Naço

What Naço does

Naço is a Paris-headquartered, founder-owned architecture and design studio established in 1991 by Argentine architect Marcelo Joulia. It operates as a full-service practice spanning architecture, interior design, product and industrial design, graphic design and branding, cinema and scenography, with delivery through three offices in Paris, Shanghai, and Buenos Aires and projects executed across more than 20 countries. The firm's offering is organized around end-to-end design engagements—from audit and concept through detailed plans, construction oversight, and quality control—rather than discrete productized services.

The revenue model is professional services: bespoke, project-based commissions with custom pricing tied to scope and complexity, typically structured as multi-year contracts for large-scale hospitality and commercial work. Customer segments are horizontal across use-cases (hospitality, commercial buildings, food and beverage, retail, residential, workplace, cinema, and graphic branding), with hospitality—luxury and boutique hotels—emerging as the most visible anchor vertical, evidenced by the firm's own design and opening of Hôtel Imperator in Nîmes (2019) and Restaurant Unico in Paris. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and there is no standard rate card; client engagement is direct enterprise.

On technology, Naço does not disclose proprietary platforms or technical systems; it does maintain Nacolab (nacolab.ai), a sub-brand positioned as an AI and innovation laboratory, indicating exploration of emerging computational tools, though no specific AI products, models, or commercialized outputs are documented in available sources. Naço holds B-Corp certification (2018), is founder-owned with no institutional investors, and runs a deliberately lean operation of 1–10 employees spanning three continents.

Name

Naço

Legal name

Naço Architecture

Website

https://naco.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Naço is a Paris-headquartered, founder-owned architecture and design studio founded in 1991 by Argentine architect Marcelo Joulia, delivering integrated architecture, interior, product, graphic, and cinema design across hospitality, commercial, retail, and residential sectors via offices in Paris, Shanghai, and Buenos Aires.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional services revenue from architecture, interior design, product design, and graphic design projects. Services range from individual residential houses to large-scale hotels, commercial buildings, and leisure complexes. Revenue is project-based, typically one-time engagements with professional services delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Naço is an architecture, interior design, product design, graphic design, scenography and video studio that designs and delivers built environments for hotels, residences, commercial buildings, retail concepts, offices, food and beverage venues, and entertainment projects. It serves clients across more than 20 countries from offices in Paris, Shanghai, and Buenos Aires under a unified creative direction.

Product overview

Naço is a comprehensive architecture, design, and graphic design studio founded in 1991 by architect Marcelo Joulia. The company operates as a unified practice with multiple service lines: architecture services (residential, commercial, hotels, leisure, buildings), interior design (retail, merchandising, corporate, institutional), graphic identity (branding, web, multimedia), and design services (industrial, product, furniture, packaging). The company is organized under the main Naço Architecture brand with a technology-focused subdivision called Nacolab. Notable hospitality projects include Restaurant Unico Paris and the five-star Hôtel Imperator in Nîmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Design Services Architecture design and project delivery for hotels, residences, commercial buildings, retail, food and beverage venues, offices, and entertainment projects worldwide, anchored by the Paris studio and delivered across the Paris, Shanghai and Buenos Aires offices.
• Interior Design Services Interior design for hospitality, residential, commercial, retail, office, and entertainment projects, typically delivered as part of integrated multi-discipline commissions.
• Product Design Services Industrial and product design for objects, furniture, and accessories, created as part of Naço's unified architecture, interior and brand commissions.
• Graphic Design & Branding Services Graphic design, branding, scenography and video content services delivered alongside architecture and interior commissions to express a unified creative vision for hospitality, retail and commercial clients.

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): One of the world's largest hospitality interior design firms, with deep expertise in luxury and boutique hotel design. Comparable to Naço in target clientele (hotel operators and developers) and project-based professional services delivery across global markets.
• Rockwell Group: New York-based architecture and design firm with strong hospitality, restaurant, retail, and entertainment portfolios. Closely comparable to Naço's multi-disciplinary mix (architecture + interior + scenic + graphic) and creator-led brand identity.
• Champalimaud Design: London- and New York-based luxury interior design studio specializing in high-end hotels, residences, and restaurants. Comparable to Naço on premium hospitality interior design and cross-continental project delivery.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto-based luxury interior design and architecture studio specializing in high-end hotels, residences, and retail. Closely comparable to Naço on hospitality focus, multi-disciplinary interior-architecture offering, and global project delivery for premium clients.
• Pierre-Yves Rochon: Paris-based luxury hospitality design studio known for high-end hotel interiors (e.g., Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton). Directly comparable to Naço's Parisian base and its luxury hotel, restaurant, and residential design portfolio.
• Wilson Associates: Global hospitality design firm delivering luxury hotel interiors and architecture. Comparable to Naço on multi-continental project delivery, full-service interior design, and brand-driven hospitality environments.
• Richmond International: UK-based luxury hotel and resort interior design firm with international project portfolio. Comparable to Naço on creator-led brand, hotel-focused interior design, and boutique studio structure serving premium hospitality operators.
• Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG): Global architecture and design firm specializing in hospitality, with offices across Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Comparable to Naço on tri-regional presence (including Asia), hospitality focus, and integrated architecture/interior offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Internationally renowned architecture practice with award-winning hospitality, commercial, and cultural projects. Competes with Naço for prestigious commercial and hospitality commissions globally, but operates at much larger scale and offers a broader portfolio of services.
• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm with hospitality, workplace, retail, and residential practices. A larger incumbent competing for the same commercial and hospitality client base that Naço serves, but at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/marcelojoulia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/na-o-architectures

Compliance1 record

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 Naço