Utile is a research-driven design and planning firm that tackles complex spatial problems from the scale of the city to the scale of the room.

Utile’s urban planning and design practice spans the gamut from data-driven spatial analysis to architecturally specific urban design proposals that leverage the firm’s deep knowledge of street design standards and market-driven building types. This range is possible because of the disciplinary expertise of our team, which includes land use coders, GIS experts, transportation planners, and architecture-trained urban designers. These experts bring their full creative powers to every project we take on.

Utile is known for its expertise in housing, community libraries and recreational facilities, and contextually-sensitive buildings for educational institutions. Beyond these types, the firm seeks out mixed-use and hybrid-program projects on sites with a rich stew of physical, social, and environmental issues. These kinds of commissions provide the best circumstances for Utile to flex its multi-disciplinary muscles.

Utile’s approach to design of the interiors of buildings combines an architect’s focus on spatial manipulation and definition with an interior designer’s sense of texture, color, and scale. As a result, our award winning work has both visual punch and level sophistication that is missing when the building design and interior finishes and furniture are conceived in separate silos.

At Utile, graphic design is embedded across our work, from shaping citywide identities to enhancing user experience through environmental graphics. We prioritize clarity and impact at every scale – supporting public engagement, interior environments, and everything in between. Developed in close collaboration with our architects, planners, and urban designers, our graphic work strengthens identity, guides experience, and makes information accessible across physical and digital contexts.