h2o architects
h2o architectes is a Paris-based architecture firm serving French public-sector clients across four scales: urban planning, social and cultural housing, heritage monument restoration, and design objects. Founded by three partners, the practice combines contemporary architects with heritage specialists for adaptive reuse of classified buildings and public infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What h2o architects does
h2o architectes is a Paris-based architecture firm founded by Charlotte Hubert, Jean-Jacques Hubert, and Antoine Santiard, operating across four explicit scales: Urban (public space, neighborhood redevelopment), Architectural (housing, cultural facilities, offices), Patrimonial (heritage restoration of classified monuments), and Design (urban furniture, modular pavilions, design objects). The practice combines licensed architects with specialized 'architectes du patrimoine' (heritage architects) under one roof, enabling unified contemporary and conservation interventions on historically classified buildings. Its proprietary 'architectural reprogramming' methodology is a three-phase approach (constructive-viability assessment, transformation mapping, acceptable-transformation measurement) applied to adaptive-reuse projects; the firm also maintains a research practice on bio- and geo-sourced materials (wood, earth, stone, straw) for low-carbon construction, documented in publications such as 'Sustainable building at Chapelle Charbon.'
The firm serves four primary customer segments: public housing organizations (Paris Habitat, RIVP, Immobilière 3F, Elogie-Siemp); cultural institutions (Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Musée du Louvre, Musée Rodin, INA, Eugène Delacroix Museum, Jumieges Abbey); municipal governments (Ville de Paris, Ville d'Évreux); and heritage organizations. Notable completed projects include the Caserne de Reuilly (≈600 social-housing units, 2021), Maison Saint-Charles (78-unit intergenerational residence, 2022), Îlot Saint-Germain (254 social-housing units converted from a former Ministry of Defense building, awarded Équerre d'Argent 2023), Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris renovation (2019), and Louvre Carrousel (2024). Most projects are awarded through French public-procurement competitions; the firm operates exclusively on a professional-services revenue model with fees typically structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fees, coordinated by the firm serving as lead architect (mandataire) across multidisciplinary consortiums of structural engineers, landscape architects, and quantity surveyors.
The business is private, independent, and founder-owned, with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or funding rounds. Marketing relies on professional reputation, awards (Équerre d'Argent, Grand Prix SIMI, Best Architects 25, ACD Award), monographic publications (Park Books / Building Books), exhibitions at Pavillon de l'Arsenal, and conference presence at UNESCO, CNAPPC, Columbia GSAPP, and Tulane. Geographic operation spans six French regions including Île-de-France, Normandie, Bretagne, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, but the firm has no international footprint claim beyond invited lectures.
h2o architects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- h2o architects
- Legal name
- h2o architectes
- Website
- https://h2oarchitectes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- h2o architectes is a Paris-based architecture firm serving French public-sector clients across four scales: urban planning, social and cultural housing, heritage monument restoration, and design objects. Founded by three partners, the practice combines contemporary architects with heritage specialists for adaptive reuse of classified buildings and public infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
h2o architects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
Keywords
Where h2o architects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
h2o architects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: The firm generates revenue through professional fees for architectural design services. Projects are commissioned for specific programs including housing, cultural facilities, public space, and heritage restoration. Revenue is project-based, with fees calculated as a percentage of construction costs or as fixed fees for specific services. The firm serves as lead architect (mandataire) on most projects, coordinating multidisciplinary teams.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
h2o architects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
h2o architectes is a Paris-based architecture firm that designs and delivers architectural projects across four scales: urban planning, architectural design (housing, cultural facilities, offices, educational institutions), heritage/patrimonial restoration of historic monuments, and design objects (urban furniture, modular pavilions). The firm leads projects typically as lead architect (mandataire), coordinating multidisciplinary teams, and specializes in the adaptive reuse and sustainable rehabilitation of existing buildings, including classified historic monuments.
Product overview
h2o architectes is a Paris-based architecture firm founded by Charlotte Hubert, Jean-Jacques Hubert, and Antoine Santiard. The firm works across four scales: Urban planning (public spaces, neighborhood redevelopment), Architectural (housing, cultural facilities, offices), Patrimonial (heritage restoration, historic monuments), and Design (urban furniture, modular pavilions). Their portfolio includes museums (Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Musée Rodin), social housing developments, public space transformations, and the mobile MUE Pavilion. They also publish monographic books documenting their projects and engage in academic teaching collaborations. The firm employs both architects and heritage architects, specializing in the transformation of existing buildings and adaptive reuse.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Urban Planning Projects Large-scale urban design and public space planning services for municipalities and public developers, including cathedral surroundings, neighborhood redevelopment, and mixed-use developments.
- Architectural Design Services Building design services spanning social, private, coliving, and student housing, cultural facilities, offices, and educational institutions, for public housing organizations, cultural institutions, and private developers.
- Heritage / Patrimonial Restoration Services Restoration, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse of historic monuments and classified buildings including museums, abbeys, national assembly spaces, and other heritage sites, delivered for cultural institutions and government heritage bodies.
- Design Objects and Urban Furniture Design of urban furniture, modular systems, and pavilion structures including the MUE traveling pavilion and La Villette public toilets, for municipalities and public institutions.
- MUE Pavilion (La Fabrique) Mobile, modular, and evolutive educational pavilion designed for rapid installation, adaptable use, and travel throughout the Bourgogne Franche-Comté region, commissioned by the Région Académique Bourgogne Franche-Comté / MUE.
Companies that use h2o architects
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
h2o architects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
h2o architects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and important.
- Studio GGSVkeyCollaborated on Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris renovation (2016-2019), with Studio GGSV responsible for furniture design within the broader architectural project. The partnership combined h2o's architectural expertise with GGSV's design sensibility for interior elements.
- Eugène Architectes du PatrimoinecoreRegular collaboration on heritage projects including Jumieges Abbey rehabilitation, Saint-Mélaine Palace transformation, and various historic monument projects. Combines h2o's architectural practice with Eugène's specialized heritage architecture expertise.
- Michel Desvigne PaysagisteskeyLed the Évreux cathedral public space project (2014), with Michel Desvigne as lead landscape architect and h2o as architect. This partnership addresses the landscape and urban design dimensions of major public space projects.
- Bollinger+GrohmannimportantStructural engineering partner on multiple projects including the MUE mobile pavilion and La Villette public toilets. Provides technical expertise for innovative structural solutions.
- Équilibre Structure IngénierieimportantStructural engineering partner on numerous projects including Musée d'Art Moderne, Louvre Carrousel, and various housing developments. Regular collaborator providing structural engineering expertise.
- VPEASimportantQuantity surveyor and economics partner on many projects including Louvre Museum spaces, Eugène Delacroix Museum, and Jumieges Abbey. Provides cost control and economic consultancy.
- id+ IngénierieimportantEngineering partner on Caserne de Reuilly and multiple housing rehabilitation projects. Provides comprehensive technical engineering services.
- d&h PaysagistesimportantLandscape architecture partner on Caserne de Reuilly and other urban projects. Collaborates on integrating landscape design into architectural projects.
- FBAA (François Brugel Architectes Associés)keyCollaborated on Îlot Saint-Germain project (transformation of former Ministry of Armed Forces into 254 social housing units), working together as associated architects for RIVP.
- Miguel MazeriimportantAnthropologist contributing to projects including Caserne de Reuilly, providing anthropological perspective on user needs and social dynamics. Contributed to publications documenting firm methodology.
- Paris & Métropole AménagementcorePublic developer and partner on ZAC Chapelle Charbon urban development project. h2o serves as urbanists within the design team led by Base Paysagiste, contributing to sustainable construction studies.
- LM IngénieurimportantEngineering partner on sustainable construction studies for Chapelle Charbon project, contributing expertise on bio- and geo-sourced construction materials.
- Atelier Franck BouttéimportantEnvironmental design consultancy partner on Chapelle Charbon sustainable construction study, providing expertise on low-carbon building approaches.
- Base PaysagistecoreLead landscape architect on Chapelle Charbon ZAC project with h2o as urban designers. The partnership integrates landscape architecture and urban design expertise for large-scale urban development.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
h2o architects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Architecture-Studio: Large established French architecture firm with international scope across cultural, public, and urban projects; broader portfolio and capacity than h2o but overlapping public-sector client base.
- Wilmotte & Associés: Major French architecture firm with extensive work in cultural institutions, heritage, and urban regeneration; competes with h2o on larger-scale cultural and museum commissions.
- Dominique Perrault Architecture: Paris-based practice with a global portfolio of large cultural, public, and urban projects; broader scale and brand reach than h2o, with overlapping cultural-institution client relationships.
- AIA Architectes: Large French architecture and engineering group active in healthcare, education, housing, and urban projects; competes with h2o for institutional public-sector commissions, particularly in housing and rehabilitation.
Direct peers
- ChartierDalix: Paris-based architecture practice with comparable focus on social housing, public-sector commissions, and sustainable construction. Both firms compete in the same French public-tender ecosystem and share scale and methodology.
- Atelier du Pont: Paris-based practice active in social housing, cultural facilities, and adaptive reuse, with a comparable delivery scale and client profile to h2o.
- Studio Muoto: Paris architecture firm working on public housing, cultural facilities, and adaptive reuse with a research-led approach to materials and sustainability — a close methodological and scale peer to h2o.
- Tryptique: Paris-based architecture collective producing public projects, cultural venues, and residential work with similar scale and a portfolio of competition-led commissions in France.
- Atelier d'architecture Philippe Prost: French heritage architecture specialist recognized for major restoration and adaptive-reuse projects (e.g., Grands Ateliers, Château de Villers-Cotterêts); a direct competitor for heritage/patrimonial commissions.
- Croixmariebourdon Architectes: Paris architecture firm engaged in housing, urban renewal, and public-equipment projects for French institutional clients; competes in the same pool of mid-sized French practices.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
h2o architects social profiles
Digital presenceh2o architects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
h2o architects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
h2o architects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
h2o architects 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 h2o architects
What does h2o architects do?
h2o architectes is a Paris-based architecture firm that designs and delivers architectural projects across four scales: urban planning, architectural design (housing, cultural facilities, offices, educational institutions), heritage/patrimonial restoration of historic monuments, and design objects (urban furniture, modular pavilions). The firm leads projects typically as lead architect (mandataire), coordinating multidisciplinary teams, and specializes in the adaptive reuse and sustainable rehabilitation of existing buildings, including classified historic monuments.
Is h2o architects a public or private company?
h2o architects is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was h2o architects founded?
h2o architects was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is h2o architects based?
h2o architects is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does h2o architects make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are h2o architects's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Architecture-Studio, Wilmotte & Associés, Dominique Perrault Architecture and AIA Architectes. Direct peers are ChartierDalix, Atelier du Pont, Studio Muoto, Tryptique, Atelier d'architecture Philippe Prost and Croixmariebourdon Architectes.
Does h2o architects have an API?
No public API is recorded for h2o architects.
What industry is h2o architects in?
h2o architects's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of HSAPAEAB, Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations. Its NAICS code is 54131.