Colorspace

What Colorspace does

Colorspace is a privately-held architecture and urban design firm operating as Colorspace LP, founded in 2013 by co-founders Sarah Simpson (AIA, registered architect in Texas since 2012) and John David Carson (CNU-Accredited, licensed Texas real estate broker). The firm is headquartered in San Marcos, Texas, with a mailing address in Austin, and operates with a small team of 1-10 employees. Colorspace specializes in social-ecological urbanism — an approach that integrates social and ecological principles into architecture and urban design at scales ranging from individual buildings to neighborhood frameworks — with a geographic focus on the Central Texas region including San Marcos, Austin, Wimberley, and the Texas Hill Country.

The firm's portfolio spans hospitality design (restaurants and spas), residential and mixed-use development (including the 29-unit Lively Lane Pocket Neighborhood with Energy Star, Zero Energy Ready Home, and Indoor Air Plus certifications), commercial buildings developed under Smart Code in San Marcos's South End, and urban planning research frameworks. Notable work includes the 2021 Critter Stack fort installation for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Fortlandia exhibit and the San Marcos Green Alley Initiative, with a pilot construction project scheduled for 2025. The firm is a signatory to The 2030 Challenge and US Architects Declare, signaling a stated commitment to carbon-neutral building practices.

Colorspace generates revenue through project-based professional services fees for architecture, urban design, and sustainable development consulting. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific, with multi-year contract cadences. The firm deliberately limits third-party engagements, prioritizing collaborative opportunities that benefit the Central Texas region. Customer segments are primarily small-to-mid-market local developers, hospitality operators, civic/nonprofit organizations, and the firm's own real estate development work; the firm maintains ongoing collaborations with environmental engineers, civic organizations, and trade partners (civil, structural, MEP, landscape, energy rating) on individual projects.

Name

Colorspace

Legal name

Colorspace LP

Website

https://color-space.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Colorspace is a small San Marcos, Texas-based architecture and urban design firm founded in 2013, specializing in social-ecological urbanism and sustainable development for Central Texas clients including local developers, hospitality operators, and civic organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Marcos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Urban Design Services: Professional architecture and urban design services for commercial, residential, mixed-use, and urban planning projects. Revenue generated through design fees for architectural services, urban design frameworks, and sustainable development consulting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Colorspace is an architecture and urban design firm founded in 2013 in San Marcos, Texas, providing architectural design, urban design, and sustainable development services for commercial, residential, mixed-use, hospitality, and civic projects. The firm applies its proprietary Social-Ecological Urbanism (SEU) framework to integrate ecological systems into the built environment, and is recognized for expertise in implementing Smart Code zoning and LEED-certified, biophilic, transit-oriented developments across Central Texas.

Product overview

Colorspace is an architecture and urban design firm founded in 2013, offering a portfolio of architectural design services and urban planning frameworks. Their project portfolio includes hospitality design projects (The Leaning Pear Bar Expansion, Aloe Skin + Body Day Spa, A-Tan Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar), residential developments (Lively Lane Pocket Neighborhood, River Road Pocket Neighborhood), commercial/mixed-use buildings (407 S. Stagecoach Trail Mixed-Use, South End Office Building, The Shops at the Leaning Pear), and urban planning research frameworks (The South End San Marcos, Framework for Social Ecological Growth in Central Texas, The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative). The firm specializes in sustainable development practices with a focus on social-ecological principles for the Central Texas region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture and Urban Design Services End-to-end architecture and urban design services covering commercial, residential, mixed-use, hospitality, and civic projects for developers, municipalities, and operators across Central Texas. Delivered under the firm's Social-Ecological Urbanism (SEU) framework with Smart Code, LEED, and biophilic design expertise.
• Sustainable Development Consulting Sustainability-focused consulting tied to LEED certification, Smart Code zoning, biophilic design, and transit-oriented development principles, supporting developers and municipalities pursuing ecologically integrated projects.
• Master Planning and Urban Design Large-scale master planning and urban design services for mixed-use districts, civic centers, and neighborhoods, including the Saltillo District plan for Red River Properties in Austin and the San Marcos Civic Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• Downtown alleys can capture nearly 500,000 gallons of stormwater and filter over 10,720 pounds of total suspended solids annually if converted to green reconstructions
• +1 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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Wildlife Society at Texas State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaborative partner in Critter Stack fort design for Fortlandia 2021, contributing wildlife biology expertise for the educational installation.
• Adamson Brothers DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Fabrication and installation collaborator for the Critter Stack fort at Fortlandia 2021.
• The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Host venue for the Critter Stack fort installation as part of the 2021 Fortlandia exhibit.
• Elizabeth Arceneaux, P.E.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental engineer collaborator on The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative, contributing stormwater engineering expertise for the comprehensive 21st century vision for green alleys in San Marcos.
• The Meadows Center for Water and The EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner with Aspen Navarro from this organization contributing to The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative visioning effort.
• San Marcos River FoundationminorOthersEndorsing organization for The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative, one of multiple local advocacy groups supporting the vision.
• Downtown Association of San MarcosminorOthersEndorsing organization for The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative.
• San Marcos Greenbelt AllianceminorOthersEndorsing organization for The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative.
• Sustainable San MarcosminorOthersEndorsing organization for The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative.
• San Marcos Chamber of CommerceminorOthersEndorsing organization for The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative.
• Mermaid Society of TexasminorOthersEndorsing organization for The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative.
• Greater San Marcos PartnershipminorOthersEndorsing organization for The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative.
• The Hill Country AllianceminorOthersEndorsing organization for The San Marcos Green Alley Initiative.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lake|Flato Architects: San Antonio-based architecture firm nationally recognized for sustainability-led, regionally rooted design across residential, hospitality, and community scales — closest peer in mission, regional geography, and boutique size.
• BNIM: National sustainable architecture and planning firm with a portfolio spanning urban design, mixed-use, and high-performance buildings — comparable in design philosophy (social-ecological, climate-responsive) and in integrated master planning services.
• Studio Balcones: Austin-based architecture practice focused on residential and small commercial projects in Central Texas — direct local competitor targeting similar client base (small developers, hospitality, residential).
• Forge Craft Architecture + Design: Texas-based architecture firm specializing in sustainable, climate-responsive residential and commercial design — comparable in scale, regional focus, and sustainability-led design ethos.
• Moule & Polyzoides: Architecture and urbanism practice known for New Urbanism, transect-based coding, and walkable mixed-use design — strong peer in urban design framework work, Smart Code-style implementation, and form-based coding that Colorspace uses in South End San Marcos.
• OLIN: Landscape architecture and urban design practice with strong focus on ecology, public realm, and sustainable placemaking — comparable in integrating ecological principles into urban form, a core Colorspace differentiator.
• Dover, Kohl & Partners: Town planning firm specializing in form-based codes, walkable urbanism, and Smart Code implementation — direct peer in the urban coding and social-ecological framework work Colorspace deploys in South End San Marcos.

Broad incumbents

• Page (Page Southerland Page): Large Texas-headquartered architecture and engineering firm offering residential, commercial, and urban design services across Texas — overlaps with Colorspace on project typology and geography but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• SWA Group: National landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm — overlaps with Colorspace on urban design frameworks, sustainability, and public realm work, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Sasaki Associates: Planning, landscape architecture, and urban design practice with integrated sustainability and ecology expertise — comparable methodology on social-ecological urbanism and master planning, though at much larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ColorspaceDesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorspace-architecture-urban-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Colorspace