STILL HAPPY

What STILL HAPPY does

Encore Heureux Architectes is a privately held architecture firm founded in Paris in 2001, operating as generalist architects with a deliberate specialization in ecological and social challenges. The firm designs cultural venues (cinemas, museums, music halls such as SMAC Le Normandy and Cin\u00e9 32), educational institutions (EHESS Campus Condorcet, Académie de Mayotte schools, La Plateforme in Marseille), public spaces (Les Promenades de Reims at 12 hectares, Halle aux Poissons at Le Havre), and select corporate facilities (Michelin social HQ, Hutchinson 507-Fab House). Core technical competencies center on low-technology sustainable construction methods: material reuse (réemploi), rammed earth (pisé) sourced locally, wood-straw framing, and compressed earth bricks for Mayotte projects. The firm describes itself as intervening at different scales on spatial, social, and urban issues, with a stated methodology of "soft radicality" (douce radicalité) integrating citizen appropriation and free programming of spaces.

The firm's revenue model is professional services based, with fees generated through project-based mandates secured primarily via French public architecture competitions and direct private commissions. The firm serves as lead architect (mandataire) within multi-party consortia of recurring specialist partners (engineering firms such as Quadriplus and Batiserf, acoustics Atelier Rouch, construction economics Éco+Construire, and the in-house spin-off REMIX for material reuse). Customer segments are predominantly French municipalities and public agencies, supplemented by cultural associations (Ciné 32, Sinny&Ooko) and selective private enterprise clients (Michelin, Hutchinson). The firm also monetizes intellectual property through published books and exhibitions (Matière Grise, Lieux Infinis, Énergies Désespoirs, Dans Le Mur) and contributed to French Pavilion commissariat at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale.

Encore Heureux is a founder-owned, independent private partnership with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or external funding rounds; its only known structural move is the 2019 spin-off creation of REMIX with Morgan Moinet as a separate material reuse study bureau. Geographic operations are concentrated in France, including French Overseas Territory work in Mayotte following Cyclone Chido, with Luxembourg listed as a served market. The firm is currently shortlisted among seven for the Grand Prix National de l'Architecture 2024 awarded by the Ministère de la Culture, providing an external validation point for its market position within French architectural practice.

Name

STILL HAPPY

Legal name

ENCORE HEUREUX Architectes

Website

https://encoreheureux.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Encore Heureux Architectes is a Paris-based architecture firm founded in 2001 specializing in sustainable, ecologically focused design for French public institutions, municipalities, cultural organizations, and selective private corporate clients, delivered as lead architect in multi-party consortia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Sustainable architecture services
• Material reuse construction
• Ecological building design
• Public architecture competitions
• Cultural venue design

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Professional architecture and design services for public and private clients, primarily through competitive public procurement processes. Revenue generated through fees for design, project management, and construction oversight.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Encore Heureux Architectes is a Paris-based generalist architecture firm that provides architectural design, master planning, and urban redevelopment services with a focus on ecological construction, material reuse (réemploi), and bioclimatic design. The firm works primarily as lead architect (mandataire) within consortia of engineering and specialist firms to deliver cultural venues, educational facilities, public spaces, and corporate buildings for municipalities, government agencies, cultural institutions, and private corporations across France.

Product overview

Encore Heureux Architectes is an architecture firm founded in 2001, specializing in ecological and social challenges. The firm designs buildings and places rather than conventional structures, operating as generalist architects who intervene at various scales on spatial, social, and urban issues. Their portfolio includes cultural facilities (cinemas, museums, music venues), educational institutions (schools, universities, campuses), public spaces, and housing projects, with a focus on reusing existing buildings, reclaimed materials, and citizen-driven programming. The firm also engages in research activities through exhibitions, publications, and architectural studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design and Master Planning Services
• REMIX Material Reuse Study Bureau

Quantifiable outcome

• La Halle aux Poissons: 80,000 visitors over 7 months, 60 associative structures, 19 residents, 184 events
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EMMA BLANC (paysage, écologue)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2024Landscape and ecology specialist within the EHESS/FMSH Campus Condorcet consortium, contributing to environmental design and green space planning
• QUADRIPLUScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2024Engineering firm handling VRD, fluids, structure, and operation-maintenance within Campus Condorcet project consortium
• AMOESminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2024HQE, BDF (Bâtiment Durable Francilien), and commissioning specialist in Campus Condorcet consortium
• Éco+ConstruirecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2024Construction economics specialist, recurring partner across multiple projects including Campus Condorcet, Astrolabe, Normandy, and Les Amarres
• REMIXcoreTechnology or Integration · 24 November 2024Material reuse study bureau founded by Encore Heureux and Morgan Moinet in 2019, specializing in circular economy of construction materials
• ATELIER ROUCHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2024Acoustic engineering specialist, recurring partner across numerous projects including Campus Condorcet, Astrolabe, Normandy, and Ciné 32
• Co-ArchitectescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2024Associated architecture firm for Mayotte projects including Lycée des Métiers du Bâtiment and Cyclone Chido recovery efforts
• KanjucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024Architecture partner for Le Normandy SMAC project in Saint-Lô and L'Astrolabe SMAC in Orléans
• Espace TempsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024Partner in Normandy and Astrolabe SMAC projects
• BatiserfminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024Structural engineering partner for Normandy, Astrolabe, and Carnac Museum projects
• Réseau(x)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024Partner for Le Normandy SMAC project
• ArquadminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024Partner for Le Normandy SMAC project
• SogariscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2022Real estate company (foncière) leading Les Amarres project - hotel, logistics, and social facility at former Magasins Généraux in Paris
• AREPminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2022Architecture and urban planning firm in Les Amarres consortium
• FludisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2022Partner in Les Amarres project consortium
• Barges & BergesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2022Partner in Les Amarres project consortium
• Yes We CampminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2022Social innovation organization in Les Amarres consortium for refugee and precarious population reception
• AuroreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2022Social action organization in Les Amarres consortium for homeless and vulnerable populations
• BellevillescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2021Solidarity real estate company (foncière solidaire) leading partner with Encore Heureux for Halle aux Poissons project since 2021
• Sinny&OokocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2021Cultural third-space creators joining Bellevilles and Encore Heureux for Halle aux Poissons project since 2022
• Atelier D.D.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2021Architecture firm leading pilot team for Halle aux Poissons project with Encore Heureux
• EnofiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2021Pilot team member for Halle aux Poissons project
• Morgan MoinetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 September 2019Co-founder of REMIX material reuse study bureau with Encore Heureux in 2019
• AIA Life DesignersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2014Architecture firm in Centre Pompidou Cultural Master Plan competition consortium with Barreau & Charbonnet, Vraiment Vraiment, Kanju, Remix, and Atelier Rouch

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lacaton & Vassal: French architecture firm and 2021 Pritzker Prize winner, deeply focused on sustainable, low-cost renovation and material conservation in social and cultural buildings. Shares Encore Heureux's philosophy of building reuse and minimal intervention, and operates in France at comparable scale.
• Dominique Coulon & Associés: French architecture firm based in Strasbourg with a strong portfolio of cultural venues (libraries, theaters, schools) across France. Closely comparable to Encore Heureux in scale, French geography, and concentration on public cultural and educational commissions.
• Atelier Philippe Madec: Paris-based ecological architecture practice working at multiple scales on environmental and social issues. Shares Encore Heureux's generalist ecological approach and engagement with public sector projects in France.
• Tectône: French architecture firm specializing in ecological and contextual design, with a comparable portfolio of public and cultural buildings. Operates at similar scale with overlapping client types (municipalities, cultural institutions).
• Wilmotte & Associés: Major French architecture firm led by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, with extensive portfolio of cultural, institutional, and public buildings across France and internationally. Comparable in French public sector client base and cultural project focus, though larger in scale.

Broad incumbents

• Studio Gang: US-based architecture practice known for sustainable design and signature cultural/educational projects. Shares Encore Heureux's commitment to ecological material innovation but operates at significantly larger scale with international reach.
• Snøhetta: Norwegian-headquartered architecture and design firm with strong portfolio in cultural and public buildings and explicit sustainability positioning. Comparable on cultural project typology and sustainability credentials, with broader geographic reach and scale.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Danish architecture practice with global portfolio spanning cultural, educational, and commercial projects with integrated sustainability narrative. Comparable on large-scale public commissions but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• MVRDV: Dutch architecture firm with extensive sustainable design portfolio across cultural, residential, and public projects globally. Overlaps with Encore Heureux on sustainability-driven public commissions but operates at much greater scale and global footprint.
• Renzo Piano Building Workshop: Italian-founded global architecture firm renowned for museums, cultural centers, and public buildings. Comparable to Encore Heureux on cultural and public building typology, though at vastly larger scale with international footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EncoreHeureux
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/encore-heureux-architectes
• Instagraminstagram.com/encore_heureux_architectes
• Xx.com/encorehlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 STILL HAPPY