phil Freelon, where EVOKE's three founders were mentored and trained. Now integrated into Perkins&Will; relevant as the foundational legacy practice that shaped EVOKE's design philosophy and community-centered ethos.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evoke-studio-architecture-pllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Evoke Studio Architecture, Pllc