Hildebrand

What Hildebrand does

HILDEBRAND STUDIOS AG is a privately held Swiss architecture firm founded in Zurich in 1999 by Thomas Hildebrand. The firm delivers full-service architectural design across residential, commercial, cultural, and public-sector buildings, with particular specialization in sustainable construction, timber architecture, and heritage-sensitive renovation. Its service portfolio extends beyond individual building design into urban planning and masterplanning (e.g., Masterplan Neumatt, Masterplan Ried), research initiatives such as MEHRwert HOLZ, and academic collaborations with ZHAW and formerly ETH Zurich. Notable institutional clients include Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Canton of Solothurn, SVA Aargau, Maerki Baumann & Co., Swiss Life, Losinger Marazzi, and Jelmoli.

The firm operates a project-based professional services model, generating revenue through negotiated per-project fees on multi-year contracts acquired via open competitions, invited competitions, and direct commissions. Pricing is quoted rather than publicly disclosed, varying by project scope, size, and complexity. The team consists of approximately 24 architects, project leaders, and administrative staff led by founding partner Thomas Hildebrand and partner Stefan Amann, supported by an apprentice pipeline and academic teaching engagements that double as a recruitment channel.

Geographically, the firm is headquartered at Wasserwerkstrasse 129 in Zurich with project delivery primarily concentrated in Switzerland and selectively extended into Germany, France, Japan, Korea, and the United States. Go-to-market leans on a portfolio-driven brand (hildebrand.ch), competition wins, published books (Touch Wood, Crafting Architecture), and academic presence rather than direct sales infrastructure. Multiple first-prize competition wins and heritage commissions signal established credibility in Switzerland's regulated public-procurement and monument-preservation segments.

Name

Hildebrand

Legal name

HILDEBRAND STUDIOS AG

Website

https://hildebrand.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hildebrand is a Zurich-based Swiss architecture firm founded in 1999, delivering full-service architectural design across residential, commercial, cultural, and public-sector projects with a specialization in sustainable timber construction. It serves public, institutional, and private clients in Switzerland and selectively in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture services including planning, design, and project management for residential, commercial, cultural, and public buildings. Revenue generated through professional service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hildebrand Studios AG is a Zurich-based architecture firm providing full-service architectural design, planning, and project management for residential, commercial, institutional, and public buildings. The firm specializes in sustainable construction methods, especially timber architecture and natural materials, and operates through open competitions, invited competitions, and direct commissions for clients in Switzerland and internationally.

Product overview

HILDEBRAND is an architecture firm offering comprehensive architectural design services. The firm's portfolio includes residential estates, sports facilities, commercial headquarters, cultural buildings, public institutions, and urban planning projects. Alongside core design services, the firm conducts research in sustainable construction (particularly wood architecture), publishes academic works, and participates in architectural competitions. The firm operates from Zurich with projects spanning Switzerland and international locations including Seoul, Tokyo, St. Tropez, and Geneva.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design, planning, and project management for residential, commercial, institutional, and public buildings across Switzerland and internationally. Services span concept development through project realization.
• Architectural Competition Services Participation in open and invited architectural competitions, including test planning (test planung) procedures, often producing first-prize-winning designs.
• Urban Planning and Masterplanning Large-scale urban development planning services, including masterplans and framework plans for municipalities and developers.
• Renovation and Restoration Services Careful renovation and restoration of historic buildings and monuments, including listed properties, working in close cooperation with monument preservation authorities.

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZHAW (Zurcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing academic partnership with ZHAW Winterthur Institute Urban Landscape. Thomas Hildebrand teaches at ZHAW and the firm hosts student projects and summer schools focusing on timber construction and sustainable architecture.
• ETH ZurichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer teaching affiliation with ETH Zurich (1997-2006). Thomas Hildebrand previously taught at ETH and maintains connections to academic architectural discourse.
• Japan Swiss Architectural Association (JSAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThomas Hildebrand participates in JSAA events to promote exchange between Japanese and Swiss architecture, presenting at lectures and workshops.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hosoya Schaefer Architekten: Swiss-Japanese architecture firm focusing on urban architecture and sustainable design. Comparable Swiss boutique architecture firm with similar sustainability emphasis and cross-cultural project profile.
• Herzog & de Meuron: Swiss architecture firm founded in 1978, known for Tate Modern, Bird's Nest, and Elbphilharmonie. Comparable as a Swiss-headquartered architecture firm with international project portfolio and similar premium positioning.
• David Chipperfield Architects: British architecture firm with offices across Europe and Asia, focused on cultural, residential, and commercial buildings. Comparable European boutique architecture firm with similar prestige and project-type mix.
• Snøhetta: Norwegian-American architecture firm with strong sustainability and landscape-integration emphasis. Comparable international architecture firm with similar contextual-design focus and cultural-project portfolio.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Danish-American architecture firm known for innovative contemporary buildings across cultural, residential, and commercial typologies. Comparable international architecture firm with similar contemporary design focus and project prestige.
• Studio Libeskind: International architecture and design studio focused on cultural buildings, masterplans, and commercial developments. Comparable international architecture firm serving similar cultural and institutional client types.
• Max Dudler: German-Swiss architect known for cultural and commercial buildings with strong materiality and detail. Comparable European boutique architecture firm with similar aesthetic orientation and project types.
• Marte.Marte Architekten: Austrian architecture firm known for minimalist contemporary buildings in Alpine context. Comparable boutique Alpine-region architecture firm with similar focus on contextual integration.
• Christian Kerez: Swiss architect known for minimalist, structural innovation in cultural and residential buildings. Comparable Swiss boutique architecture firm with similar cultural-project focus and minimalist aesthetic.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Global architecture firm with broad portfolio spanning airports, towers, and cultural buildings. Comparable in market category but significantly larger with much broader scope than Hildebrand's boutique model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hildebrandstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hildebrand-studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Hildebrand