You built something good. Let’s keep it going.
I’m looking to buy one architecture practice and run it for the long haul, with your name on the door and your team in place.
A note from me
My father was an architect, so I grew up around trace paper, study models, and dinner-table talk about clients and deadlines. I saw how much of himself he put into the practice, and how much a small firm means to the people inside it.
Too many of those firms close when their founder retires, simply because no one inside can buy them out. I want to be the person who keeps one going. Not a fund with a five-year clock, and not a bigger firm that absorbs your projects. One owner, here for the long run.
If that sounds like something you’ve been thinking about, even loosely, I’d love to hear about your firm.
What stays the same
- The name on the door
- Your firm keeps its name, its website, and its title block on every drawing.
- Your people
- I’m buying the team that does the work. No layoffs, no moves, no new office.
- Your clients
- You introduce me to them over months, at your pace. Contracts carry over as they are.
- The way you design
- Architects stay in charge of the work. I take on the parts most founders are happy to hand over: finance, hiring, IT, and finding new projects.
- Your role, for as long as you like
- Stay on as a principal, drop to two days a week, or hand over and go sailing. You decide.
Who stamps the drawings?
It’s the first thing every architect asks me, and a fair question, since I’m not one.
You stay architect of record through the handover. A licensed architect partner holds the ownership share your state requires, and your senior people can earn a stake in the firm too. The license, the quality, and the design calls stay with architects.
Is your firm a fit?
- Roughly 5 to 40 people
- Anywhere in the US
- Any kind of work: homes, schools, healthcare, civic, interiors
Not sure? Write anyway. I’ll tell you honestly, and if I’m not the right buyer I’ll try to point you to one who is.
How it works
Most sales take four to six months, and nothing happens without your say-so.
- 1
A first conversation
Week 1Coffee or a call. You tell me about the firm and what you want for it. No documents, no commitment.
- 2
A closer look
Weeks 2–4If we both want to keep talking, I sign an NDA and we go through a few years of numbers and your current projects together.
- 3
A written offer
Weeks 4–6A plain-English letter covering price, how it’s paid, and what your role looks like afterward.
- 4
Checking the details
60–90 daysOur accountants and lawyers confirm everything. Your staff don’t need to know until you’re ready to tell them.
- 5
Handing over, slowly
6–24 monthsWe meet clients and staff together, and you step back on the schedule we agreed.
Questions owners ask
Do my staff need to know we’re talking?
No. Everything stays between us until you decide otherwise. Most owners tell their team near the end, and I’m happy to be there when you do.
Do I have to leave right away?
Not at all. Most owners stay one to two years, and some much longer. We agree on the schedule up front so there are no surprises.
What if I’m only curious?
That’s how most of these conversations start. A first chat commits you to nothing, and plenty of owners just want to understand their options.
Who will actually run the firm?
I will, full time, from your office. Not a management team flown in from somewhere else.
My partners might want to buy me out instead. Should we still talk?
Yes. I can work alongside an internal plan, buying your share while giving your partners or senior staff a real stake. Sometimes that’s the best of both.
Say hello
A couple of lines is plenty. Only I read these, and nothing goes to your staff or anyone else.
Prefer to talk? Call or text +1 628-280-9166, or email john@villageglobal.com.
