DXA Studio

From urban architecture to a multi-region rural development pipeline.

Working with Fijordo has given DXA a trusted partner in growth. They understand the intersection of strategy and creativity and have helped us build partnerships that align with our long-term vision.

Allysa, DXA Studio

The situation

DXA Studio came to Fijordo through an existing relationship with Liv.Connected. The firm had deep architectural and design expertise, but their project pipeline depended on who they already knew. They were actively pursuing new project types — wellness retreats, experiential outdoor destinations, rural hospitality — but had no way to reach the developers and landowners building them. The capability was there. The connections weren’t.

The challenge

DXA was reactive. Projects came through existing relationships or inbound requests, which meant missing entire markets they were well-suited for. Rural housing, workforce development, mixed-income residential — these sectors needed good design but had no obvious on-ramp for a Manhattan-based firm. Breaking in required outreach, local relationships, and developer trust that takes years to build on your own. Without a way in, those projects kept going to someone else.

What Fijordo did

Fijordo focused on fit, not volume. Every introduction was intentional.

Targeted introductions: Facilitated strategic alignment between DXA and developers whose values and project types matched their design ethos
Active deal flow: Surfaced specific projects directly to DXA — including ALTR, a 38-acre wellness and educational retreat in Cortez, Colorado, and Will-O, a luxury outdoor destination in Milton, New York
Project-level engagement: ALTR: 11-bedroom retreat complex in McElmo Canyon with NYU Tisch Center partnership, Chef-in-Residence, and Wellness Center programming. Will-O: masterplanned property with natural swimming pool, lavender fields, wetland boardwalk, and full-service main building
Market positioning: Placed DXA into conversations around wellness retreats, experiential outdoor assets, and rural residential communities — project types they’d never accessed from Manhattan
Alignment over volume: Filtered opportunities so DXA engaged only with developers and landowners that fit their long-term direction

The results

DXA moved from a single-market practice to a firm with an active rural and affordable housing pipeline.

Outcomes

Engaged on a 38-acre wellness retreat in Cortez, Colorado — a project type DXA had never accessed independently
Entered design conversations for a luxury outdoor destination in Milton, New York with full landscape architecture scope
Expanded from urban architecture into wellness, experiential outdoor, and rural hospitality project types
Established new developer and landowner relationships generating ongoing deal momentum across multiple states