About
ABOVE THE FOLD is an international agency with a focus on the built environment. It is the driving force behind some of today’s most recognized and influential talent, firms, and projects.
An industry pioneer for nearly fifteen years, ABOVE THE FOLD has a history of collaborations spanning six continents and totaling billions of dollars in construction value. Its 70+ projects—public and private, in urban and natural contexts—include buildings, landscapes, and campuses for the arts, culture, learning, leisure, living, recreation, wellness, and business.
Founded by John Patrick in New York City in 2012 and based in Detroit since 2015, ABOVE THE FOLD approaches Architecture as The Art of Economics™ with a simple founding mission to advance constructed environments across disciplines. Over time, the agency has expanded its reach to include Design Team Curation™, an idea, service, and term coined by John Patrick as part of making contemporary design more accessible to clients, communities, and cities.
Emerging in Detroit, ABOVE THE FOLD’s unique approach has seeded some of the city’s most recognizable projects built in the first quarter of the 21st century. True North, The Shepherd, and Little Village have earned local, national, and international accolades and spurred substantial neighborhood investment on both the east and west sides of the city.
ABOVE THE FOLD’s current roster includes emerging and established talent and firms in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, engineering, photography, art, and related disciplines. Represented entities are working across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, elevating the built environment with dozens of projects in design, under construction, and recently completed.
What We Do
Creative Direction
Balancing listening and intuitive advisement, ABOVE THE FOLD’s creative direction services focus on identifying what makes each client unique based on their ideas, interests, and experience. Working on short-term projects or providing ongoing support, ABOVE THE FOLD collaborates to define a client’s authentic voices, crafting their presence, and amplifying their ability to win opportunities that are important to them.
Business Development
For talent, ABOVE THE FOLD proactively performs proactive business development with an in-house mindset. Leveraging its network, insight, and skills, the agency has collaborated with clients to win over $2 billion in practice- and portfolio-expanding projects. Representing and advising firms across all phases of business development, ABOVE THE FOLD’s services include new client/project research and cultivation, consultant/collaborator introductions, and RFQ/RFP/Interview production and preparation.
Design Team Curation™
ABOVE THE FOLD’s diverse roster serves as a resource to clients and industry professionals seeking new talent and firms for new projects. Understanding the economics of architecture and how to create precedent-setting projects, ABOVE THE FOLD excels at leading decision-makers—including real estate developers, arts organizations, competition advisors, and project planners—through the process of discovering design teams for any project in any location.
Public Relations
Whether working independently or as part of a larger team, ABOVE THE FOLD develops and executes public relations campaigns that get clients noticed. Across all phases of a project or a client’s career, ABOVE THE FOLD secures online & print media placements, speaking engagements, exhibitions, publications, and other special projects for clients, catapulting their visibility and expanding the opportunities that come to them.
Testimonials
”You are an absolute genius at what you do. What would I do without you?”
— International Architect
“Working with John Patrick was one of the most productive decisions I have made as a developer. After meeting him my body of work elevated to another level with my first ground-up development.”
— Real Estate Developer
”I am pleased you positioned our team in the way it’s going. I think we have a very good chance.”
— Landscape Architect
“ABOVE THE FOLD is like a boot camp for design offices. Not only does the agency offer a unique service, John Patrick offers a unique perspective. He has helped me understand what I do, which in turn shaped the way we communicate to the outside world. From a business developmental perspective, he has whipped the company into shape with concise direction on the materials my office issues. Whether in the form of a bullet-point memo, or on occasion jumping on InDesign to set up templates, John Patrick is the perfect storm of insight and action.”
— Interior Design Firm
“We were connected to ABOVE THE FOLD as we began looking for the right architects for an extremely ambitious and meaningful project. ABOVE THE FOLD played a pivotal role in our project’s evolution and progress. John Patrick’s passion and wealth of knowledge in design, architecture, and culture are inspiring. He has the rare combination of deep understanding of what constitutes great art, the inner workings of his field, and the best way to handle the press, communications, and marketing. He shepherded us through it all professionally and generously with his time and thoughts, and still is a great ally to our mission of building spaces that embody a sense of well-being and an encounter with a spiritual experience.”
— Cultural Institution