ec3 design
EC3 Design is a privately held, Los Angeles-based boutique architecture studio founded in 2013 by Edwin Chan, delivering cultural, civic, technology-campus, residential, and master-planning projects across four continents through project-based professional services fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ec3 design does
EC3 Design is a boutique architecture and design studio founded in 2013 by Edwin Chan and headquartered at 2683 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles. Chan, who served as Design Partner at Gehry Partners from 1986 to 2012, established EC3 as a cross-disciplinary practice integrating research, architecture, landscape, and urbanism. The firm delivers projects using physical models alongside state-of-the-art digital design tools and offers master planning, concept design through construction administration, exhibition design, sculptural installations, and residential design. It is a privately held, 100% minority-owned business certified as a registered small business enterprise.
The firm's clientele is concentrated in three segments: cultural and civic institutions (Philadelphia Museum of Art, LUMA Foundation Arles, Nasher Sculpture Center, Bass Museum, Gagosian Gallery), technology companies (Atlassian, Google), and visionary private clients for custom residential and live/work projects. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees negotiated per engagement, with multi-year contract cadences typical of large cultural and master-planning commissions. EC3 maintains a Venice Beach Art Space supporting emerging artists and pursues community engagement through partnerships with Mountain School of Art and the ART+PRACTICE Foundation.
EC3 has delivered work across four continents, with active or completed projects in the United States, France, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Finland, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, Colombia, and Luxembourg. Notable active engagements include the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire Expansion in Geneva, the Atlassian Central hybrid mass-timber tower in Sydney (targeted 2026 completion), the Orchard Park multi-phase mixed-use development in Meridian, Idaho, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art transformation. The firm relies on professional reputation, portfolio quality, and earned media coverage in publications such as the New York Times, Architectural Digest, Dezeen, and Wallpaper*, rather than active digital marketing, and acquires projects through competitive selection, direct commissions, and referrals.
ec3 design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ec3 design
- Legal name
- EC3 Design
- Website
- https://ec3.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- EC3 Design is a privately held, Los Angeles-based boutique architecture studio founded in 2013 by Edwin Chan, delivering cultural, civic, technology-campus, residential, and master-planning projects across four continents through project-based professional services fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ec3 design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Interior Design Services (541410)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
Keywords
Where ec3 design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ec3 design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Professional services revenue from architecture and design projects including master planning, concept design through construction administration, sculptural installations, and exhibition design. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for cultural, civic, residential, and commercial projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based architecture and design services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
ec3 design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EC3 Design is an architecture and design studio that provides full-service architectural design for cultural, civic, residential, and commercial projects. The firm delivers master planning, concept design through construction administration, exhibition design, and sculptural installations for clients including museums, technology companies, and visionary private clients across four continents.
Product overview
EC3 Design is an architecture and design office (established 2013) that provides architectural and design services, not a software product company. The firm offers a unified service practice focused on cultural and civic projects, master planning, residential design, exhibition design, and sculptural installations. The firm leverages founder Edwin Chan's extensive experience from Gehry Partners combined with digital design tools to deliver projects across multiple continents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use ec3 design
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ec3 design technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ec3 design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and key.
- UAP (Urban Art Projects)supportingEC3 collaborated with UAP's Shanghai workshop to fabricate the 'Year of the Dog' sculpture as a limited-edition of 12 pieces.
- Hong Kong Design CenterkeyCommissioned the 'Year of the Dog' sculpture as part of the 'Project Twelve' collection dedicated to the twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac.
- Roger Sherman Architecture and Urban DesignsupportingCollaborated on the Westwood Village Vision Plan study commissioned by UCLA's Citi-Lab to explore revitalization strategies.
- A:I (Architecture Innovativ)supportingCollaborated with Dennis Lee of A:I in Hong Kong to create multi-level stage set for FRANKY theater production.
- AFTEC (Absolutely Fabulous Theater Connection)supportingEC3 designed stage set for FRANKY, a 21st Century re-imagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, produced by AFTEC in Hong Kong.
- Gallery ChuansupportingTaiwan-based gallery specializing in composite stone carving produced the mass-produced small version of the 'Year of the Dog' sculpture.
- Mountain School of ArtsupportingEC3 engages in arts education with this non-profit organization.
- ART+PRACTICE FoundationsupportingEC3 provides career counseling for inner-city youth in Los Angeles through partnership with artist Mark Bradford's foundation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ec3 design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gehry Partners: Frank Gehry's flagship studio and the direct predecessor firm where EC3's founder was Design Partner for 26 years. Compares on cultural-institution commissions, signature sculptural architecture, and brand-led competition wins.
- Studio Gang: Jeanne Gang's Chicago-based boutique cultural and civic architecture practice. Comparable as a principal-led studio competing for museum, campus, and high-design civic commissions.
- Morphosis: Thom Mayne's Los Angeles-based studio with a comparable cultural, civic, and mixed-use portfolio and a similar principal-driven identity. Direct competitor for West Coast cultural commissions.
- Snøhetta: Oslo/New York studio with a globally diversified cultural, civic, and master-planning practice. Closely comparable on cross-disciplinary cultural building types and international competition participation.
- David Chipperfield Architects: London-based boutique known for museum and cultural-institution architecture (Neues Berlin, Royal Academy). Comparable on cultural-civic positioning and competition-led project acquisition.
- Adjaye Associates: David Adjaye's London-based studio with a strong museum and cultural-institution portfolio. Comparable boutique scale, cultural focus, and brand-led competition strategy.
- SANAA: Sejima + Nishizawa Tokyo-based studio, Pritzker laureates with deep museum/cultural portfolio. Comparable as a principal-led cultural-architecture boutique competing for the same institutional commissions.
- Diller Scofidio + Renfro: New York-based interdisciplinary studio with a cultural-institution focus (The Shed, High Line). Comparable on cross-disciplinary cultural and exhibition design commissions.
Broad incumbents
- OMA: Rem Koolhaas's Rotterdam/HQ global practice. Larger and broader than EC3 but competes head-to-head on cultural megaprojects, master planning, and invited museum competitions.
- Foster + Partners: London-based global incumbent with a deep museum and cultural portfolio plus a much larger corporate and master-planning practice. Competes with EC3 on flagship cultural and tech-campus commissions at scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ec3 design social profiles
Digital presenceec3 design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ec3 design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
ec3 design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ec3 design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ec3 design
What does ec3 design do?
EC3 Design is an architecture and design studio that provides full-service architectural design for cultural, civic, residential, and commercial projects. The firm delivers master planning, concept design through construction administration, exhibition design, and sculptural installations for clients including museums, technology companies, and visionary private clients across four continents.
Is ec3 design a public or private company?
ec3 design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ec3 design founded?
ec3 design was founded in 2013.
Where is ec3 design based?
ec3 design is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does ec3 design make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are ec3 design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gehry Partners, Studio Gang, Morphosis, Snøhetta, David Chipperfield Architects, Adjaye Associates, SANAA and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Broad incumbents are OMA and Foster + Partners.
Does ec3 design have an API?
No public API is recorded for ec3 design.
What industry is ec3 design in?
ec3 design's product category is Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design. Its NAICS code is 54131.