People + Firms We Serve

From launching a global design leader’s first operational framework to guiding digital innovation, expanding studios into new markets, and managing decades of leadership transition —

Our case studies share a common thread: building the right teams, at the right time, to move great design forward.

Each story reflects a long-term partnership, tailored strategy, and an arc of experience — based on our commitment to ensuring that the business of design is as strong as the design itself.

• Leading Toward a Digital Future
      Client 161 • 2018-Now
Director of Digital Design + Technology

• Expanding to NYC for a Landmark Commission
      Client 185 • 2020-Now
NYC Studio Startup
Practice Leaders (2)

• Managing the Business of Design
      Client 007 • 1990-Now
Managing Principals (sequential)
Marketing + Operations Leaders

• From Atelier to Distinctive Recognition
      Client 001 • Arc 1 • 1985-1999 
Studio Director to Managing Principal
Director of Technical Services
Technical Design Leaders

• From Distinction to Global Impact
      Client 001 • Arc 2 • 2000-Now
Project Leaders to Partners
Design Operations Manager

Stay tuned. There’s more to come.

“As a firm, we are fascinated by digital technology. We have always led the industry to explore as much data as we can relating to the technical complexity of architecture.”
      — Scott Kelsey, (former) Managing Principal, CO Architects

The challenge:
When the digital leader of CO Architects’ resigned to join a technology firm, they turned to us for help in finding the next leader for their cutting-edge platform. While CO was a new client, we had a long-standing relationship with Managing Principal Scott Kelsey — and we understood their ambitions. We also had a strong network of leaders within the computational and digital design domain.

Our process:
CO was shaping the next generation of design practice, where the boundary between design and technology disappears. Their evolving digital ecosystem powered inventive design solutions, advanced technical excellence, and extended their influence across the industry.

They needed a Director of Digital Design + Technology (D3T) who could be both visionary and hands-on — someone who could lead research, inspire teams, and apply digital innovation to solve complex challenges for the firm and its clients.

The outcome:
We knew just the person. The previous year, we had met an architect with a résumé that spanned Zaha Hadid Architects in London, Sasaki Structural Engineering in Tokyo, and an MS from MIT. His rare combination of global design experience, technical expertise, and research depth made him an ideal fit.

He joined CO in 2021, and today he is driving the strategic research, development, and implementation of digital design technology — helping the firm remain at the forefront of design and technical excellence.

Client 161 • 2018–Now
150+ Person A/ID/UDP Firm
Design-First Regional Powerhouse

The challenge:
Our client — an internationally recognized architect — was selected to design a new wing for a prominent New York City museum. The commission required establishing a local presence, and we were retained to help build the leadership team and operational foundation.

The founder planned to relocate three architects from their existing location but also wanted New York–licensed architects with deep experience in delivering high-profile museum projects.

Our process:
We began by interviewing the relocating team, then tapped into our NYC network to identify additional candidates who had worked with premier firms on similar cultural projects — ensuring the right mix of local expertise and the client’s own design DNA.

To support both immediate and long-term needs, we created an organigram with a framework of roles and responsibilities, aligning the new NYC studio with the client’s existing organizational structure. This framework positioned the team to deliver the museum project and future commissions with clarity and efficiency.

The outcome:
From that slate, the founder selected and hired leaders for both practice and project roles. We also introduced trusted business advisors — from legal counsel to peer advisors — who advised on contract negotiations, project services, and workflow planning. The result: a strong, well-integrated NYC studio, ready to deliver on one of the city’s most anticipated cultural projects.

Client 185 • 2020–Now
Emergent A/ID/UDP Firm
International Signature Practice

The challenge:
In the early 1990s, our client — a celebrated architect with an international reputation — led a 75-person firm in the Northeast alongside several partners. When a major international project required the managing principal’s full attention, an opportunity emerged to bring in a new leader with strong business acumen to guide the overall practice.

Our process:
From a targeted search, we identified a slate of candidates that included an architect with a rare blend of credentials — a second-generation architect who had earned both an MBA and an MArch, and was then working for a publicly traded A/E firm evaluating M&A opportunities.

The outcome:
An agreement was reached for him to join the firm, allowing him first to complete a major deal. One year later, he stepped into the role and became an influential leader in the firm, as well as our primary client.

Over the next several years, the firm navigated key inflection points, including a major recession. The managing principal later transitioned to academia while continuing as a trusted advisor to the founder, and another partner assumed management responsibilities. When that partner passed away unexpectedly, the firm once again turned to us.

Leadership succession:
We recruited a highly respected former general partner from SOM NYC, who went on to lead our cient’s firm for 18 years — developing their first ownership transition program and mentoring his successor, whom we continue to support today.

Talent cultivation:
Across more than 35 years, our partnership has included recruiting for roles spanning marketing, archives, design, and technical leadership, as well as advising on talent and organizational strategy to ensure the business of design remains as strong as the design itself.

Client 007 • 1990–Now
150+ Person A/ID/UDP
Prestigious International Practice

The challenge:
Our client was an inventive, unconventional architect whose experimental use of materials and forms was drawing international attention. The studio operated more like an artist’s atelier than a traditional firm.

Our process:
When the founder decided to strengthen the practice, we began by developing a brief for a new operational leadership role. Within just a couple of weeks, we introduced the right person — a senior architect to lead the business side, from client relationships to project delivery — freeing the founder to focus on design.

The outcome:
Working closely with the new leader, we built a talent strategy that paired ambition with capability: adding experienced architects in design and development, and aligning the existing team with new roles and ways of working.

Next step:
When it was time to acquire a Director of Technical Services — we identified a world-class project delivery expert with a passion for applying emerging technologies to cutting-edge design.

With him building the technical team, and us continuing to identify top-tier talent, the once-small atelier grew into a significant practice, capable of delivering complex institutional projects — and the founder was recognized wih the Pritzker Prize.

Client 001 • Arc 1 1985–1999
50+ Person A/ID/UDP Firm
Signature Design-First Practice

The challenge:
Twenty years after we placed the firm’s first studio director, a new leadership cohort is at the helm.

The firm’s magnetic pull for exceptional talent has never wavered, and at the beginning of the 21st Century, the firm now had a strong bench of leaders ready to step into bigger roles. Architects hired as designers and technical leaders became trusted, client-facing partners, responsible for executive management in concert with key C-Suite leaders.

It was time for the next evolution: a design operations manager who could work seamlessly with partners, business leaders, and project leaders to keep the practice running at peak performance.

Our process:
Working closely with the partners, we defined the role and, once again, connected them with the right person — an accomplished senior architect with experience managing another internationally recognized studio.

The outcome:
Today, the design operations manager works directly with the founder and partners to ensure projects across the globe run smoothly.

Our collaboration continues — identifying key leaders for U.S. and international projects, and supporting a remarkable new generation of leadership as they guide the firm into the future.

Client 001 • Arc 2 2000–Now
100+ Person A/ID/UDP Firm
Prestigious International Practice