nonconform

What nonconform does

nonconform is a privately held participatory urban and spatial development consultancy founded in Vienna in 1999 by Peter Nageler and Roland Gruber. The firm operates a codified methodology called the 'nonconform ideenwerkstatt' (ideas workshop), a structured participatory process that engages citizens, stakeholders, and decision-makers in developing spatial concepts for sustainable urban and rural development. Service delivery is organized around three vertical offerings: public sector (municipalities, regional governments, urban development agencies such as IBA Wien), educational institutions (schools, universities undergoing spatial reorganization), and corporate clients (workplace, campus, and location strategy). A complementary service line, 'Baureduktionsplanung' (Building Reduction Planning), repositions the firm around climate-neutral outcomes by maximizing spatial quality while minimizing new construction volume.

The business is delivered through a four-office footprint spanning Austria (Vienna headquarters) and Germany (Berlin, Rosenheim in Bavaria, and Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia), staffed by an estimated 30 professionals with multidisciplinary backgrounds in architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, sociology, cultural studies, and mediation. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees, with public-sector clients typically procured through municipal budgets, regional grants (e.g., Land Steiermark, NÖ.regional), and competitive tender processes. The company also operates two ecosystem assets — the Leerstandskonferenz (Vacancy Conference) and the nonconform Akademie training platform — that extend brand reach beyond direct project work. Nonconform has accumulated 65+ documented projects and an award track record including the Staatspreis für Consulting (2008), Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis recognition (2007), Europaischer Dorferneuerungspreis (2016, 2024), polis Award (2024), and Iconic Awards Best of Best (2024).

In the 2022–2026 window, nonconform ideenwerkstatt GmbH was split into two independent companies: nonconform, focused on climate-neutral living through participatory processes, and co-form (formerly nonconform zt gmbh), focused on climate-neutral building. The firm remains founder- and partner-owned, with no institutional equity investment identified. No revenue figures have been publicly disclosed.

Name

nonconform

Legal name

nonconform ideenwerkstatt GmbH

Website

https://nonconform.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

nonconform is a Vienna-founded, partner-owned consultancy that runs a participatory spatial planning methodology (ideenwerkstatt) for municipalities, schools, and companies across Austria and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture & Urban Planning Consulting

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Mixed-Use Commercial Construction (IMAFACAB)

Keywords

• Urban planning consulting
• Participatory design services
• Architecture services
• Urban development consulting
• Community engagement planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Consulting and Planning: nonconform generates revenue through consulting fees for participatory planning services, process facilitation, and spatial development consulting. Projects typically span multiple phases from initial workshops through implementation support, billed on a project basis.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

nonconform is an architecture and participatory urban development firm that provides planning, consulting, and architectural services for cities, municipalities, companies, and educational institutions. The firm specializes in participatory development processes, working with citizens, businesses, and institutions to shape urban and regional development projects.

Product overview

nonconform operates as a participatory urban and spatial development consultancy offering a unified methodology centered on the nonconform ideenwerkstatt process. The portfolio consists of their core workshop-based planning approach (nonconform ideenwerkstatt), building reduction planning (nonconform Baureduktionsplanung), and three specialized service offerings for public sector, companies, and educational institutions. The company was formerly known as nonconform ideenwerkstatt GmbH and recently spun off its architecture division (previously nonconform zt gmbh) as co-form. All offerings are professional consulting services rather than software products, APIs, or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Participatory Urban Development Consulting Strategic consulting and facilitation services for participatory urban and regional development projects for municipalities, companies, and educational institutions, including stakeholder engagement and community planning.
• Architecture and Planning Services Architectural and urban planning services for municipalities, companies, and educational institutions, including spatial planning and design consultation.
• Community Engagement Programs Citizen engagement and stakeholder facilitation programs that bring together residents, businesses, and institutions to shape urban and regional development outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Building Reduction: Maximizing spatial quality while minimizing construction volume and associated costs and CO2 emissions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• co-form (formerly nonconform zt gmbh)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerco-form was formerly part of nonconform (nonconform ideenwerkstatt GmbH) as nonconform zt gmbh. The company split into two separate entities: nonconform focuses on climate-neutral living through participatory processes, while co-form focuses on climate-neutral building through architectural services. The companies continue to collaborate on projects where both process and architectural expertise are needed.
• IBA WiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Building Exhibition Wien - nonconform serves as a key development partner for IBA Wien's urban development projects, including the Berresgasse project which was awarded IBA-Quartier status.
• NÖ.regionalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development agency that co-funds and supports municipal development projects in Lower Austria where nonconform provides planning services.
• FH JoanneumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Applied Sciences that partners with nonconform on regional development projects, particularly in the Murau region.
• Land SteiermarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government of Styria that provides funding and strategic support for nonconform projects in the region, including Trofaiach and Leoben inner-city development.
• Alanus HochschuleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner involved in the 'Oben an der Volme' regional development project, contributing student expertise to the planning process.
• Dr. Klaus Zeitler (Institut Sireg)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSociology consultant supporting the Berngau Generationennetzwerk (generational network) that collaborates with nonconform on inclusive village center development.
• Weissenseer Holz-System-Bau GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWood construction company that served as partial general contractor for the B.R.O.T. Pressbaum communal housing project.
• Quest Baukultur GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClient and development partner for the Holzkirchen Winklbauer Höfe project, working with nonconform on participatory planning for the neighborhood development.
• N-V-O ArchitektenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating with nonconform on the Holzkirchen Winklbauer Höfe project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Agence Ter: Paris-based landscape architecture and urban planning firm active in European public-space and masterplan projects. Comparable as a multidisciplinary European planning practice serving municipalities on participatory spatial development.
• Studio Vulkan: Zurich-based landscape architecture and urban design office working on public-space and masterplan projects across Switzerland and Europe. Comparable in scale, methodology emphasis on stakeholder engagement, and focus on public-sector landscape planning.

Broad incumbents

• Snøhetta: Global architecture and landscape practice with strong public-sector and cultural-project portfolio and participatory design ethos. Comparable as a larger, established design firm operating across overlapping institutional and public-realm categories.
• Coop Himmelb(l)au: Vienna-headquartered international architecture firm known for cultural and public institutional buildings. Comparable as an Austrian-rooted, export-oriented architecture practice serving public-sector cultural clients.
• MVRDV: Rotterdam-based global architecture and urbanism studio with portfolio spanning public buildings, masterplans, and adaptive reuse. Comparable as a large European architecture practice that overlaps with nonconform's institutional and urban-mixed-use segments.

Direct peers

• co-form: The architecture arm spun off from nonconform (formerly nonconform zt gmbh), focused on climate-neutral building. Most directly comparable peer because it shares methodology roots and serves overlapping municipal and institutional clients in Austria and Germany.
• ASTOC Architects and Planners: Cologne-based architecture and urban planning firm active in German urban regeneration and public-sector masterplanning. Comparable due to German public-sector focus and architectural-planning service mix.
• Hosoya Schaefer Architects: Zurich/Düsseldorf-based practice focused on participatory urban planning and large-scale European transformation projects (e.g., IBA Basel, IBA Emscher Park). Comparable in approach, project scale, and DACH municipal client base.
• raumlaborberlin: Berlin-based participatory urban design collective that develops experimental spatial concepts with citizens and stakeholders. Closely comparable to nonconform's 'ideenwerkstatt' methodology and target audience of municipalities and civic actors.
• KCAP Architects & Planners: Rotterdam/Zurich-headquartered urbanism and architecture firm with strong track record in European mixed-use and waterfront urban development. Comparable as an established European urban-planning consultancy with similar multi-country office footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nonconform.at
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nonconform
• Instagraminstagram.com/nonconform.at

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 nonconform