Houston, Texas, is known for its vibrant culture, diverse population, and booming economy. As the fourth-largest city in the United States, Houston offers residents and visitors a wide range of entertainment, recreation, and cultural opportunities. The city also has a thriving arts scene, with numerous museums, galleries, and performing arts venues.
If you want to design a commercial or residential space in Houston, the list below features the leading architectural firms to consider. These firms are known for their exceptional creativity, attention to detail, and ability to create functional and aesthetically pleasing designs. Our team handpicked the firms after evaluating their portfolio, backgrounds, awards, industry affiliations, and press features.
Studio RED Architects
1320 McGowen St, Houston, TX 77004
Studio RED Architects is an architecture and interior design firm in Houston and Denver. The firm was created in 2004 by a group of industry veterans passionate about architecture that is resourceful, inspired, and boundless. Studio RED specializes in creating cultural arts, community, worship, commercial, hospitality, renovation, residential, civic, healthcare, planning, and education spaces. Driven by clients’ needs, the Studio RED team works hard to provide exceptional service and deliver successful projects with principal-level involvement and smart design solutions.
Pete Ed Garrett and Trung Doan are the founding partners of Studio RED Architects. Pete earned his degree in architecture from the University of Houston and is among the AIA College of Fellows. Trung graduated with the same degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a master’s degree in urban design from the University of Oklahoma.
Under their watch, the company’s works have appeared in publications like PaperCity Magazine, The Daily Record, Yahoo Finance, Houston Business Journal, and Chron.
Lake Flato
311 Third St, San Antonio, TX 78205
When founders Ted Flato and David Lake established their architecture firm in 1984, they had many strong ideas about what kind of buildings they wanted to design. Lake Flato was built in the belief that architecture should be rooted in its unique place, responding meaningfully to the natural or built environment. Using local materials and collaborating with the best local artisans, the studio sought to create tactile and modern spaces, environmentally responsible and authentic, artful and crafted.
More than 30 years later, these beliefs still inform Lake Flato’s architecture. While the firm has grown along with the range and complexity of its residential, commercial, architecture, sustainable design, urban design, adaptive reuse, and placemaking projects, it has found the desire to build in partnership with the land to be an approach that remains valid and increasingly resonant.
Abel Design Group
777 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 350, Houston, TX 77056
Founded in Houston, Texas in 2001, Abel Design Group is a premiere, mid-size architecture and design firm licensed in 13 states with global projects. It offers architecture and design services for corporate, hospitality, restaurant, and retail clients.
Abel Design Group is also a certified Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) in Texas and has completed projects in over 16 countries across the globe. In 2022, the company received the Landmark Award from Houston Business Journal and the Pinnacle Award for Small-Sized Firm of the Year from the Texas Oklahoma Chapter of the International Interior Design Association.
Some of Abel Design Group’s remarkable projects have been featured by Associated Construction Publication, PR News Wire, Luxxu, Metal Construction News, Realty News Report, and Chron.
Michael Hsu Office of Architecture
1906 Ashland St, Houston, TX 77008
Launched in 2005, Michael Hsu Office of Architecture is a nationally award-winning, fully integrated architecture and interior design practice. Its work is rooted in hospitality and covers a range of expertise, such as large mixed-use developments, adaptive reuse projects, public realm design, architectural branding, single-family homes, hotels, restaurants, workspaces, and bespoke furniture design. The company is based in Texas and works worldwide, with studios in Austin and Houston; it also has team members in Dallas, Denver, Nashville, and Louisville.
The firm’s most recent awards are the 2022 AN Interior Top 50 Architecture and Design Firms, Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Award, Texas Society of Architects Design Award, and the American Institute of Architects Design Awards in Austin and Houston.
CONTENT Architecture
2110 Alabama Street, Houston, TX 77004
CONTENT Architecture’s mission is to create architecture within its clients’ spatial and budgetary needs, and to deliver a project that is accountable for and responsive to the world it lives in. Since its founding in 2009, CONTENT has been fully committed to client goals while also proposing innovative and atypical solutions. Its diverse architectural backgrounds and education allow the team to approach projects from many angles to develop the best solutions.
Jesse Hager runs the studio and specializes in residential, commercial, and architectural services for its clients in Houston and surrounding areas, and believes in a collaborative design process with them. CONTENT strives to identify clients’ goals, guide them through the design process, and translate their concepts into a built reality.
Newberry Architecture
6990 Portwest Dr. Ste 190, Houston, TX 77024
Newberry Architecture is a full-service firm established in 1997 by founder and senior principal Ken Newberry. He established Newberry based on the belief that architecture should reflect clients’ styles and enhance their day-to-day experiences. Guided by his founding principle, Newberry has assembled a deep team of professionals who understand the value of listening and recognize that architecture is about clients and what they envision, not architects and what they want to design.
Today, under the leadership of four principals, Newberry continues to foster a high-performance, high-quality work environment defined by close relationships with clients and contractors, consultants, and builders. Newberry Architecture’s most recent honors include being the 2022 Gold List Honoree in Architecture of Luxe Interiors + Design and the 2019 Award for Residential Landscape from the John Staub Awards of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Texas chapter.
Stern and Bucek Architects
1610 Commerce St, Houston, TX 77002
David Bucek and William Stern launched Stern and Bucek Architects in 1999, after years of working together at William F. Stern & Associates Architects. Stern and Bucek Architects’ portfolio includes commercial designs, single-family homes, multi-family housing, new construction, and renovation. The firm’s designs consistently incorporate time-tested and environmentally-sound design practices with leading-edge sustainable technologies that meet LEED certification requirements.
Stern and Bucek Architects has distinguished itself as a leading design firm with equal skill in new construction, adaptive reuse, renovation, and historic preservation. Principals David Bucek and Daniel Hall lead a team of creative and talented professionals whose work is informed by a keen sense of history and craft, and is driven by a precise, exacting, and thoughtful design vision. The studio is likewise a member of the American Institute of Architects Houston and the Wharton Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture.
Brickmoon Design
1438 Campbell Rd Ste 202, Houston, TX 77055
Brickmoon Design is an award-winning custom residential architecture and interior design firm serving the Greater Houston and surrounding Texas lakes and properties. It is proficient in various architectural styles, reflecting its belief in the importance of comfort, creativity, collaboration, and sustainability. Brickmoon Design aims to turn its clients’ dreams into physical realities.
Whether it is a brand-new primary residence, second home, remodel or addition, vacation home, or lake property, Brickmoon creates extraordinary designs famous for their originality, functionality, and beauty. The team is led by Jeremy McFarland as principal architect, and proudly holds affiliations with the National Association of Home Builders, Greater Houston Builders Association, Texas Association of Builders, and Houston Heights Association.
