What Samoo Architects & Engineers does

SAMOO Architects & Engineers is a Seoul-headquartered architecture and engineering firm founded in 1976 as SAMWOO Architecture Lab and acquired by Samsung Group in August 2014. The firm operates across 14+ countries with offices in New York, Vietnam, Malaysia, Xi'an, Austin, India, Hungary, Beijing, Shanghai, and Dubai, delivering integrated architectural, structural, mechanical, and urban planning services. It has completed over 8,000 projects over 50+ years, accumulating 100+ awards, including 21 in the cultural sector, and is recognized as the first Korean architecture firm to sweep the Red Dot, iF Design Award, and IDEA in both 2024 and 2025, and to win a CES Innovation Award in 2025. The firm employs 900+ people including 162 Registered Architects, 15 Professional Engineers, 10 Overseas Registered Architects, and 68 LEED APs, with a dedicated Chief AI Officer (Hyoseung Nam) leading AI transformation.

The firm's core offerings span master planning, architectural design, engineering services, and a growing suite of AI-driven and productized platforms: FIT (multi-purpose exterior system), b.Grid (AI space layout optimization), ArchitecTwin (digital twin building management), Carbonomy (AI-based carbon accounting), and Data Meta Design (AI urban planning). It has also entered modular construction and senior living as new verticals. Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a project-by-project basis, typically procured via RFP/RFQ processes with pricing not publicly disclosed. The client base is heavily concentrated in the Samsung ecosystem (Electronics, SDI, Biologics, Display, Life Insurance), major Korean banks, Korean tech firms (Kakao, NAVER), universities, and government agencies, with CEO Sohn Chang-Kyu having led the firm since 1991.

The firm's strategic direction is articulated in SAMOO Vision 2025, which positions AI-native platforms and modular building products as adjacencies to traditional architectural services. The combination of Samsung parent backing, deep licensed-architect bench, multi-decade client relationships, and a productized AI stack differentiates SAMOO from independent Korean peers, while exposing it to the same single-ecosystem concentration risk that affects much of Samsung's external supplier network.

Name

Samoo Architects & Engineers

Legal name

Samoo Architects & Engineers

Website

https://samoo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SAMOO Architects & Engineers is a Seoul-headquartered, Samsung-owned architecture and engineering firm operating in 14+ countries, delivering integrated design, engineering, and AI-driven building platforms for the Samsung ecosystem, Korean banks, tech firms, and public sector clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410), Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Engineering consulting
• Urban planning
• Sustainable design
• Interior design

Headquarters

HQ city

Gangdong

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architecture and engineering design services provided on a project basis to government and private sector clients. Revenue generated through design fees, engineering consulting fees, and construction management services for completed projects.
2. Engineering Consulting: Specialized engineering consulting services for high-tech industrial facilities including semiconductor FAB, utilities, and advanced manufacturing facilities.
3. Sustainable Design Services: Sustainable design technology and energy reduction consulting including LEED certification, zero energy building design, and carbon neutrality services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Samoo Architects & Engineers provides comprehensive architectural design, urban planning, interior design, engineering consulting, and sustainable design services for enterprise and government clients across sectors including aviation, cultural, healthcare, high-tech industrial, data center, mixed-use, office, research, residential, and sports facilities. The firm supplements its professional services with proprietary technology platforms such as FIT Platform, b.Grid, ArchitecTwin, Carbonomy, and Data Meta Design.

Product overview

SAMOO Architects & Engineers is a global architecture and engineering firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of architectural design, urban planning, and engineering consulting services. The company provides traditional architecture services alongside innovative technology platforms: FIT Platform (multi-purpose exterior system), b.Grid (AI-powered space layout optimization), ArchitecTwin (digital twin building management), and Carbonomy (AI-based carbon accounting platform). Additional offerings include Data Meta Design (AI urban planning system), SAMOO Modular (prefabricated construction), Data Center Group services, Design for Safety systems, Project Design Management, and healthcare/bio facility design expertise. The portfolio spans from conventional architectural services to AI-enabled digital platforms, with key awards including CES Innovation Award (FIT Platform), RedDot Design Awards (Carbonomy Best of Best, ArchitecTwin), and iF Design Awards (FIT Campus, b.Grid).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Comprehensive architectural design services covering offices, mixed-use, residential, cultural, healthcare, aviation, and industrial facilities. Delivered to enterprise and government clients via direct enterprise sales and RFQ/RFP processes.
• Urban Design & Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ years of operational experience completing 8,000+ projects
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers29 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design firm with strong healthcare, science & technology, and higher education practices. Directly comparable to SAMOO's hospital, university, and R&D facility work.
• HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm with healthcare, aviation, sports, and science+technology practices. Overlaps directly with SAMOO's healthcare, aviation, and high-tech industrial segments.
• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): Global architecture firm specializing in commercial office towers, headquarters, and mixed-use developments. Comparable to SAMOO's corporate HQ work for Samsung, Kakao, NAVER, and Korean banks.
• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm, comparable in scale and multinational corporate client work (e.g., headquarters, office, mixed-use). SAMOO competes with Gensler on large Korean and APAC corporate mandates.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture, engineering, and urban planning firm with deep aviation, healthcare, and high-performance building expertise. Comparable to SAMOO's aviation (14 countries) and cultural/healthcare portfolios.

Direct peers

• Heerim Architects & Planners: Korean architecture and engineering firm with comparable A&E services across cultural, healthcare, office, and high-tech sectors. Closest domestic peer with similar project-based model, scale, and Korean blue-chip client base.
• Yooshin Engineering: Korean engineering and architecture firm competing in the same A&E market with infrastructure, building, and industrial plant capabilities. Comparable scale and Korean enterprise/government client mix.
• Kunwon Engineering: Korean engineering firm specializing in industrial plant and high-tech facility design, including semiconductor FAB. Comparable to SAMOO's Advanced Technology Unit and Samsung-aligned project profile.

Regional players

• DP Architects: Singapore-headquartered architecture firm with strong APAC presence in mixed-use, transit, cultural, and healthcare projects. Comparable in regional APAC A&E services and government/institutional client work.
• Nikken Sekkei: Japan's largest architecture firm with strong corporate, healthcare, and urban planning practices. Comparable in APAC regional positioning and similar project-based A&E delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/samooarchitects

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Samoo Architects & Engineers