Exploration Architecture

Name

Exploration Architecture

Legal name

Exploration Architecture Limited

Website

https://exploration-architecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Regenerative Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB)

Keywords

• Biomimicry architecture design
• Regenerative design consulting
• Sustainable architecture services
• Nature-inspired building design
• Environmental design consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Design services for architectural projects including The Biomimetic Office, Zero Waste Textile Factory, Mountain Data Centre, and other regenerative building projects.
2. Consultancy Services: Regenerative design consultancy for architects and clients seeking to go beyond conventional sustainable design. Ranges from keynote presentations to innovation workshops to long-term strategy development.
3. Book Sales: Author Michael Pawlyn's book 'Biomimicry in Architecture' has been the publisher's best-selling title, with 2nd edition published in 2016 and translations in Arabic, French, and Korean.
4. Speaking Engagements: Michael Pawlyn available for keynote presentations and public lectures at conferences and institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Exploration Architecture is a specialist architectural practice and consultancy that delivers regenerative design services for buildings, infrastructure, and environmental projects using biomimicry and biophilia principles. Beyond project commissions, the firm publishes books, produces a podcast, and offers paid keynote lectures, monetising its thought leadership in nature-inspired design.

Product overview

Exploration Architecture is an architectural practice and consultancy focused on regenerative design. The company offers consulting services for architects and clients seeking to go beyond sustainable design, along with published books (Biomimicry in Architecture, Flourish), a podcast (Flourish Systems Change), architectural projects (Sahara Forest Project, Biomimetic Office Building, Mountain Data Centre, BioRock Pavilion, Zero Waste Textile Factory, Birdsong Pavilion), and speaking engagements. The portfolio is unified by nature-inspired design approaches including biomimicry and biophilia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regenerative Design Consulting Consultancy services providing guidance to architects and clients seeking to go beyond conventional sustainable design through regenerative approaches that optimise positive impacts rather than simply mitigating negatives. Scope ranges from keynote presentations and innovation workshops to long-term strategy development.
• Talks and Lectures Paid keynote presentations and lectures on biomimicry and regenerative design delivered by Michael Pawlyn at international conferences, universities, and industry events such as TED Salons, Cambridge, ETH Zurich, Nudgestock, FX Talks, the International Conference on Biomimicry, and 100% Design London.
• Biomimicry in Architecture (book) A comprehensive book by Michael Pawlyn exploring how nature's ingenuity can transform architecture across structural efficiency, material innovation, water conservation, energy systems, and city design. Published by RIBA Books, with the first edition in 2011 and the second edition released in 2016.
• Flourish: Design Paradigms for Our Planetary Emergency (book) Book co-authored by Sarah Ichioka and Michael Pawlyn interpreting research and real-life examples from around the world to show how planetary emergency can be addressed through changing paradigms in design and practice.
• Flourish Systems Change Podcast Podcast hosted by Sarah Ichioka and Michael Pawlyn discussing regenerative design principles with change agents from around the world, exploring ideas and solutions for designers, clients, and inhabitants to build a thriving future.
• Sahara Forest Project Regenerative environmental initiative jointly initiated by Exploration Architecture in 2008 and later formalised as Sahara Forest Project AS in Oslo. The project creates re-vegetation and green jobs through profitable production of food, water, clean electricity, and biomass in desert areas using seawater-cooled greenhouse technology inspired by the Namibian fog-basking beetle.
• The Biomimetic Office Building The first office building comprehensively designed using biomimicry, drawing inspiration from spookfish, stone plants, and brittlestars for daylighting; bird skulls, cuttlebone, and sea urchins for structure; and termites, penguin feathers, and polar bear fur for environmental control. Predicted to be among the lowest-energy office buildings in the world.
• The Mountain Data Centre A data centre concept based on two biomimetic ideas: locating in naturally cold environments (a Norwegian mountain with tunnels at approximately 5°C) and applying Murray's Law to design efficient branched duct networks for cooling.
• The BioRock Pavilion A building proposal to grow structures through electro-deposition of minerals in seawater using patented BioRock technology developed by Wolf Hilbertz and Tom Goreau, inspired by coccolith biology.
• Zero Waste Textile Factory A sustainable factory design in India that aims to radically reduce energy and water usage through closed-loop systems, inspired by the Euplectella glass sponge's hierarchical structure.
• Birdsong Pavilion A project exploring the potential of 3D printing to achieve biological structure efficiency, using a crow skull-inspired design made from biologically-derived raw materials (PLA/potato starch).

Quantifiable outcome

• Greenhouse productivity of 75kg/m2/yr achieved with half the fresh water of conventional approaches
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Sahara Forest Project AScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Formalised as a stand-alone company based in Oslo, Norway. Exploration jointly initiated the Sahara Forest Project in 2008 and serves as lead designer and project manager for the initiative focused on creating re-vegetation and green jobs through profitable production of food, water, clean electricity and biomass in desert areas.
• Yara International AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Sahara Forest Project contributing to environmental solution for desert areas through green job creation.
• QAFCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Sahara Forest Project for development of pilot facility in Qatar.
• The Bellona FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner for Sahara Forest Project providing research and environmental expertise.
• InterfacesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor for 'Designing with Nature' exhibition at The Architecture Foundation in 2014.
• Atelier TensupportingTechnology or IntegrationEnvironmental engineers collaborating on multiple projects including The Biomimetic Office and Zero Waste Textile Factory.
• Expedition EngineeringsupportingTechnology or IntegrationStructural engineers working on Zero Waste Textile Factory project and other biomimicry-inspired structures.
• Biomimicry 3.8coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned biomimicry consultancy providing expertise on projects including The Biomimetic Office. Dayna Baumeister serves as consultant.
• Professor Julian VincentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiomimetics consultant on multiple projects including The Biomimetic Office, BioRock Pavilion, and Zero Waste Textile Factory.
• ArupsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering consultancy providing structural, environmental, and materials expertise across multiple projects including The Eden Project and BioRock Pavilion.
• Ackroyd & HarveysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtists collaborating on Beuys' Acorns installation at Bloomberg Arcade.
• Dayna BaumeistercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiologist and co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8, providing expert biomimicry consulting.
• adidassupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate client receiving regenerative design consultancy services.
• Crown EstatesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate client receiving regenerative design consultancy services.
• IBMsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology company client receiving design consultancy.
• InterfacesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability-focused company partnered on regenerative design and sponsor of Flourish Systems Change Podcast.
• UK Green Building CouncilsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability organization partnered on sustainable building initiatives.
• Wolf Hilbertz and Tom GoreaucoreTechnology or IntegrationDevelopers of BioRock patented technology for electro-deposition of minerals in seawater, enabling growth of building structures.
• Bill WattssupportingTechnology or IntegrationEnvironmental engineer providing engineering expertise on Sahara Forest Project.
• Kelly HillsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPhotographer and film-maker who has produced films for exhibitions and promotional content about Exploration Architecture's projects.
• Ellen MacArthur FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term involvement in developing and advocating solutions for the circular economy. Michael Pawlyn wrote a chapter in their publication 'A New Dynamic 2'.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Snøhetta: Norway-headquartered architecture and design practice with an explicit regenerative design philosophy and portfolio spanning cultural, landscape, and public-realm projects. Comparable in its mission to design with nature and deliver net-positive environmental outcomes, and a natural regional peer given Exploration Architecture's Mountain Data Centre project in Norway.
• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design studio known for biomimicry- and nature-inspired public architecture and installations. Comparable in its small-team, founder-led, narrative-driven approach to nature-inspired design at pavilion and urban scale.
• Biomimicry 3.8: US-based biomimicry consulting firm and strategic partner of Exploration Architecture (Dayna Baumeister serves as consultant). Direct peer in the biomimicry consulting category, serving overlapping enterprise clients seeking nature-inspired innovation across products and buildings.
• Grimshaw Architects: London-based global architecture practice where founder Michael Pawlyn worked for ten years on the Eden Project. Shares a deep focus on sustainable, biomimicry-informed architecture and horticultural/museum-scale projects; one of the few firms operating at comparable regenerative design depth.
• Bill McDonough + Partners: Architecture and design consultancy pioneering Cradle to Cradle and regenerative design — a direct philosophical counterpart to Exploration Architecture's regenerative/biomimicry approach. Comparable in advisory-led, principles-driven engagement model with corporate and institutional clients.

Others

• Arup: Global engineering consultancy and frequent project collaborator with Exploration Architecture on the Eden Project and BioRock Pavilion. Related as an enabling partner rather than direct competitor; comparable on sustainability advisory work for buildings and infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture practice with a dedicated sustainability and regenerative design practice area. Comparable on enterprise sustainability consulting and large-scale sustainable project delivery, though broader in scope and not biomimicry-specialized.
• Foster + Partners: Global architecture incumbent with sustainability commitments and large-scale sustainable masterplans. Comparable on sustainability positioning and enterprise client base (Crown Estate, adidas-tier), but operates at much greater scale and is not specialized in regenerative/biomimicry.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: London-headquartered global architecture practice with sustainability research initiatives. Comparable as a London-based design-led practice with international reach, but with a much broader portfolio and not focused on regenerative/biomimetic methodology.

Emerging players

• Studio Gang: Architecture and urban design practice with strong sustainability and ecology-driven project portfolio. Comparable in mission-led, nature-informed design approach but operates at significantly larger scale and broader project typology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/exploration_arc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exploration-architecture

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 Exploration Architecture