What archipelago does

archipelago architects SA/NV is a Belgian private limited architecture firm founded in 1996, headquartered in Brussels with additional offices in Leuven, Paris and Barcelona. It employs more than 140 architects, engineers, interior designers, urban planners, BIM modellers and researchers, organised into four sector studios — living (habiter), caring (soigner), learning (apprendre) and working (travailler) — plus a dedicated Research & Innovation unit. Its core offering is full-spectrum contextual and sustainable architecture services: master planning, interior design, urban planning, BIM modelling and design consultancy for institutional, healthcare, educational, public-sector and commercial clients.

The firm builds on a four-pillar methodology (programming, experience, sustainability, economy) supported by proprietary methods including Scenario-Based Design, Evidence-Based Design grounded in environmental psychology, and Performance-Based Design Simulations for energy, circularity and heritage outcomes. BIM is integrated across the design process, and the firm is a partner in the Flemish Government Green Deal for Circular Construction, aligning work with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Its revenue model is professional services fees on bespoke projects, won through competitive tenders, invited competitions and direct engagement with enterprise and institutional clients; on the largest programmes it operates in consortiums with engineering firms (e.g. VK, Tractebel, Sweco, Arcadis) and construction firms (e.g. Besix, Cordeel). Notable projects include the HELORA hospital network (~2,150 beds across five sites), the BNB1 National Bank renovation (75,000 m², with David Chipperfield Architects), CHU Liège, UZ Leuven campus, Kop van Kessel-Lo masterplan, Caterpillar Charleroi, and the award-winning Greenpeace Belgium headquarters.

Name

archipelago

Legal name

archipelago architects SA/NV

Website

https://archipelago.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Belgian architecture firm (140+ staff, founded 1996) with studios in Brussels, Leuven, Paris and Barcelona, delivering contextual and sustainable architecture across healthcare, education, residential and workplace sectors for institutional and enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Sustainable architecture
• Healthcare architecture
• Urban planning services
• BIM consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional services revenue from full-spectrum architectural design, master planning, interior design, urban planning, and BIM modelling services for institutional, healthcare, educational, and commercial clients. Projects range from small-scale renovations to large hospital networks and urban developments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

archipelago is an architecture firm providing contextual and sustainable architectural design services across four sector studios: living (habiter), caring (soigner), working (travailler), and learning (apprendre). The firm delivers full-spectrum services including architectural design, master planning, interior design, urban planning, and BIM modelling for institutional, healthcare, educational, and commercial clients ranging from small renovations to large hospital networks and urban developments.

Product overview

archipelago is an architecture firm offering contextual and sustainable architecture services through a platform of integrated design methodologies. The core offering spans four domains (living, care, working, learning), supported by a proprietary approach based on four pillars (sustainability, programming, experience, economy). The Research and Innovation unit provides specialized services including Scenario-Based Design, Evidence-Based Design, and Performance-Based Design Simulations. Projects range from healthcare facilities and educational institutions to residential complexes and commercial buildings across Belgium, France, and international markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contextual Architecture Services Full-spectrum architectural design services for institutional, healthcare, educational, and commercial clients, delivered through four dedicated sector studios and based on a four-pillar methodology (programming, experience, sustainability, economy).
• Living/Habitat Sector Architecture Services

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, supporting, flagship and minor.

• VK Architects & EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and architecture partner on large-scale hospital projects including the HELORA hospital network (5 hospitals, ~2,150 beds). Collaborative consortium partner on complex healthcare infrastructure.
• TractebelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy partner on major projects including HELORA hospital network, contributing structural and MEP engineering expertise to large hospital developments.
• BesixmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction and development partner on urban projects including Gelatinewijk (Hasselt) transformation and Tech Lane Park Building, combining construction execution with architectural design.
• Sweco BelgiumsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering consultancy providing structural, civil, and technical engineering services on projects including McDonald's Mechelen and Solbosch Faculty of Architecture renovation.
• David Chipperfield ArchitectsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead architect on the BNB1 National Bank of Belgium renovation project (75,000 m²), with archipelago as associate architect. Project targets BREEAM and WELL Platinum certifications.
• SeARCH (Amsterdam)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch architecture firm collaborating with archipelago on the Kop van Kessel-Lo masterplan (76,000 m²), a mixed-use development connecting Leuven city centre with Kessel-Lo.
• Apsis SantécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare planning and consultancy specialist partnering on hospital projects including the Hospital of Tarbes and Lourdes (454 beds) and HELORA network.
• CordeelmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction partner on Brucargo Central logistics warehouses (33,500 m²) and residential projects including Brouwmeester development (48 apartments).
• NU architectuurateliersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partner on Plantentuin Meise: Groene Ark pavilion project and Pilootproject Zorgcampus Sint-Anna masterplan (26,000 m²).
• Macobo-StabosupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering consultancy providing structural and technical engineering on healthcare and logistics projects including UZ Leuven pharmacy and Ambulant Centrum Heilig Hart Leuven.
• ArcadissupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering and consultancy partner on the Huy Administrative Centre project, providing multidisciplinary engineering services.
• Group AsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering and design partner on the Premetro Antwerp project (4 premetro stations, 2.5 km), contributing to urban mobility infrastructure.
• AvantgardensupportingTechnology or IntegrationLandscape and urban design partner on the Tech Lane Park Building project (13,270 m²) at the POM Oost-Vlaanderen business park.
• Van der Valk Hotel GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHotel operator partner on the Calais hotel and residential project (140 hotel rooms, 40 apartments) along the Calais seafront.
• INEOSminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndustrial partner on unspecified project collaboration, representing a client commissioning a facility from archipelago.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jo Crepain Architects: Belgian architect with a deep healthcare and residential portfolio, directly comparable to archipelago's care/living studios. Operates within the same Belgian regulatory, hospital-network, and tender environment.
• Mecanoo: Dutch architecture firm of comparable size with healthcare, education, and public-sector focus. Highly analogous to archipelago's studio model and project scale (e.g., library of Birmingham, Taichung Metropolitan Opera). Both operate integrated design practices centered on contextual/sustainable methodology.
• Snøhetta: Norwegian-origin multidisciplinary practice with an analogous four-domain structure (architecture, landscape, interiors, product) and strong credentials on cultural, civic, and healthcare buildings. Comparable sustainable-design philosophy and large-project consortium approach.
• AWG Architecten: Belgian architecture practice with similar size and a comparable focus on healthcare, education, residential, and office typologies. Often partners on Belgian public-sector projects alongside archipelago, sharing the same regulatory environment and tender landscape.
• Neutelings Riedijk Architects: Mid-sized Dutch practice with strong cultural and institutional portfolio (e.g., MAS, Sphinxkwartier). Similar scale to archipelago and a comparable emphasis on contextual design and large urban projects.

Broad incumbents

• MVRDV: Larger Dutch practice active in large-scale urban, residential, and mixed-use projects across Europe. While at greater scale than archipelago and broader in scope, it competes for the same European flagship commissions where archipelago bids as associate or consortium partner.
• David Chipperfield Architects: Premium international practice that archipelago partners with as associate architect on the BNB1 National Bank of Belgium renovation. Operates at significantly larger scale but competes for heritage / institutional flagship work in the same Belgian and European market.
• Perkins&Will: Large global practice with deep healthcare architecture specialization. Competes for the same European hospital-network commissions as archipelago, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Henning Larsen (Ramboll): International practice (now part of Ramboll) with strong cultural and public-sector portfolio, including sustainability-driven design similar to archipelago's positioning. Larger scale and broader geographic reach but overlapping client profile.

Emerging players

• Studio Gang: US-based practice with comparable size, R&I orientation, and a sustainability-and-evidence-based design philosophy. Less direct overlap geographically but analogous methodology-driven, sector-studied approach to architecture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/archipelagoarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ar-te
• Instagraminstagram.com/archipelago.archis

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 archipelago