Us: 2025
2650 BC: Imhotep
Imhotep, who lived around 2650 BCE, is widely regarded as history’s first known architect and engineer. Serving under Pharaoh Djoser, he designed the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the world’s first monumental stone structure, revolutionizing Egyptian architecture. Beyond design, Imhotep managed massive construction projects and state infrastructure, overseeing labor, logistics, and materials with unmatched precision. He blended technical mastery with spiritual insight, setting the foundation for future Egyptian building practices. His legacy endures not only in stone but in the very concept of architecture as a coordinated blend of art, innovative technology, and civic management.
1993: Modern Beginnings - the CAD Era
Imhotep, Inc. has its roots in a small architectural firm founded in 1993, during a time of transformation in the design industry. Like most young firms, it was a struggle in the early years to find consistent work, build a client base, and navigate the intricacies of an architectural practice. In 1995, we embraced what was then a bold move – a full 100% commitment to computer aided drafting (CAD), recognizing early on that this new and exciting technology would redefine the profession.
Over the decades, we’ve built a reputation for innovation and resilience, but we also came to understand the deeper challenges that persist in the creation of the built environment. We experienced firsthand how difficult it is for young architects to start a firm and establish a steady flow of work. We also saw how complex permitting processes can slow down projects because of the sheer volume of codes and regulations involved and the need to mitigate risk while protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public. And we recognized a very human problem: building plans often get lost or misplaced over time, leading to unnecessary costs, delays, and frustration for future work.
2007: Great Recession - the Internet Era
By 2007, like many small firms, we were on the brink of shutting our doors. Based in a city hit especially hard by the Great Recession, projects dried up seemingly overnight. Faced with this crisis, we made a game-changing decision – to stop thinking locally and go national. Instead of competing for the shrinking pool of local work, we began collaborating with architects and engineers across the country, sharing workload, resources, and expertise. What began as a survival strategy became a turning point.
This model didn’t just keep us afloat – it benefited our partners and their clients, too. By helping others maintain consistent work and access new markets, we built a resilient, cooperative network. But to make it work, we had to embrace a concept that was still years away from becoming mainstream: remote collaboration. Long before zoom calls and cloud-sharing became standard, we were using the internet creatively to coordinate teams, deliver drawings, and manage projects across time zones.
What started out of necessity became a strategic advantage. It laid the groundwork for the national network and digital tools that now define Imhotep, Inc., and positioned us to thrive in an industry that was about to undergo a major transformation.
2020: Pandemic - The Cloud Era
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, the world shut down—and so did our projects. Despite being well-versed in remote work, having mastered it over a decade earlier, the pandemic brought everything to a standstill. But instead of waiting for things to return to normal, we used the time to build the tools we had always envisioned. With no active deadlines, we focused fully on innovation.
One of our first priorities was switching entirely to cloud-based systems to ensure we would never lose track of a project again, no matter where our team was working from. At the same time, we saw that the pandemic was forcing cities to shift rapidly toward electronic permitting. Having already worked across scores of jurisdictions nationally, we realized we were in a perfect position to build something valuable—not just for ourselves, but for others in the industry.
So we got to work creating what would become the core of Imhotep, Inc.: the Imhotep Alliance, CityLinks, ATLAS, FindOurPlans.com, and PermitUs. These tools are designed to make architectural collaboration, permitting, and data access simpler and more efficient. What started as a response to crisis became a leap forward in how our profession operates—and we continue to refine these tools every day.
2025: The Dawn of AI
Today, over 30 years since we first opened our doors, we’re continuing the spirit of innovation that has defined us from the beginning – this time by embracing the transformative power of artificial intelligence. Just as we adopted CAD in the 1990s and pioneered remote collaboration in the 2000s, we now see AI as the next leap forward in architecture and architectural services. We’re integrating AI into our tools to make data more accessible, decisions more informed, and processes more efficient.
Through platforms like ATLAS and FindOurPlans.com, AI helps us rapidly search, interpret, and organize vast amounts of building data. In CityLinks and PermitUs, we’re using it to streamline permitting research and optimize submission strategies. And within the Imhotep Alliance, AI will play a key role in intelligently matching project needs with the right professionals – based on experience, location, availability, and even peer reviews.
We don’t see AI as a replacement for human insight but as an enhancement of it. It allows us to reduce friction in the profession, empower small firms, and elevate the quality and speed of architectural delivery. Just as before, we’re building tools not just for ourselves, but to help reshape the future of architecture for everyone.
Like the shift to CAD in our early days, we believe technology can go a long way in continuing to solve the unique issues facing the design industry, the built environment and the architects, engineers, contractors and civic leaders that have dedicated their careers to it – and that belief is what now drives Imhotep’s mission.