One Architecture & Urbanism
One Architecture & Urbanism is a founder-owned design and planning practice that delivers climate adaptation, coastal resilience, and waterfront infrastructure projects for municipal and national governments across the US, Netherlands, and Global South, working through consortium-based, fee-for-service engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersNew City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What One Architecture & Urbanism does
One Architecture & Urbanism is a privately-held design and planning practice founded in Amsterdam in 1995 by Matthijs Bouw, specializing in large-scale climate adaptation, coastal resilience, and waterfront infrastructure planning. The firm operates from two headquarters—Amsterdam (founded 1995) and New York (established 2012 following Hurricane Sandy)—and delivers services through direct contracts with municipal, national, and international government clients. Its portfolio spans transformational projects including The Big U, East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR), Brooklyn Marine Terminal Vision Plan, Climate Strong Communities NYC, Water as Leverage programs (Semarang, Miami), Meebewegen sea level rise adaptation in the Netherlands, and Houston Neighborhood Resilience Plans, typically delivered in consortium with partners such as Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Arcadis, Jacobs, Buro Happold, SCAPE, MNLA, Deltares, and Rebuild by Design.
The firm's underlying methodology blends spatial analytics, data visualization, nature-based solutions, and participatory community engagement processes, codified in proprietary frameworks including the Water as Leverage eight-principle methodology, the "Designing with Time" approach to adaptive planning, the Water as Leverage Serious Game engagement tool, and the Climate Strong Communities multilingual toolkit. These knowledge products are also delivered through the Water as Leverage Academy, a training platform developed with Deltares and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The firm does not sell software or licensed products commercially; its offerings are bespoke client engagements supported by reproducible methods.
Commercially, ONE operates a fee-for-service professional services model. Revenue is generated through negotiated contracts with government and institutional clients secured via competitive processes such as the HUD Rebuild by Design competition, municipal RFPs, and international programs like Water as Leverage. Projects typically span multiple years. The firm is founder-owned, with no external funding rounds, no institutional investors, and no acquisitions, operating through two legal entities (ONE Architecture and Urbanism, Inc. in the US and One Architecture BV in the Netherlands). Leadership includes Matthijs Bouw as Founder & President, Laura Frances as Managing Director, Lot Locher (Climate) and Justine Shapiro-Kline (Planning) as Principals promoted in January 2026, and Directors Friso Klapwijk (Nature-based Solutions), Bart Aptroot (Architecture), and Ray Hu (Marketing & Communications).
One Architecture & Urbanism firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- One Architecture & Urbanism
- Legal name
- ONE Architecture and Urbanism, Inc. and One Architecture BV
- Website
- https://onearchitecture.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- One Architecture & Urbanism is a founder-owned design and planning practice that delivers climate adaptation, coastal resilience, and waterfront infrastructure projects for municipal and national governments across the US, Netherlands, and Global South, working through consortium-based, fee-for-service engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
One Architecture & Urbanism industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Climate Resilience Consulting
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Urban Flood Resilience & Adaptation Planning (Climate, Nature-Based Solutions) (EUANAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Adaptation & Resilience Planning Platforms (CAPEX Prioritization, Cost–Benefit, NBS) (EUABALAH), Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
Keywords
Where One Architecture & Urbanism is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
One Architecture & Urbanism business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Professional Services - Government Consulting: ONE generates revenue through fee-for-service engagements with government agencies, municipalities, and institutional clients for resilience planning, urban design, climate adaptation strategy, and implementation support. Projects typically span multiple years and involve direct contracts with public sector entities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
One Architecture & Urbanism product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ONE is a design and planning practice that aligns data, design, and decision-making to build climate-resilient systems. The firm delivers consulting services in urban resilience planning, coastal flood protection, nature-based solutions, climate adaptation strategy, and community engagement to government agencies and international institutions across watersheds, neighborhoods, and infrastructure projects.
Product overview
ONE is a design and planning practice offering climate resilience consulting services rather than a traditional software product company. Their service portfolio includes climate adaptation planning, urban design, nature-based solutions, and community engagement services. The firm delivers client-specific projects (not standardized products) including the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR), The Big U coastal protection system, Brooklyn Marine Terminal, Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resilience (BMCR), Financial District & Seaport Climate Resilience Plan, Climate Strong Communities initiative, Rainproof NYC, Houston Neighborhood Resilience Plans, Vision Plan for a Resilient East Harlem, Gouda Oost urban renewal, Meebewegen sea level rise adaptation, and Water as Leverage program. ONE also produces knowledge products including the Resilience Hub Compendium, Water as Leverage Serious Game, and Water as Leverage Guidance documentation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Climate Resilience Design & Planning Services Professional design and planning consulting services covering urban resilience, coastal flood protection, nature-based solutions, climate adaptation strategy, and community engagement for government agencies and institutions.
- Water as Leverage Serious Game Interactive learning tool developed as part of the Water as Leverage Academy that translates Water as Leverage principles and project development stages into an engaging simulation, allowing participants to step into diverse roles, explore trade-offs, negotiate interests, and co-create solutions in simulated settings.
- Water as Leverage Guidance Methodology framework document produced by ONE and Deltares providing an eight-principle framework across six iterative stages for creating transformative and inclusive urban water resilience projects.
- Resilience Hub Compendium Knowledge product developed with Climate Resilience Consulting (CRC) and Farr Associates serving as a primer and playbook on resilience hubs, covering audiences, definitions, rationale, and case studies.
Quantifiable outcome
- East River Park protects over 100,000 residents from storm surge flooding while delivering best-in-class public space
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use One Architecture & Urbanism
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
One Architecture & Urbanism technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
One Architecture & Urbanism partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)flagshipONE co-led the Rebuild by Design competition with BIG for the Big U project, and continued collaboration on ESCR and other resilience projects. This is ONE's most significant partnership, responsible for major flagship projects in New York.
- Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (MNLA)flagshipDesign team collaborator on East Side Coastal Resiliency and other major NYC resilience projects, working alongside ONE on landscape architecture and public space design.
- ArcadiscoreProject collaborator on Brooklyn Marine Terminal, Financial District Seaport Climate Resilience Plan, ESCR, and other major infrastructure projects, providing engineering and technical expertise.
- Rebuild by DesigncoreLong-standing collaborator from Rebuild by Design competition through ongoing initiatives including Rainproof NYC. ONE was instrumental in the original Sandy response program and continues partnership on resilience initiatives.
- DeltarescoreCo-developer of Water as Leverage program and Serious Game tool, and project collaborator on Meebewegen and international resilience initiatives. Key partner for Dutch water management expertise.
- Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and PlannerscoreCollaboration partner on Climate Strong Communities engagement activities and East Harlem resilience planning, providing landscape architecture and community engagement expertise.
- NYC Department of Design and Construction (NYCDDC)flagshipPrimary government client for East Side Coastal Resiliency and major NYC resilience projects. Long-term relationship driving implementation of resilience infrastructure.
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Netherlands)coreGovernment client for Meebewegen sea level rise adaptation program, representing ONE's relationship with Dutch national government on flagship climate adaptation work.
- Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)coreImplementing partner for Water as Leverage program, supporting ONE's international climate resilience work in cities including Semarang, and co-developing the Water as Leverage Academy.
- JacobscoreEngineering and technical collaborator on Climate Strong Communities and ESCR projects, providing infrastructure and climate adaptation expertise.
- Buro HappoldcoreEngineering co-lead on Brooklyn Marine Terminal project, providing technical expertise for maritime masterplanning and infrastructure design.
- SCAPEcoreUrban design collaborator on Brooklyn Marine Terminal project, contributing landscape architecture and coastal resilience expertise.
- Kota KitacoreIndonesian partner on Water as Leverage Semarang project, providing local knowledge and community engagement expertise.
- Climate Resilience Consulting (CRC)coreCo-developer of Resilience Hub Compendium and collaboration partner on resilience hub initiatives, bringing climate adaptation consulting expertise.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
One Architecture & Urbanism competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sasaki Associates: International planning, urban design, and landscape architecture practice with climate adaptation and resilience work. Comparable multi-disciplinary design firm serving institutional and public-sector clients on large-scale planning.
- Field Operations: Landscape architecture and urban design firm known for waterfronts and large-scale public space. Comparable to ONE on climate-driven landscape architecture for coastal and post-industrial urban regeneration.
- SCAPE Landscape Architecture: NYC-based landscape architecture and urban design practice specializing in coastal resilience and waterfront infrastructure. Direct collaborator with ONE on Brooklyn Marine Terminal, sharing a focus on Living Infrastructure and post-Sandy resilience planning.
- WXY architecture + urban design: NYC-based urban design and architecture firm working on waterfront resilience, public space, and adaptive infrastructure. Closely comparable to ONE on city-scale resilience projects and participatory planning in NYC and beyond.
- Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG): Copenhagen/New York architecture and urban design firm and ONE's co-lead on the Big U and ESCR. Closely aligned in marrying architecture, urbanism, and large-scale climate resilience commissions.
- Stoss Landscape Urbanism: Boston-based landscape architecture and urban design practice with strong climate adaptation and resilient waterfront portfolio. Directly comparable to ONE in combining landscape architecture with climate resilience strategy for municipalities.
- Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (MNLA): NYC landscape architecture firm and flagship ONE collaborator on East Side Coastal Resiliency. Comparable practice profile with focus on waterfronts, public space, and urban resilience infrastructure in NYC.
Broad incumbents
- Buro Happold: International engineering consultancy and ONE's engineering co-lead on Brooklyn Marine Terminal. Broad incumbent providing climate-resilient infrastructure engineering adjacent to ONE's planning and design work.
- Jacobs: Global professional services firm and ONE's collaborator on Climate Strong Communities and ESCR. Broad incumbent with significant climate adaptation and infrastructure consulting capabilities overlapping with ONE's resilience practice.
- Arcadis: Global design and engineering firm and ONE's engineering partner on Brooklyn Marine Terminal, ESCR, and FD Seaport. Broad incumbent with overlapping resilience and waterfront capabilities, but operates at vastly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
One Architecture & Urbanism social profiles
Digital presenceOne Architecture & Urbanism compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
One Architecture & Urbanism financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
One Architecture & Urbanism leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
One Architecture & Urbanism funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
One Architecture & Urbanism M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about One Architecture & Urbanism
What does One Architecture & Urbanism do?
ONE is a design and planning practice that aligns data, design, and decision-making to build climate-resilient systems. The firm delivers consulting services in urban resilience planning, coastal flood protection, nature-based solutions, climate adaptation strategy, and community engagement to government agencies and international institutions across watersheds, neighborhoods, and infrastructure projects.
Is One Architecture & Urbanism a public or private company?
One Architecture & Urbanism is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was One Architecture & Urbanism founded?
One Architecture & Urbanism was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is One Architecture & Urbanism based?
One Architecture & Urbanism is headquartered in New City, United States, in the North America region.
How does One Architecture & Urbanism make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services - Government Consulting.
Who are One Architecture & Urbanism's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sasaki Associates, Field Operations, SCAPE Landscape Architecture, WXY architecture + urban design, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Stoss Landscape Urbanism and Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (MNLA). Broad incumbents are Buro Happold, Jacobs and Arcadis.
Does One Architecture & Urbanism have an API?
No public API is recorded for One Architecture & Urbanism.
What industry is One Architecture & Urbanism in?
One Architecture & Urbanism's product category is Climate Resilience Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANAEAJ, Urban Flood Resilience & Adaptation Planning (Climate, Nature-Based Solutions), with a secondary code of EUABALAH, Adaptation & Resilience Planning Platforms (CAPEX Prioritization, Cost–Benefit, NBS). Its NAICS code is 541620 and its SIC code is 8742.