What BAST Architects & Engineers does

BAST Architects & Engineers is a multidisciplinary Belgian architecture and engineering firm headquartered in Ghent, founded in May 2013 through the merger of IADB (active since 1995) and Alexis Versele architecten (active since 1986). The firm delivers integrated services across three disciplines — architecture, structural stability, and building services/technieken — under a single roof, with a specific specialisation in bio-ecological construction methods including wood-frame (houtskelet) construction, Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), straw bale, and lime hemp (kalkhennep) building. Its portfolio spans individual residential renovations, prefab homes, child daycare centres, schools, social housing, and inclusive care facilities for vulnerable populations, alongside selective commercial commissions such as the Colruyt Group's Bio Planet organic retail conversion in Gent.

The firm's value proposition rests on combining practitioner-grade expertise in low-impact natural materials with full-service architectural and engineering capability, enabling delivery of passive house, BEN, and circular-economy compliant buildings. Projects are acquired primarily through architectural competitions, direct institutional commissions, and referrals from a curated ecosystem of partner architects (Robbrecht en Daem, ORCA, FISH) and specialist contractors (Inhout, Bolster). Notable completed or in-progress commissions include a 72-child bio-based kindergarten in Oostende, 12 CLT social homes in Gent with Thuispunt Gent, and a circular prefab care home delivered in a 4-week assembly window.

Revenue is generated exclusively through professional-services fees tied to bespoke project commissions, with project-specific, quote-based pricing and no standardised public pricing. The firm operates as a privately held partnership (vennoten), with no external capital, no subsidiaries, and a single Belgian office. Following a planned 2025 ownership transition from co-founders Bruno Deraedt and Alexis Versele to Pieter D'Haeseleer and Lode Goethals, the firm continues to operate from Ghent with a headcount of 15-20 team members and a regional focus on Flanders.

Name

BAST Architects & Engineers

Legal name

BAST Architects & Engineers

Website

https://bast.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BAST Architects & Engineers is a Ghent-based multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm that delivers integrated design, structural, and building-services for bio-ecological buildings using timber, CLT, straw bale, and lime hemp, serving private, public, and non-profit clients across Flanders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Residential Building Construction (2361)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mass Timber & Structural Engineered Wood (CLT, Glulam, NLT/DLT) (IMADADAC)

Keywords

• Sustainable architecture services
• Bio-ecological construction
• Structural engineering design
• Timber frame construction
• Building systems engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Ghent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural and engineering project fees: BAST generates revenue through project-based architectural and engineering commissions, covering the full lifecycle from design through construction supervision. Revenue is derived from both private residential clients and public/institutional clients for projects ranging from individual home renovations to large-scale public buildings and social housing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BAST is a multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm offering three integrated services: architectural design, structural engineering (stabiliteit) with specialisation in timber construction, and building systems/techniques (technieken) covering HVAC, plumbing, electricity, renewable energy and energy studies. The firm specialises in bio-ecological construction methods including wood frame (houtskelet), cross-laminated timber (CLT), straw bale and lime hemp construction, delivering projects from residential renovations to public buildings, childcare, healthcare, and social housing.

Product overview

BAST Architects & Engineers is a multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm offering integrated services in architecture, structural stability, and building techniques. The firm specializes in bio-ecological construction methods, providing architectural design, structural engineering (particularly in timber construction), and technical building systems services. Their portfolio spans residential (single-family homes, renovations, cohousing), educational (schools, daycare centers), and care facilities, with expertise in sustainable building methods including timber frame construction, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), straw bale building, and hemp lime construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Multidisciplinary architectural design addressing ecological and social challenges through bio-ecological construction methods including timber frame, cross-laminated timber (CLT), straw bale, and hemp lime building techniques. Portfolio spans residential (single-family homes, renovations, cohousing), educational (schools, daycare centres), healthcare, and social housing projects.
• Structural Engineering Services (Stabiliteit) Structural engineering specialising in timber construction including wood frame (houtskelet), cross-laminated timber (CLT), straw bale, and lime hemp structures, alongside traditional structural studies. Serves residential, new-build, industrial, and group housing projects with detailed, sustainability-focused structural design.
• Building Systems Engineering (Technieken) Sustainable and affordable technical installations including HVAC, plumbing, electricity, and renewable energy systems, complemented by energy studies for buildings of all sizes. Supports clients in making technically correct and economically smart decisions for energy-efficient, low-maintenance, and durable buildings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Passive house energy performance standards achieved across residential projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• InhoutminorOthersContractor partner specialising in timber construction and sustainable building execution.
• BolsterminorOthersContractor partner for sustainable building projects.
• Robbrecht en Daem architectencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead architect partner on the HAM social housing project (12 CLT homes in Gent). BAST collaborates with Robbrecht en Daem as joint architects on this significant public housing commission.
• STIDOminorOthersStructural system provider used in the Prefab zorgwoning project for the detachable, circular building concept.
• Bolster bvminorOthersPartner contractor on the Lentetuiltje circular childcare project.
• ORCA architecten en ingenieursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner architecture and engineering firm within the BAST network of collaborating architects.
• FISH architectenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner architect firm for school extension projects (e.g., Technieken en stabiliteit voor uitbreiding school in Kortemark).
• Colruyt GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClient and parent company of Bio Planet, for whom BAST designed the conversion of a 19th-century industrial building in Gent. BAST serves as the architecture and engineering firm for Colruyt's organic retail subsidiary.
• FURNIBOminorOthersPartner on the Bio-based kindergarten project in Oostende (Stad Oostende client).

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• MVRDV: Dutch architecture practice widely recognized for sustainability-focused design — broad portfolio with overlapping timber, circular, and bio-based commissions but at much larger scale.
• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with an established built-environment sustainability practice — operates in overlapping structural and sustainable design territory at much larger scale.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Danish architecture firm with explicit sustainability/circular material practice — relevant adjacency at the sustainability-architecture intersection, though considerably larger and broader.

Direct peers

• cepezed: Dutch architecture firm focused on sustainable, demountable, and bio-based construction — directly comparable in low-energy building methodology and integrated design.
• Bollinger+Grohmann: European structural engineering consultancy with strong sustainability and timber-construction practice — comparable integrated A/E service offering and bio-based material focus.
• Powerhouse Company: Dutch architecture practice known for sustainable and energy-positive buildings — comparable size, geography (Benelux), and design-led sustainability positioning.
• NEY & Partners: Belgian architecture and engineering bureau specialized in timber and sustainable construction — directly comparable in geography, integrated A/E service model, and bio-ecological materials focus.
• ORCA architecten en ingenieurs: Belgian multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm named explicitly as a BAST partner — operates in overlapping A/E+sustainability space in the Belgian market.
• Werner Sobek: German engineering and architecture practice focused on sustainable, resource-efficient construction — directly comparable in low-energy/high-performance structural design expertise.

Emerging players

• Robbrecht en Daem architecten: Belgian architecture firm named as BAST's lead-architect joint-venture partner on the HAM CLT social-housing project — overlaps with BAST in social housing and timber commissions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BASTarchitectsengineers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bastcoop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 BAST Architects & Engineers