For decades, architectural firms have relied on physical portfolios, personal reputation, and project bids to define their market standing. But now, the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is being completely changed. Where a firm’s website, user experience, and storytelling determine how clients and partners evaluate them long before a proposal is ever reviewed.
That’s why ALSC Architects partnered with Blacksmith Agency to conduct a competitive digital analysis of three regional companies, BCRA, NAC, and Integrus, to uncover where each firm excels online and where ALSC can claim a strategic lead. As Brett, Blacksmith’s UX strategist, noted early in the session:
“We’re not just looking at who’s winning projects. We’re looking at how these firms translate their physical design language into digital storytelling, if they’re doing it at all.”
The findings revealed clear patterns in branding consistency, technical SEO, and user engagement, and more importantly, highlighted how ALSC can design a digital foundation that is as intentional and enduring as its built environments.
1. Why Architectural Storytelling Matters Online
Architects are natural storytellers. Every design tells a story about place, purpose, and people. Yet, the audit revealed that most competitor websites fail to communicate those narratives clearly.
When evaluating BCRA, Brett identified an all-too-common issue across AEC websites: design without definition.
“Designing solutions that enhance the way we live, but you’re not telling me what you do,” he explained. “Unless you’re in the industry, there’s no clear value proposition.”
Visually, BCRA’s dark palette and imagery conveyed professionalism, but their copy lacked clarity. The homepage hero didn’t articulate their value proposition or service scope. Without explicit storytelling, even compelling visuals fall flat.
In architecture, form and function must coexist. The same holds true for digital design. A strong homepage should articulate what the firm does, who it serves, and why it matters.
Takeaway: Architectural storytelling must extend from the built environment to the digital one. Every headline, visual, and case study should communicate the firm’s philosophy and value as clearly as a project’s design intent.
2. UX as the Modern Site Plan
In architecture, a well-planned circulation path guides people through a space intuitively. The same principle applies online, and yet most AEC websites treat navigation as an afterthought.
Across all competitors, Blacksmith identified “navigation friction” as a recurring weakness. NAC Architecture’s new website, which launched less than a year ago and relied heavily on a minimalist “hamburger” menu, even on desktop. Brett pointed out that this design choice, while sleek, sacrifices usability.
“You want to show off the real estate of your imagery, but the hamburger menu isn’t the most useful thing, especially for desktop users. People need visual cues, and they’re not getting them.”
Similarly, calls to action (CTAs) were inconsistent or invisible. Whether it was “Contact Us” links blending into other menu items or buttons that failed to stand out against neutral backgrounds, users had no clear next step. In Brett’s words:
Takeaway: User experience in architecture websites is the digital equivalent of site circulation. A successful design removes friction, anticipates intent, and intuitively leads visitors from curiosity to conversion.
3. Domain Authority and the Digital Credibility Gap
When it comes to online visibility, aesthetics alone don’t determine success; authority does. Michael Rutski, Blacksmith’s digital strategist, explained the importance of domain authority (DA) in measurable terms:
“It’s a reflection of how trustworthy your domain is, how search engines and users perceive your credibility. Higher scores mean higher visibility.”
ALSC, BCRA, NAC, and Integrus all scored within the 24–27 DA range, which Michael described as “on the lower side of the scale.” Reaching even a mid-tier DA of 50 could double organic reach within months.
What’s surprising is how easily the competition’s weaknesses can become ALSC’s strengths. Most competitor sites suffered from poor technical SEO, missing H1 tags, thin meta descriptions, and no schema markup, the structured data Google uses to interpret a site’s content.
“Without schema,” Michael noted, “Google doesn’t really know what your site is about. It’s just pulling random keywords.”
For a firm like ALSC, with decades of regional legacy and a robust project portfolio, structured data and content optimization could elevate both authority and search visibility dramatically.
Takeaway: In digital architecture, authority is earned through structure. Implementing robust SEO architecture, from schema markup to content strategy, transforms reputation into measurable visibility.
4. Performance Metrics and Engagement: The Hidden Design Language
While competitors often “passed” Google’s basic page performance tests, true digital excellence lies in how users behave once they arrive. Integrus, the strongest performer, achieved:
- 7-minute average session duration
- Nearly 4 pages per visit
- 50% bounce rate
“That tells us they’re watching analytics; they care about engagement,” said Michael. “People are spending time exploring; that’s huge in architecture.”
Integrus’ success wasn’t due to flashy design. It came from balanced storytelling, blending visual hierarchy, “snackable” content sections, and clear navigation. Each scroll invited users deeper into the firm’s ethos and work, mirroring the narrative arc of an architectural presentation board.
By contrast, BCRA and NAC demonstrated fragmented journeys. Brett described BCRA’s typography and layout as “hard to read, especially for accessibility users,” and NAC’s carousel-heavy hero as “messaging with no action assigned to it.”
Good engagement isn’t accidental. It reflects a thoughtful layout, accessibility standards, and an understanding of how digital visitors experience space, not unlike how architects design for physical user flow.
Takeaway: Analytics are the digital fingerprints of user experience. Long session times, low bounce rates, and repeat visits aren’t metrics — they’re proof that the digital environment is performing as designed.
5. Integris as the Benchmark: Where Strategy Meets Story
Among the competitors, Integrus emerged as the most balanced digital performer, not because of its visuals, but because of its intentional structure.
“They tell you exactly what they do,” Brett observed. “Every scroll builds a story, snackable content, real calls to action, and a clear emotional arc.”
Integrus’ homepage integrates small content sections (“snackable content”) that alternate between storytelling and value-driven CTAs — from project showcases to career recruitment. This mirrors how architecture firms pitch their philosophy during interviews: clear, sequenced, and human-centered.
Even so, Brett was clear that Integrus still lacked a fully defined brand system.
“It’s not a brand; it’s professional, consistent, and credible, but it’s not memorable.”
For ALSC, this presents a pivotal opportunity: to fuse Integrus’ usability with BCRA’s visual ambition, then anchor both in a distinctive, story-rich brand system.
Takeaway: In the AEC space, credibility comes from consistency, but memorability comes from meaning. The next generation of architecture brands must deliver both.
Designing for Digital Permanence
By the end of the audit, ALSC’s team recognized that a website isn’t just a portfolio — it’s a living representation of the firm’s processes, values, and expertise. Aaron Blackmer summarized the goal perfectly:
“We want a site that ticks all the boxes: SEO, storytelling, and usability, where the design and content really sing.”
Michael agreed, emphasizing that the opportunity extends beyond aesthetics.
“There’s no reason why, a year from now, you shouldn’t be number one on this list. The AEC sector has treated digital strategy as an afterthought, and that’s the opportunity.”
For ALSC Architects, this analysis wasn’t just a critique of competitors; it was a blueprint for digital change. By aligning brand storytelling, user experience, and technical performance, ALSC can become the architectural benchmark for digital excellence in the Pacific Northwest.
