Fort Myers architecture firm expands to Michigan with acquisition

Studio+, a Fort Myers architecture and design firm, has acquired Assemble Design, a full-service architectural, brand development and interior design firm based in Northern Michigan. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Assemble Design, founded in 2021 by Meghan Frederick, specializes in retail, hospitality and workspace design. Frederick is now a principal at Studio+ and leads two new national studios for the firm: retail and hospitality, the release states. Additionally, Assemble Design’s Jessica King will join Studio+, working alongside Frederick as an interior designer.

“Assemble Design is a market expert in the retail and hospitality design industry, and we are honored to welcome them to the Studio+ family,” Studio+ CEO Damon Romanello says in the release. “With the acquisition of Assemble Design and the addition of Meghan Frederick as a principal, Studio+ is well positioned to bring in new talent and expand our portfolio to be more design-oriented. We’re already seeing how hospitality design weaves into health care and how we can leverage Meghan’s expertise to expand and enhance our work.”

Assemble Design’s client portfolio includes nationally recognized brands, such as women’s fashion retailer Altar’d State and Britten’s BoxPop, a customized shipping container company specializing in transforming cargo containers into stunning offices, brewpubs, wineries and restaurants nationwide. Assemble’s notable projects with Britten BoxPop include Nolo’s Rooftop Bar in Minneapolis, Naples Zoo in Florida and Toledo Zoo in Ohio, the release adds. 

“In terms of values, culture, and client-focused approach, we are a great match,” Frederick says in the statement. “Studio+ brings all the operational and back-office support that we have needed to help us grow. Additionally, the Studio+ team is great at finding amazing talent that will help us continue to expand the depth of our experience and ability to deliver projects of all sizes while remaining focused on design, quality, and service, the foundation of both of our firms.”

Studio+ is a full-service architectural and interior design firm with offices in Tampa, Orange County, California, Los Angeles, and now Traverse City, Michigan, in addition to Fort Myers. It works in health care, senior living, commercial, municipal, educational, retail and hospitality markets.