What Kume Sekkei does

Kume Sekkei Co., Ltd. (株式会社久米設計) is a Tokyo-headquartered architectural design and engineering firm founded in 1932 by Kuniyoshi Kume. The firm employs approximately 660 people, including 350 first-class architects and 475 professional certified personnel, delivering comprehensive building lifecycle services spanning architectural design and supervision, structural engineering, environmental design, urban and regional planning, interior design, civil and landscape engineering, and integrated PM/CM/FM consulting under the Kume PCM brand. Its core technical differentiators are seismic isolation design (167 documented seismic projects since 1993), Zero Energy Building (ZEB) design methodology (50.4% of new building design floor area in 2025), and the proprietary Kume-style Seismic Wooden Structure developed by the founder.

The firm generates revenue primarily through project-based professional services fees, calculated as a percentage of construction cost or fixed project fees, with multi-year contract cadence typical for government and developer engagements. Its customer base is concentrated in Japanese government and public sector clients (municipalities, public facilities, healthcare, education) and private real estate developers undertaking mixed-use commercial, hospitality, and residential projects. Customer concentration is significant on the government side, evidenced by landmark commissions including Kawasaki City Hall, Fukuoka Daimyo Garden City, Nagasaki Harbor Medical Center, Chutoen General Medical Center, Mito City Hall, and Minamisanriku Town Hall.

Kume Sekkei distributes services through a network of eight domestic offices across Japan (Tokyo HQ plus Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Yokohama, Okinawa) and two international subsidiaries: Kume Design Asia Co., Ltd. (KDA), established in Vietnam in 2009, and Kume Design China Co., Ltd. (KDC), established in 2011. The firm operates four wholly-owned subsidiaries in total, including Archi Form Co., Ltd. and Kume Neighbor Service Co., Ltd. Disclosed annual sales are 15.1 billion JPY (~US$100M), and the firm has accumulated 272 industry awards since founding, with active recognition continuing through 2026 in seismic resistance, BELCA renovation, Good Design, and BCS categories.

Name

Kume Sekkei

Legal name

株式会社 久米設計

Website

https://kumesekkei.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kume Sekkei is a 90+ year-old Japanese architectural design and engineering firm headquartered in Tokyo, employing 660 staff including 350 first-class architects, serving government, healthcare, education, and real estate developer clients with integrated design, seismic isolation, ZEB, and PM/CM/FM consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK), Systems Engineering & Technical Program Management (BPAHAIAI), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Seismic isolation engineering
• Building renovation consulting
• Urban planning services
• Zero energy building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Koto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design and Supervision: Core architectural design and construction supervision services for buildings including government offices, hotels, commercial facilities, hospitals, educational facilities, and residential projects. Revenue is project-based, calculated as a percentage of construction costs or fixed fees.
2. Consulting Services: Project management (PM), construction management (CM), facility management (FM), development management, PFI advisory, and cost management consulting services.
3. ZEB Consulting: Zero Energy Building consulting services including energy analysis, environmental design, and sustainability consulting for building projects.
4. Renovation and Seismic Retrofit: Building renovation, seismic diagnosis, seismic reinforcement design, and restoration services for existing buildings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kume Sekkei provides comprehensive architectural design, engineering, supervision, and consulting services for buildings and urban spaces, covering the full project lifecycle from planning through construction supervision and facility management. The firm specializes in seismic isolation design, ZEB (Zero Energy Building) sustainable design, renovation and seismic retrofitting, urban and regional planning, interior design, and civil/landscape engineering. Services are delivered to enterprise clients including government agencies, real estate developers, healthcare institutions, and educational organizations across Japan and selected Asian markets.

Product overview

Kume Sekkei is an architectural design firm offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around 'Design and Technology Integration.' The core offerings include Architectural Design & Supervision, Urban/Regional Planning, Interior Design, Civil Engineering/Landscape Design, Environmental Design (with extensive ZEB achievements), PM/CM/FM services under the 'Kume PCM' brand, Consulting Services, Renovation, and Social Design. The company also provides specialized catalogs for Disaster Prevention (LCB), PCM services, and Overseas projects. The portfolio is organized as a unified service delivery model rather than discrete software products, with specialized expertise across governmental, commercial, healthcare, educational, cultural, hospitality, and residential building types.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design & Supervision (建築設計・監理) Comprehensive architectural design and supervision services covering the full lifecycle from initial planning through construction completion, serving government, commercial, healthcare, educational, hospitality, and residential clients.
• Urban & Regional Planning (都市・地域計画) Urban and regional planning services focused on creating sustainable, vibrant communities and cityscapes for municipalities and developers.
• Interior Design (インテリアデザイン) Interior design services for various building types including hotels and commercial spaces, delivered as part of integrated architectural projects.
• Civil Engineering & Landscape Design (土木・景観設計) Civil engineering and landscape design services for comprehensive site development alongside building projects.
• Environmental Design / ZEB Consulting (環境設計) Environmental design and ZEB (Zero Energy Building) consulting services including energy analysis, load reduction through building methods, natural resource utilization, and high-efficiency equipment systems. Includes ZEB Ready achievement for medical facilities.
• PM/CM/FM Services (Kume PCM) Project Management, Construction Management, and Facility Management services providing independent and neutral management for building lifecycles, from conception through long-term operations.
• Consulting Services (コンサルティング業務) Comprehensive consulting services including development management, PFI (Private Finance Initiative) management and advisory, cost control and management, facility management, and low-carbon management consulting.
• Renovation Services (リノベーション) Building renovation services including seismic diagnosis, building longevity planning, conversion planning, and energy efficiency improvements for existing buildings.
• Social Design (ソーシャルデザイン) Social design services for discovering and solving broad social challenges, including urban revitalization, community development, existing building upcycling, workplace design, and lifestyle innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% CO2 reduction target by 2030, carbon neutrality by 2050
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kume Neighbor Service Co., Ltd. (株式会社久米ネイバーサービス)coreOthersRelated company providing neighborhood and support services. Located at the same Tokyo Shiomi headquarters as Kume Sekkei. Part of the Kume Sekkei group of companies.
• Archi Form Co., Ltd. (株式会社アーキフォルム)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner architecture firm located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Collaboration on design and architectural projects.
• Kume Design Asia Co., Ltd. (KDA)coreOthersSubsidiary established in 2009 serving Vietnam and Southeast Asia markets from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi offices. Supports international project expansion in the region.
• Kume Design China Co., Ltd. (KDC)coreOthersSubsidiary established in 2011 serving China market from Beijing and Shanghai offices. Supports international project expansion in China.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Arup is a global engineering and design consultancy with strong structural, seismic, and sustainability practices active in Japan. Comparable to Kume Sekkei's structural engineering and ZEB consulting capabilities on technically complex commissions.
• Takenaka Corporation: Takenaka is one of Japan's largest design-build contractors, offering architectural design, engineering, and construction under a single roof. Competes with Kume Sekkei for design commissions and overlaps significantly on commercial, healthcare, and cultural projects.
• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm providing architecture, engineering, and program management services. Comparable to Kume Sekkei's PM/CM/FM and engineering consulting offerings at larger scale.
• Kajima Corporation: Kajima is a top-tier Japanese general contractor with substantial design and engineering resources, frequently partnering on or competing for the same seismic, public-sector, and large mixed-use developments that Kume Sekkei serves.
• Obayashi Corporation: Obayashi is a leading Japanese construction and development group with design capabilities across commercial, infrastructure, and environmental projects. Competes for the same government and developer clients as Kume Sekkei.
• Gensler: Gensler is a global architecture and design firm with strengths in commercial, hospitality, and workplace design. Comparable to Kume Sekkei on commercial, hospitality, and interior design engagements, particularly for multinational clients in Asia.
• Shimizu Corporation: Shimizu is a major Japanese general contractor with an in-house architectural design division competing on large public and private commissions. Overlaps with Kume Sekkei in seismic, sustainable, and large-scale institutional projects.

Direct peers

• Nikken Sekkei: Nikken Sekkei is Japan's largest architecture and engineering firm, with similar full-lifecycle design, urban planning, and PM/CM services for government, healthcare, education, and commercial clients. Most directly comparable to Kume Sekkei in scale, service mix, and public-sector focus.
• Nihon Sekkei: Nihon Sekkei is a major Japanese architectural design firm with comparable government, commercial, transportation, and urban development work. Directly competes with Kume Sekkei on Japanese public-sector commissions.

Regional players

• Mori Building Co. Mori Building is a leading Japanese urban developer with in-house architecture for landmark mixed-use and high-rise projects. Comparable to Kume Sekkei on large Tokyo mixed-use commissions such as Toranomon Hills Station Tower, though it operates as developer-architect rather than independent firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kumesekkei
• Instagraminstagram.com/kumesekkei
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kume-sekkei-co.-ltd.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Kume Sekkei