51-1 arquitectos

What 51-1 arquitectos does

51-1 arquitectos is a Lima, Peru-based architecture studio founded in 2005 by partners César Becerra, Fernando Puente Arnao, and Manuel de Rivero. The firm provides professional architectural services spanning urban planning, residential and commercial buildings, hospitality design (notably restaurants and hotels), public space creation, master planning, and academic research. Its practice is differentiated by a design methodology explicitly tailored to Lima's distinctive environmental conditions — desert climate, no rainfall, consistent 14-28°C temperatures, diffused light — and the social context of informal urbanism and constrained construction budgets that are less than half those of neighboring countries. Work is delivered through project-based commissions from private developers, public institutions (including government cultural foundations), and high-profile individual clients, with a portfolio spanning Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Ecuador, Romania, Russia, and Spain.

The studio operates with a team of 9-12 people (partners, project leaders, designers, interns, and administrative staff) from offices in a modernist building in Miraflores overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Notable projects include the MAMM museum extension in Medellín (7,500 m², 100,000+ first-year visitors), the Kalba Ice Factory cultural center in Sharjah (21,700 m², for Sharjah Art Foundation), the NM Lima Hotel renovation (4,413 m²), restaurant designs for Maido (ranked No. 6 in World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023) and Astrid & Gaston, and the Feria Mistura 1.2 km pavilion (500,000 visitors). The firm is a member of the Supersudaca collective, linking studios across Peru, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Belgium for international research and competition work.

Revenue is generated through professional service fees on commissioned projects and competition wins; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm has won recognition including the IV Iberoamerican Architecture Biennale First Prize (2004), the II International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam Best Entry (2005), the Venice Biennale (2012), and ICON Magazine's "20 Architects That Will Change the Future" (2009). Marketing is reputation-based, driven by international publications, biennale participation, and word-of-mouth within the architecture community, rather than outbound sales or paid channels.

Name

51-1 arquitectos

Legal name

51-1 Arquitectos

Website

https://51-1.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

51-1 arquitectos is a Lima, Peru-based architecture studio founded in 2005, delivering urban planning, residential, commercial, hospitality, and public space design through project-based commissions for private developers, public institutions, and high-profile clients across Peru, the UAE, and other markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Miraflores

HQ country

Peru

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional services including urban planning, design, construction management, and architectural services for private and public clients. Revenue generated through project-based commissions.
2. Research and Publications: Academic research contributions and publications in international journals, including work on Lima's urban evolution and experimental housing projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

51-1 arquitectos is an architecture studio based in Lima, Peru that delivers professional design services across multiple scales, from urban master plans to individual buildings. The firm designs residential, commercial, hospitality, cultural, and public projects, and provides urban planning, renovation, and research services for private developers, public institutions, and high-profile clients in Peru and the United Arab Emirates.

Product overview

51-1 is an architecture studio based in Lima, Peru, founded in 2005. The firm offers architectural and design services spanning urban planning, residential and commercial architecture, hospitality, public spaces, master planning, and research. Rather than a product company, 51-1 operates as a service-based practice working across multiple scales from urban master plans to individual building projects, with a focus on projects in Peru and the United Arab Emirates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• MAMM museum extension received over 100,000 visitors in its first year, with 6,000 people attending the independent outdoor cinema nightly
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SupersudacacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner51-1 is one of the studios that make up the collective Supersudaca (supersudaca.org), with bases in Peru, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Belgium. As members, they cooperate actively in research, workshops, lectures, and design projects worldwide.
• CTRL-G (Colombia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for the MAMM (Museum of Modern Art Medellin) extension project. CTRL-G team included Catalina Patiño and Viviana Peña along with additional Colombian collaborators.
• RE (Esteban Varela & Martin Delgado)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for multiple projects including Lobitos masterplan (Peru), El Calado (Ecuador), Paracas Lagoon (Peru), and Karibao (Ecuador). RE brings expertise in master planning and landscape design.
• Artist Rodrigo DerteanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Ciudad Nazca land-art project in Huarmey desert. Derteano's team created the 'tracing robot' while 51-1 designed the layout of 300 Latin American city blocks at 1:1 scale.
• KLING CONSULT GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMain consultant and local architect of record for the Kalba Ice Factory project in Sharjah, UAE. Provided local architectural expertise and coordination.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Studio Cadena: Colombian-American architecture practice of comparable boutique scale with cross-border project portfolio; shares emphasis on contextual, research-informed design and similar cultural-institution client base.
• Llosa Cortegana Arquitectura: Lima-based architecture firm of comparable size operating in the same local market; competes with 51-1 for similar residential, cultural, and public commissions in Peru and shares the same Latin American urban context.
• Elemental: Chilean architecture firm led by Alejandro Aravena focused on social housing, informal urbanism, and incremental design solutions; comparable to 51-1's research-driven approach to Latin American urban challenges and similar biennale/Pritzker recognition.
• Pezo von Ellrichshausen: Concepción, Chile-based architect duo running a research-driven practice of comparable size; shares biennale presence (Venice, São Paulo), Latin American context, and emphasis on conceptual frameworks over signature style.
• Frida Escobedo Studio: Mexico City-based practice of comparable scale with strong international biennale presence and cultural/civic project portfolio; directly comparable in trajectory from regional practice to globally commissioned work.
• Barclay & Crousse Architecture: Paris- and Lima-based architecture duo with comparable boutique practice size, Latin American focus, and international biennale recognition; directly competes with 51-1 for the same elite cultural and residential commissions in Peru.
• Plan:b Arquitectos: Medellín-based architecture firm with comparable boutique practice size, Colombian context, and focus on cultural and public projects; similarly engaged with Latin American urban challenges and biennale circuits.
• Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO: Mexico City-based boutique architecture studio with similar international profile, civic/cultural project focus, and Latin American context; recognized by international publications and competes for similar cultural-institution commissions.

Broad incumbents

• Alberto Campo Baeza: Established Spanish architect with strong conceptual-design philosophy, comparable international biennale presence, and emphasis on contextually-grounded minimalism; represents a more mature version of 51-1's research-driven practice model.
• Lacaton & Vassal Architectes: French architecture firm (2021 Pritzker Prize) with parallel methodology to 51-1: design within tight budgets, prioritize contextual/social response over signature style, and produce widely-published research; a more established peer in methodology though in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPggyCEFXHiH-FtqznmUsHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/51-1-arquitectos-100045715532998
• Instagraminstagram.com/51_1_arquitectos
• Xx.com/511arquitectos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/51-1-arquitectos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 51-1 arquitectos