What Scalene architectes does

Scalene Architectes is a private French architecture firm (SARL) founded in 2008 in Toulouse by brothers Jean and Luc Larnaudie, both EPFL Lausanne-trained architects. The firm operates a professional services model, generating fees from architectural design services — competitions, full MOP missions, partial missions, programming, signage, and urban planning — billed primarily as a percentage of construction cost under both French public procurement regulations and direct private commissions. Its portfolio spans over 100 completed or in-progress projects across housing (collective, student, social, individual), offices, educational facilities, cultural venues, sports facilities, hotels, healthcare, parking infrastructure, and mixed-use developments, with individual project budgets ranging from €400,000 to €86.41 million.

The firm's competitive identity rests on a codified design methodology called 'Architecture enrichie' (enriched architecture), a humanistic philosophy promoting mutual enrichment between buildings and users through relational spaces. This methodology was published as a book by AHA éditions in 2020 and has been the basis for recurring coverage in French and international architecture press including D'Architectures, Le Moniteur, AMC, Detail Online, and Area. Scalene positions itself in competition-led GTM motion — participating in open and restricted architectural competitions for public sector clients (municipalities, departments, universities) and accepting direct commissions from private developers. The firm holds HQE, BEPOS, NF Habitat, and BREEAM sustainability certifications across its projects.

Scalene's go-to-market includes both solo competitions and recurring co-architect partnerships with elite firms such as PPA (Pierre Padda), Dominique Perrault Architecture, Chartier Dalix, Snøhetta, Grimshaw, Bruno Gaudin Architectes, and Lanoire et Courrian. The firm operates a small core team (~8 visible members) and serves clients primarily across the Toulouse metropolitan area and broader Occitanie region, with selected projects extending to other French regions and internationally (notably Centre des congrès de Trebinje in Bosnia-Herzegovina). Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the firm is entirely founder-owned with no external institutional investment.

Name

Scalene architectes

Legal name

Scalene Architectes

Website

https://scalene.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Scalene Architectes is a private Toulouse-based architecture firm (SARL) founded in 2008 by Jean and Luc Larnaudie, delivering competition-winning design services across housing, public, cultural, and mixed-use projects in France and selectively internationally, anchored by its 'Architecture enrichie' methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential architecture
• Mixed-use developments
• Urban planning services
• Sustainable architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based fees from architectural design services including competitions, full mission contracts, and partial missions for public and private clients. Revenue generated from design fees calculated as percentage of construction costs, plus additional services such as programming, signage, and urban planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Scalene architectes is a French architecture firm providing comprehensive architectural design services for residential, educational, cultural, sports, commercial, and mixed-use building projects. The firm operates under a proprietary 'Architecture enrichie' (enriched architecture) methodology emphasizing relational spaces and humanistic design, delivering full mission contracts (MOP) from competition through construction supervision for public sector clients and private developers.

Product overview

Scalene architectes is an architecture firm based in Toulouse, France, led by Jean and Luc Larnaudie. The firm specializes in architecture enrichie — a humanistic approach combining architecture with relational and social values. Their portfolio spans diverse building typologies including residential housing (individual, collective, student, and social housing), office/commercial buildings, educational facilities, sports venues, cultural and exhibition spaces, mixed-use developments, hospitality, healthcare facilities, and urban planning projects. The firm operates at all urban scales from individual buildings to metropolitan master plans, primarily serving clients in the Toulouse metropolitan area and Occitanie region, with projects extending to other French regions and internationally (Bosnia-Herzegovina). Their design methodology emphasizes shared outdoor spaces, flexibility, structural expression, facade materiality, and programmatic diversity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architectural Design Full-service architectural design for residential projects including collective housing, student housing, social housing, and individual/grouped homes, delivered for public housing operators and private developers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 architectural projects completed or in progress across diverse typologies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PPA (Pierre Padda)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration on multiple large-scale residential and mixed-use projects including 615 student housing (21.88M€), Siège du Crédit Agricole 31 (28M€), and various housing developments. PPA serves as lead or associated architect on joint projects.
• Lanoire et CourrianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Collège 600 project at Bessières and Collège 750 et SEGPA 120 at Jurançon (8.2M€).
• Dominique Perrault ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Halle de la Machine project (10.81M€) where Dominique Perrault served as lead architect.
• Bruno Gaudin ArchitectesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Bâtiment Duportal - Université du Capitole (18M€) where Bruno Gaudin served as lead architect.
• Chartier DalixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on SERNAM Îlot 1 project (86.41M€) where Chartier Dalix served as lead architect.
• SnohettaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Fenêtre sur piste project (34M€) where Snohetta served as lead architect.
• GrimshawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Pôle d'Échanges Multimodal Marengo (65M€) where Grimshaw served as lead architect.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• PPA Architecture (Pierre Padda): Toulouse-based architecture firm of comparable scale and typology, focused on housing, mixed-use, and educational projects. PPA is Scalene's most frequent co-author, collaborating on 615 student housing (€21.88M), Crédit Agricole 31 headquarters (€28M), and multiple housing developments — making it the closest operational and regional peer.
• Tolila+Gilliland: French architecture practice of similar size with a comparable housing-led, mixed-use, and urban-renewment portfolio. Like Scalene, they combine public-sector competitions with private developer commissions and emphasize material and programmatic experimentation, making them a direct competitor for similar mid-sized French tenders.
• Chartier Dalix Architectes: Paris-based architecture firm working on housing, mixed-use, and large urban projects — including the SERNAM Îlot 1 project (€86.41M) where Scalene served as associated architect. Overlapping typologies and French public-sector focus make them a strong operational peer, with Chartier Dalix typically operating at a larger scale.
• studioMilou architecture: French architecture practice with comparable mixed typologies (cultural, public, infrastructure) and a strong public-competition track record. Similar in scale and positioning to Scalene, often competing for the same institutional commissions in France.
• Hamonic+Masson & Associés: French architecture firm with a multi-program portfolio spanning housing, schools, cultural venues, and mixed-use — directly overlapping Scalene's typological range and French public-competition channel.

Broad incumbents

• Lacaton & Vassal: Pritzker Prize-winning French architecture firm specializing in housing and public-sector projects; Luc Larnaudie trained here before founding Scalene. Represents the gold-standard French housing-and-public-architecture peer against which Scalene's social-housing and educational work is implicitly benchmarked.
• Dominique Perrault Architecture: Major French architecture firm with broad public, cultural, and mixed-use work. Scalene collaborated with Perrault's office on the Halle de la Machine project (€10.81M), illustrating that they compete in adjacent typologies and on the same public-competition stages, even though Perrault operates at substantially larger scale.
• MVRDV: International architecture firm renowned for multi-program, mixed-use, and socially oriented urban projects. Philosophically close to Scalene's 'Architecture enrichie' (relational spaces, programmatic diversity) but operating globally and at much larger scale — a useful peer for international growth benchmarking.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Global architecture firm with a strong portfolio of multi-program, mixed-use, and public-facing projects (housing, schools, cultural venues). Comparable to Scalene on typology breadth and programmatic diversity, though at vastly greater scale and brand recognition.
• Snøhetta: Internationally renowned architecture and design firm with strong public-sector and cultural-venue credentials. Scalene collaborated with Snøhetta on the Fenêtre sur piste project (€34M), positioning Snøhetta both as a partner and as an aspirational peer for international multi-program work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scalenes
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/scalene_architectes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scalene-architectes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Scalene architectes